YuGiOh! Dark Messiah
by Cyber Commander
Summary: The thrilling conclusion! It's called Absolute End. Please R and R!
1. Prologue

Hello anime and TCG fans…

And welcome to "Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Messiah"!

My newest Yu-Gi-Oh project…

Before I begin, some words on the game rules this fanfic will use:

First, in a duel, duelists start with 8,000 Life Points, most of the time.

Normal Summoning a Monster requires no sacrifice for Monsters of four stars or less, one for those of five or six, and two for those of more than that. In most cases. However, Monsters can be summoned in face-up Defense Mode, like in the anime.

No Life Points are lost if a Monster is destroyed outside of battle.

Most game rules are in effect, but some of the more colorful anime rules will be in effect.

Fusion Monsters do _not_ have to wait a turn before attacking. Fusion Monster Cards are used.

Next, a bit of a warning: This fanfic, if the name is any indication, is rated PG-13. It has a dark tone, and carries many adult themes and might well have some strong language along the way. However, despite the use of the word "messiah" in the title, it will have no blasphemies towards any religion. That is not to say some parts of the plot will not echo a few religious themes – let's face it, a lot of fictions have done so. (Who here has read _The DaVinci Code_? Read it, didn't fully agree with it, but loved it.)

(I can't reveal just why it is called "Dark Messiah" right now, or just who the Dark Messiah is. You will just have to figure that out on your own as the story progresses.)

Now, some notes on the setting:

This takes place in the future of the _true_ anime world, unlike that of my old fanfic trilogy. That means Pharaoh Atem is gone, as are the Millennium Items. Also, the events of _Yu-Gi-Oh GX_ are assumed to have taken place. Yes, that storyline takes place in the future – this one takes place in an even later future.

Just how far in the future? Well, we'll let our narrator explain that in a second…

For the most part, just sit back and enjoy…

(Credit goes to Melissa Etheridge for the opener.)

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**Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Messiah**

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**A Fanfic By Cyber Commander**

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**As told to by The Sage of Duelists**

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**PROLOGUE**

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_**It's been years since they told them about it…  
The darkness their bodies possessed…  
And the scars are still there in the mirror…  
Every day that they get themselves dressed.  
Though the pain is miles and miles behind them…  
And the fear is now a docile beast…  
If you ask them why they are still dueling…  
They'll tell you it makes them complete!  
**_

_**They duel for hope!  
They duel to feel!  
They duel for the truth,  
For all that is real.  
They duel for your mother, your sister, your wife,  
They duel for you and me my friend…**_

_**They duel for life…**_

_**It's a blur since they told me about it…  
How the darkness had taken its toll…  
And they cut into my skin, and they cut into my body…  
But they will never get a piece of my soul!  
And now I'm still learning the lesson…  
To waken when I hear the call…  
And if you ask me why I am still dueling…  
I'll tell you I duel for us all!  
**_

_**I duel for hope!  
I duel to feel!  
I duel for the truth,  
For all that is real.  
I duel for your mother, your sister, your wife,  
I duel for you and me my friend…**_

_**I duel for life…**_

_**And someday if they tell you about it…  
If the darkness knocks on your door…  
Remember them, remember me…  
We will be dueling as we have before…  
Dueling for answers,  
Dueling for more!**_

_**We duel for hope!  
We duel to feel!  
We duel for the truth,  
For all that is real.  
We duel for your mother, your sister, your wife,  
We duel for you and me my friend…**_

_**We duel for hope!  
We duel to feel!  
We duel for the truth,  
For all that is real.  
We duel for your mother, your sister, your daughter, your wife,  
We duel for you and me my friend…**_

_**We duel for life…**_

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_Hello…_

_And welcome to the future._

_The year is 2110. The place is New York City. The city has grown to almost twice its size since your time._

_And let me tell you, the world is a great place to live!_

_The environment has been fixed with the Greenhouse Effect gone and the ozone layer no longer a problem; there's almost no poverty; and even better, the world is almost at peace. The last major conflict occurred fourteen years ago._

_Even better, the art of Duel Monsters has become the world's most popular pastime. The game reaches all levels of society, from grade school children to heads of state. Duel Monsters is one of the most powerful ways to express yourself these days. _

_Yes, it's great in these times…_

_But it almost wasn't…_

_See, four years ago, a nutjob threatened to corrupt everyone's favorite hobby for his own selfish goals, and his first target was NYC Duel Monsters Academy, the most prestigious dueling college of all. _

_At the time, I kind of wished that the Trinity would have come back to handle the problem… But as great as they were, they were only mortal. Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey had long since passed on. _

_You might be wondering what I'm talking about. You probably don't even know who I am…_

_People call me The Sage of Duelists._

_Still don't know who I am?_

_Well hey… I don't know who YOU are!_

_So I guess that makes us even._

_Sit back, and you'll learn the whole story. I'll start at the beginning… Beginnings are always the best place to start…_

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Jason opened his eyes…

He was standing in a place that he had never been to, but he recognized it…

Domino Square, in the heart of Domino City.

He looked around. By the clock tower was a young woman. She looked to be about twenty-five years old, with long, chestnut hair, wearing a blouse and a dress.

She had a Duel Disk on her arm, and Jason could see that it was one of the Mach-2 models – quite an antique by today's standards.

Then she realized who she was…

Tea Gardner.

That explained the model of the Disk.

She didn't seem to notice him, and she likely wouldn't even if he called to her. It was beginning to sink in what he was seeing…

Tea looked at her watch…

"He won't be late," she muttered. "I've known him since grade school, and he's never been late…"

She giggled.

"More often, _I'm_ the one who's late…" she added.

Jason watched as another figure approached…

He was instantly recognizable, by the hairstyle and the trademark outfit. He also had a Duel Disk on his arm… The same outdated model.

Jason shivered.

The King of Games…

"I knew you'd come," said Tea with a sweet smile. "Ready to accept my offer?"

"Tea…" sighed Yugi. "This isn't necessary…"

"I say it is," answered Tea. "I won't marry you unless you prove you still have the Heart."

"You can't beat me," answered Yugi with another sigh. "And I don't want to do this."

"I know that," answered Tea. "But I gave you my condition. I won't marry you…"

She paused.

"…unless you can win in three of your turns or less!"

Yugi stared at her.

"Are you willing to try?" she asked.

"If that's what it takes," answered Yugi.

"Then stop beating around the bush and duel!" exclaimed Tea.

The two of them activated their Disks, and the Life Point counters each set to 8,000.

"You make the first move," said Tea, sweetly.

Jason watched as Yugi made his first draw.

He looked over his cards…

"First, I play Pot of Greed, to draw two more cards…" he stated.

He played the card, and drew two more cards.

Then he placed one on his Disk.

"Now I summon… Skilled Dark Magician in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

He placed the card down, and a Spellcaster in a bulky black robe, wearing a skullcap and carrying a staff appeared. Three silver disks were on his collar. (1,900/1,700)

"And that will be my turn," he stated.

"That was your first turn," said Tea. "Two more left…"

She drew a card.

"I'll summon Command Angel in Defense Mode!" she said, placing a card down.

A woman dressed like a green beret with feathered wings appeared in front of Tea. She knelt and shielded herself in Defense. (1,200/1,900)

"That will be my turn," she stated.

Yugi closed his eyes…

He paused…

He drew one card…

He looked over his cards for a minute…

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Cost Down," he stated, "and I'll discard Dark Magician Girl to do so…"

He discarded a card.

One of the Disks on Skilled Dark Magician's collar started to glow.

"Next," he continued, "I'll play Monster Reborn, to summon Dark Magician Girl to the field…"

He played the card, and Dark Magician's cute, female apprentice appeared. (2,000/1,700)

The second disk on Skilled Dark Magician's collar glowed.

"Next," he stated, "due to my playing Cost Down, I was able to downgrade one of the Monsters in my hand from eight stars to six, so I'll sacrifice Dark Magician Girl to summon Dark Magician of Chaos!"

Dark Magician Girl vanished, and the powerful Chaos Mage appeared. (2,800/2,600)

"And just by summoning him, I can reclaim one Spell Card from my Graveyard," continued Yugi.

A card fell out of his discard slot.

"Monster Reborn, which I'll play now!"

He played the card, and Dark Magician Girl returned. (2,000/1,700)

The third Disk on Skilled Dark Magician glowed.

Tea started to get nervous. She knew as well as Jason knew that she was in for a great deal of pain in a few seconds… But Jason knew that Yugi was just starting…

"Since I played three Spell Cards," continued Yugi, "I can sacrifice Skilled Dark Magician to summon Dark Magician from my hand, deck, or Graveyard, but I'm not going to do so just yet…"

He took one of his three remaining cards.

"I play Polymerization, fusing together Dark Magician and Buster Blader from my hand to form Dark Paladin!"

He played the card, and the Warrior and the Spellcaster appeared. They swirled into a dark blur, and the fused Spellcaster appeared, holding his mighty blade. (2,900/2,400)

"And finally," exclaimed Yugi, "I'll sacrifice Skilled Dark Magician to summon Dark Magician from my Graveyard!"

Skilled Dark Magician vanished, and Yugi's signature Monster appeared! (2,500/2,100)

"Now, Dark Magician Girl, attack Command Angel!" he shouted.

Dark Magician Girl swung her scepter forth, and blasted Command Angel out of existence.

Yugi closed his eyes…

"Dark Magician… Dark Paladin… Dark Magician of Chaos… ATTACK DIRECTLY!"

The three Spellcasters aimed their weapons…

Jason covered his eyes as a mighty blast shot forward, engulfing Tea in a massive explosion!

Yugi had inflicted 8,200 points of damage in a single turn…

When he dared look again, she was lying on the ground, with smoke rising from her.

Yugi ran up to her. He knelt down…

"Tea?" he asked. "Tea? TEA!"

Her arms slowly reached up…

She held his head, and gently kissed him on the lips.

"A deal's a deal…" she said with a sweet smile.

Tears of joy fell down her cheeks.

Yugi smiled.

He took something out of his pocket – a ring case.

As he placed the ring on her finger, Jason heard a loud buzzing…

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_Wednesday, September 8th, 2106, 7:30 AM_

He woke up to the sound of his alarm clock.

_Damn,_ he thought. _Always at the good part…_

His eyes opened a little.

"I hate mornings," he mumbled. "I'd like them better if they started later."

He yawned, and looked up. He was surprised by his surroundings…

Then he remembered…

The school year had only started a week ago. He was no longer a sophomore, so he was no longer in his old dorm.

The Ra Yellow dorm would take some getting used to, although not having to share a room with three other students was a plus.

He got up and headed for the shower.

He checked the menu on the way.

French toast?

Wonderful. Getting any before Russell ate it all would be a challenge.

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Jason walked through the Great Hall on his way to the cafeteria. Many other students wearing the trademark yellow blazer that signified Junior status were around.

He stopped to look at the famous photograph on the wall… A photo of the three members of the Trinity – Yugi Mouto, Seto Kaiba, and Joey Wheeler – with their hands clasped in a three-way handshake.

Everyone knew the story of how that photo came to be…

Five years after the Kaiba Corp Grand Prix, three lunatics – two brothers and one sister – held the city of Domino captive with a nuclear bomb. They made only one demand: That Yugi, Seto, and Joey would duel them, three-on-three, putting their very lives up as an ante. To cement that bargain, they had even designed special Disks ("Doom Disks", that's what they were called) that would kill the wearer if his Life Points hit zero with a shot of cyanide to the wrist.

Exactly why they made this demand, nobody knew. The best guess is, they wanted to prove that they were the better duelists than the world's best.

Kaiba hated having to work with his arch-rival, and he hated even more having to work with Joey (Joey didn't like it much either). But he knew that with the lives of thousands on the line, he had no choice.

And it was in that duel that Yugi and Kaiba's rivalry finally ended, and Joey finally earned Kaiba's respect.

The three siblings had a strategy that seemed almost flawless. One summoned Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 8; another summoned Jinzo; the third summoned King Dragun. Thus, their three opponents were unable to use any Trap or Spell Cards, and the two Dragons were immune to almost all Monster Effects. The sister even equipped her Jinzo with Amplifier, so that she and her brothers could use all the Traps they wanted.

Things went badly for Kaiba for a long time – it seemed that two of the terrorists had a personal vendetta against him (why, he never knew). At a crucial point in the duel, Kaiba's Life Points were less than 3,000, and one of the brothers ordered Horus to attack him directly. But to Kaiba's shock, Joey threw his Axe Raider in the path of the blow. Kaiba didn't know why Joey had saved him; at the moment, Joey scoffed and told him that if he had gone down, he and Yugi would have been at a disadvantage. Kaiba knew at that point he had to think hard about his opinion of the duelist he had mocked for so long…

But for now, it was Yugi's move. He managed to summon Big Shield Gardna in Defense. Since only Horus could break that Warrior's Defense, the siblings had to wait until that one's turn came around.

Now, there is a thing with strategies – they're only good so long as the duelists using them are just as good. A strategy may look good on paper, but if it's handled poorly, it won't work.

At that point, one of them made mistake number one – playing Card of Sanctity. With all the duelists with full hands, the good guys had a chance.

Joey then summoned a powerful Monster called Hobgoblin. Apparently he had just added it to his deck, because neither the terrorists or his partners had seen it before. This Warrior only had 1,000 Attack and Defense Points, but for every other Monster he discarded, he was able to summon a Goblin Soldier Token. So he discarded four.

The brother with Horus destroyed Gardna, and then summoned a Defensive Monster. It then came to Kaiba's turn. He summoned Peten the Dark Clown for additional Defense.

And then the other brother and the sister made mistake number two. They decided to ignore Joey's goblins to concentrate on Kaiba and Yugi, thinking them the bigger threats. Kaiba's Clowns were wiped out, as was Yugi's last line of Defense…

So when it came to Joey's turn, he was able to enact his strategy. He sacrificed three tokens to summon Gilford the Lightning – and since King Dragun only protects Dragons from effects that target, it couldn't stop Gilford from wiping out all of their Monsters.

Now able to play all the Spells and Traps they wanted to and with Joey's strongest Monster out, the three heroes made a strong comeback. The villains wouldn't give up, but they were outclassed. Yugi eventually summoned Sorcerer of Dark Magic, and Kaiba created Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. The three of them wiped out the terrorists with a mighty blow.

When the dust cleared, Kaiba was humbled to say the least. He told his rival that they had been fighting for far too long, and he told Joey that maybe he was a pretty good duelist after all. The three ended on a handshake… Which was immortalized in a photograph.

Thus, the three greatest duelists of all time officially became the Trinity, who paved the way for a future generation of duelists.

The story always gave Jason goosebumps, like it did now as he made his way to the cafeteria.

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When Jason got to his table, one familiar face was already there.

Russell Majors, his best friend since his Sophomore year. Not the type of guy you wanted to mess with – he stood over six feet tall and weighed over two-hundred pounds, all of it solid muscle (he made adequate use of the school's weight rooms in his spare time).

And from the amount he ate, he must have had the metabolism to match.

"Russell," said Jason, as he looked at his friend's plate, "with you around, we never have to worry about leftovers."

"My younger brother always liked having me around for that reason," answered Russell. "So, who are you going to do the paper on?"

Jason gave him a look.

"Sorry," sighed Russell. "Forgot who I was talking to. You know, Kaiba was a great guy, but there were a lot of other great duelists who deserved recognition."

"So who are you going to do it on?" asked Jason.

"Well, I…" started Jason.

"Hello!" said a sweet voice, interrupting them.

Jason smiled.

Trisha…

His other close friend – and sweetheart since Freshman year – sat down at the table. Trisha Moise. Her long, waist-length, raven-black hair and deep, chocolate-brown eyes made her an enchanting beauty – Jason often called her looks "mysterious", and often said that blonde hair and blue eyes were not needed to be attractive.

"So, what are you big strong boys talking about?" she asked, reaching for the syrup.

"The paper for Dr. Weulch's class," answered Russell. "I was thinking of doing it on Pegasus himself, but I have time before I have to give Weulch the topic…"

"On another topic," said Jason, with his mouth full, "I had a strange dream last night…"

He chewed for a few seconds.

"And unfortunately, Trisha, it wasn't about you. It was about how Yugi got Tea to marry him…"

They both took notice at this.

"Yugi's famous eight-card, OTK combo?" asked Trisha, in awe.

"You think it's ever possible to get such a good opening hand?" asked Jason.

"In his own autobiography, Yugi himself said that it was likely a one-time thing," answered Russell. "He figured that the cards must have wanted him and Tea to be together forever, so they responded.

"Yugi was big on the whole Heart of the Cards thing…"

"Heart of the Cards…" sighed Jason.

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For some reason, it seemed like the last class of the day was always the longest. The history of dueling class was interesting, but long.

"I have a riddle for you all…" asked Dr. Weulch. "It's a riddle that Yugi Mouto was fond of asking people his entire life…"

He paused.

"What is a thing that can be seen and not seen at the same time?"

He paused again.

"When Yugi first received his Millennium Puzzle at age seven, the answer seemed obvious… a puzzle in its incomplete state.

"However, he'd learn otherwise years later when he finally completed it.

"Yugi believed that the Puzzle had the ability to grant a wish to the one who solved it, and when he tried to solve it the first time, he made one. He wished that he would have friends… friends that he could count on, and ones that could count on him, no matter what…

"Back then, he was an unpopular, nerdy kid who was always teased.

"The Puzzle was a powerful artifact, but it didn't truly have the power to grant a wish to its bearer…

"Still, when he did solve it and gained its powers… The magic that the Millennium Item possessed, things started to happen. Old enemies became allies, and friendships did indeed form…

"He could never have saved the world time and time again without support from others.

"What is a thing that can be seen and not seen at the same time? The answer is the sacred bond that friendship possesses. As duelists, you'll encounter many opponents, but you'll also make alliances. Always hold on to them."

There was a long pause.

"We'll be having a pop quiz tomorrow," said Dr. Weulch, "and remember to get your topics in for the historical figures report. Class dismissed."

Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to leave…

But to Dr. Weulch's surprise, Jason, Russell, and Trisha stayed behind.

"Can I help you kids?" he asked. "Looking for extra credit?"

"Well, uh…" replied Jason. "We're doing some research on that project and we need professional advice on something… Do you know what Yugi meant by the Heart of the Cards?"

"I see…" muttered Weulch.

He pulled up a chair.

"Let me put it simply," he said. "To a degree, Yugi Mouto, Joey Wheeler, and even Seto Kaiba to an extent, believed that dueling wasn't about mere skill… It was as much about faith…

"They believed that if you had faith in your cards, that if you respected them and believed in their abilities, they would come though for you even when things looked bleakest.

"The Heart of the Cards exists within every true duelist… Some more than others. A duelist must believe in his abilities, believe in his skill, and most of all, believe in himself, and the draw he will make will be the right one. It will lead him to victory."

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"Well, that was interesting," sighed Russell. "I'm going to go to eat at Lazy Q. You guys want to come along?"

"Uh, I'd love to, Russell, but I'm tutoring Freshmen this evening," said Jason.

"I'm busy too," sighed Trisha. "I'm helping Dr. Ting with a special project."

"We'll see you later," said Jason.

The two walked off.

"Well…" sighed Russell, "guess I'll go alone…"

He took his dueling deck out of his case on his belt. He always liked to make sure it was still there. A habit he had.

He leafed through his cards for a few seconds…

Then he hefted his knapsack over his shoulder and headed out of the building, towards the front gates…

He didn't know that someone was following him as soon as he left…

_Wednesday, September 8th 2107, 4:30PM_

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**The first chapter!**_

_**Russell tries to relax with some hot wings and fries at his favorite hangout, but he's interrupted in a callous way. See the secrets of his deck, and the first duel of the fanfic.**_

**_We're just getting started. Don't go away…_**


	2. Commencement Dance

**_My1 name is Russell. Russell Majors._**

_**You might say that I'm the oddball of my family. They didn't expect me to go to this college. No member of my family ever went to a college like this. No, they all went to a very different type of college. So I'm the odd man out, the rebel, the black sheep.**_

_**Still, with my family's history, I can't get some things out of my blood. When I built my deck, the cards I chose came to me naturally. Maybe they chose me... And they rarely fail me.**_

_**I wasn't really in the mood to duel tonight... I just wanted some good atmosphere and some spicy hot wings...**_

_**But things just seem to happen when you wear one of these outfits...**_

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**CHAPTER ONE**

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**Commencement Dance**

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_Wednesday, September 8th, 2106, 6PM_

From the penthouse of one of New York's largest buildings, a man leaned over a balcony...

His clothing was expensive, but very out of date. It was sort of the style that noblemen in Victorian England wore. His hair was almost pure white, and somewhat shaggy, and he had a gentle face.

He picked up a newspaper dated a week ago. He turned to the movie reviews and looked at one review.

He frowned. The critics had hated that particular film. They gave it labels like "lacking feeling", "having predictable plot", and the dreaded "nudity that was gratuitous and unnecessary".

One critic, when asked what it was about, said it was "about and hour and a half too long". An old joke, but the message was clear.

The man sighed, and turned his eyes towards the lights of NYC Duel Academy.

"They say to make a great omelet you have to break a few eggs," he said with a grin. "It's time to start an epic that was thousands of years in the making...

"Literally..."

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In the left wing of the Ra Yellow dorm, a meeting had been called in the common room. Male students were grouped at one end, and females at the other. In the middle was the dorm supervisor, also the school gym teacher, Ben.

Old Ben was a guy who you didn't want to cross. Not only did he have the build of an Olympic wrestler, but his left arm below the elbow had been replaced by a prosthetic one made of metal. It was quite a marvel of science, that could do anything a normal arm and hand could do. He was quite willing to tell the story of how he lost his arm and got this one, but not tonight – it was time to give the students a talking too.

"It has come to my attention," he snapped, "that a lot of students are breaking the rule that says that boys and girls are not to be in any dorms except their own after ten PM... Whoever is eating chocolate right now better put it away! I can smell it!

"The reason we have separate dorms within this dorm for the boys and the girls is for your own good. So let me remind everybody that the boys' dorm is on the _upstairs_ and the girls' dorm is on the _downstairs_. Thus, after ten PM, there is to be NO going from the upstairs to the downstairs, OR from the downstairs to the upstairs! If I catch a person going from the upstairs to the downstairs, or from the downstairs to the upstairs, that person is going to be in a whole lot of trouble-stairs! Do I make myself clear-stairs?"

Everyone giggled.

"All right!" he shouted. "Dismissed!"

As everyone left the room, Ben sat on a couch and picked up a duffle bag.

He took out the Duel Bandoleer inside it. This special version of a Duel Disk was reserved for faculty and the best of the Senior class. It was a special Disk that left the user's hands free, and had various special features.

Ben's deck was already in it, but it wasn't complete...

Ben took a card out of his pocket and slipped it into the part that held Fusion Monster Cards.

_Finally,_ he thought. _The last thing my new deck needed. Now, whenever I duel, I can remember how I got this..._

He looked at his prosthetic arm.

_Strange that I'd even want to remember, but it's part of me, so I'd best make the best of it._

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The Lazy Q Bar and Grill was only a stone's throw from campus, so it was a favorite hangout for a lot of students. But when Russell entered, he was the only student there.

He shrugged. It _was_ a school night, but he didn't intend on staying very long.

"Russell!" called a sweet voice from the counter.

A waitress with a blonde ponytail in a tied-off halter and a pair of shorts made from a pair of jeans with the legs cut off (showing a great deal of cheek) waved to him.

"Where ya been, hon?" she asked.

"Summer break, Alice," answered Russell. "Didn't you know that?"

"So you're a Ra now?" she asked.

"Guilty," said Russell with a grin, looking at his blazer. "Although sometimes I wish The Winged Dragon of Ra had been a color other than yellow… maybe green. I mean, this makes me look... feminine..."

"You could make a petticoat look masculine," she joked. "So, you want them hot, very hot, or radioactive?"

Russell sighed. Alice made that joke every time he came here.

"You know what I want," he answered. "And bring a root beer here too."

He paused.

"Caffeine free!" he added.

He turned and saw a guitarist at the far end of the room start to play. It was a slow melody without words.

He started to wonder about that report he planned to write on Pegasus. It would be hard, considering that...

"Hey pal!" said a voice, interrupting his train of thought.

He turned and saw a young teenager wearing khaki pants and a jacket full of pockets.

"You're from Duel Academy, right?" he asked.

"I am, and how does that interest you?" asked Russell. "By the way, why all the pockets? It must be awfully hard to find where you put your keys…"

"Funny," he laughed. "As for why it interests me, I plan on going there, and..."

"Pal, they're accepting applications for next year until February," interrupted Russell. "If you have a pen and paper I'll gladly write down where you can pick up some enrollment papers, and then you can..."

"I'm thinking more of the hands-on approach..." he answered.

He whipped a Duel Disk off of his back. It wasn't as modern a model as Russell's, but it was pretty high-tech.

"You want to duel me?" asked Russell, almost laughing. "I warn you, I'm very good..."

"Oh?" asked the kid. "If you're so good, why the yellow jacket? I thought the best students wore blue."

Russell frowned.

"Kid, do you have a name?" he asked.

"Bugsy," answered the kid.

"Fine," answered Russell. "Let me give you the short version. The academy has three dorms, and where you are is based on seniority, not merit.

"The Slifer Red dorm is for Freshmen and Sophomores. As you can likely guess, it's the largest dorm.

"About fifty percent of them, on average, graduate to Junior status, and get promoted to the Ra Yellow dorm. That's where I am.

"About fifty percent of _those _graduate to Senior status and get promoted to Obelisk Blue.

"And you didn't hear this from me, but there's a rumor that a fourth level exists. Some students say that the crème de la crème of any class are offered a spot in an advanced class taught by the Chancelor herself. These students supposedly pose as members of their former dorm, but they have special rights and privileges that come from the administrators. No one knows the official name, but most call it Exodia Gold."

Russell shrugged.

"Matter of fact, I could be an Exodia... I wouldn't tell you if I was one..."

Russell was hoping that last remark would scare him off. He wasn't an Exodia, and he personally didn't believe that Exodia Gold status existed.

Alice came with the hot wings.

"I'll make it worth your while..." said Bugsy.

So much for it scaring him off.

"If we duel and I win," proposed Bugsy, "you write me a recommendation. You win, and I'll... uh… I'll…"

He paused.

"Well… I'll owe you a favor. How does that sound?"

Russell sighed.

"A recommendation won't do you much," he warned. "You'll still have to pass the written test and field test."

"Go ahead hon," said Alice with a sweet smile. "I haven't seen you duel since the spring."

"All right," sighed Russell. "I accept your offer..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Russell stood atop a table on one end of the bar, facing Bugsy who stood atop another. He realized that he hadn't dueled using the Disk for a while... But it came second nature to him. Like riding a bike.

"All right Bugsy," he said, "Atten…shun!"

**(Russell: 8,000 ) (Bugsy: 8,000 )**

He held up his Disk, and it whirred to life. The two crescent trays extended from the part on the outside of his wrist.

"Wow," said Bugsy. "Where'd you get gear like that?"

"If you get accepted, you'll get one too," answered Russell, drawing five cards. "Now, since I'm the one who's more experienced, I'll let you go first..."

"Gotcha!" chuckled Bugsy, making his first draw.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be it..."

A facedown Monster appeared in front of the table.

Russell made a draw.

_Not a bad hand,_ he thought.

He took two cards from his hand.

"I summon Marauding Captain in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

A powerful-looking soldier in armor and a cape carrying two swords leapt out, brandishing his weapons. (1,200/400)

"And when he's summoned, I get to summon another Monster of four stars or less," added Russell, "so I'll also summon Command Knight!"

Another Warrior leapt out onto the field, this one a woman wearing beautiful leather ceremonial armor and a fur hat, holding a burning sword. (1,200/1,900)

"And Command Knight's special effect raises the Attack Score of every one of my Warriors, herself included, by 400!"

Both Warriors rose to 1,600 Attack.

Bugsy stared at him.

"Heh… good combo…" he said.

_Okay,_ thought Russell. _I don't know what that Monster is, but I could hurt him good if I took a chance..._

"Marauding Captain, attack with blade of battle!"

Marauding Captain flew forth...

...only to have his sword entangled in vines!

Seated on the card was a female creature with green skin and thorny vines for limbs, dressed in a pink blouse. (300/2,000)

"Heh, heh," laughed Bugsy. "Your Captain just attacked Prickle Fairy! Not only is her Defense too strong for him..."

Prickle Fairy gave Marauding Captain a kick, and he flew backwards...

"But since he attacked her, he's forced into Defense Mode!"

Marauding Captain groaned, and then knelt in Defense.

**(R: 7,600) (B: 8,000)**

_Hmm,_ thought Russell. _This can only mean one thing... Insects. And so long as Prickle Fairy is on the field, I'm not allowed to attack any of them..._

"My draw..." said Bugsy with a smirk.

He made a draw.

_If I know Insect Duelists, a DNA Surgery Trap will be coming up soon,_ thought Russell. _That and Insect Barrier and either Insect Queen or Insect Princess._

"Well," he said. "Much as I like Prickle Fairy, I'm going to sacrifice her..."

He switched cards on his Disk.

"Prickle Fairy, bye-bye..."

She vanished… A large form arose...

"I summon Saber Beetle!"

A very large creature appeared. It was a large beetle with a huge, sharp frontal horn, glowing with energy! (2,400/600)

"Uh, I have to admit, I'm not familiar with _that_ one!" gasped Russell.

"Oh, it's your standard Monster with a trampling effect," answered Bugsy, "and the first example in the Insect Type! Saber Beetle, attack Marauding Captain with megahorn!"

Saber Beetle spread its wings and flew forward with a hideous drone, stabbing the Captain in the chest! He dropped his swords, and then shattered.

**(R: 5,600) (B: 8,000)**

"Well, that's my turn," said Bugsy.

_This guy is good..._ thought Russell.

He drew a card.

_A Trap Card..._

"I'll place one card facedown, and move Command Knight to Defense Mode," he stated.

He played the card and turned the card on his Disk. Command Knight knelt.

Bugsy drew a card.

_Hmm, best save this..._ he thought.

"Saber Beetle, attack Command Knight!" he shouted.

The Beetle flew towards Command Knight...

"I activate... Shadow Spell!" shouted Russell.

"A Trap?" gasped Bugsy, as the facedown card lifted.

A mass of chains sprung up from the floor and bound Saber Beetle! As it struggled, its Attack fell to 1,700.

"All right..." he sighed. "Your move..."

Russell made a draw.

He looked at the Monster on the card.

_Perfect,_ he thought.

"I'll shift Command Knight back into Attack Mode," he stated, switching the card.

Command Knight stood up.

"And now I'll summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode!"

A powerful Warrior in chainmail armor carrying a two-handed sword appeared. (1,700/1,600) –) (2,100/1,600)

"Grepher, attack his Beetle with your steel blade!" shouted Russell.

Warrior Dai Grepher stabbed his weapon in the Beetle's carapace, and it burst.

"Command Knight... Attack him directly!"

Command Knight's sword blazed with flame. She leapt forward and slashed at Bugsy with it!

Bugsy grunted and fell on his behind.

"Truthfully," he panted, "that's better than the last thing I got from a girl..."

**(R: 5,600) (B: 6,000)**

"Incidentally," said Russell, "you should know that Command Knight can't be attacked so long as I have at least one other Monster on my side of the field."

"I'll keep that in mind," muttered Bugsy, making a draw.

He played a card.

"I play Spider Web!"

A huge spider appeared over him. It shot forth a strand of webbing, which struck Russell's Disk!

"HUH?" gasped Russell.

"This Spell Card lets me take any card you discarded on your last turn and add it to my hand," explained Bugsy.

The Spider yanked a card from Russell's Disk, and Bugsy caught it.

"But rather than set this Shadow Spell now," he continued, "I'll save it for when I need it..."

He added it to his hand, and put a card down.

"I summon Chainsaw Insect in Attack Mode..."

_Chainsaw Insect?_ thought Russell._ What's that?_

A second later, he saw that "that" was another huge beetle, with jagged mandibles and a drooling mouth. (2,400/0)

"WHAT?" shouted Russell. "How can you summon a Monster that powerful without a sacrifice?"

"Doesn't need one," answered Bugsy. "Chainsaw Insect is a four-star Monster."

"There's gotta be a catch..." muttered Russell.

"Yeah, there's a catch," agreed Bugsy, "and I'll show you in a minute. But first I'll place a card facedown..."

He placed a card into a slot, and it materialized.

_Is that Shadow Spell?_ thought Russell.

"Chainsaw Insect, attack Warrior Dai Grepher!" shouted Bugsy.

Chainsaw Insect scurried forward and struck with its powerful jaws...

"Ouch..." muttered Alice. "That hurt just watching it..."

**(R: 5,300) (B: 6,000)**

"Now we get to that catch," said Bugsy. "Every time Chainsaw Insect engages in battle, you draw one card."

Russell gave him a look.

"Whatever…" he said, drawing a card.

He looked at the Trap Card.

_This might work, if I get the right Monster..._ he thought.

"My move now," he said, drawing again.

_Paydirt!_ he thought.

"I'll move Command Knight to Defense Mode again," he said, as Command Knight knelt.

"Would it be too much to ask if she could make up her mind?" asked Bugsy.

Russell ignored the wisecrack.

"I'll also place this Monster in Defense Mode," he continued.

He set a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Finally, a card facedown."

He played the card, and it appeared behind his facedown monster.

Bugsy drew.

_Insect Knight?_ he thought. _Eh, why not?_

"First I'll activate my facedown Trap Card," he said.

The Trap lifted.

"It's called… Greed!"

Russell drew back.

"That Trap..." he muttered. "It costs both players 500 Life Points whenever they draw outside their Draw Phase!"

"Exactly!" replied Bugsy. "And since you _have_ to draw whenever Chainsaw Insect engages in battle, I've just turned its negative effect into a positive!"

_This is just the kind of guy who'll make the honor roll!_ thought Russell.

"Next I'll summon a knight of my own," continued Bugsy. "Insect Knight in Attack Mode."

He placed a card down, and the ferocious mantis warrior appeared, holding his sword. (1,900/1,500)

"FINALLY something I recognize!" exclaimed Russell.

"Insect Knight, attack his facedown Monster!" shouted Bugsy.

Insect Knight spread its wings and flew towards the facedown card...

And then he screamed and was thrown back.

Standing where the card had been was a muscular Warrior holding a huge shield. (100/2,600) –) (500/2,600)

"What's wrong?" chuckled Russell. "Was Big Shield Gardna too big for your bug?"

Bugsy chuckled back.

"He won't be for my _other_ bug!" he laughed. "Since I attacked him, he was forced into Attack Mode, so when my Chainsaw Insect attacks, you'll lose 1,900 Life Points!

"Chainsaw Insect! Attack Big Shield Gardna!"

Chainsaw Bug scurried forward...

"Actually, I was prepared for that, Bugsy!" shouted Russell. "I activate Ready For Intercepting!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"This Trap can flip a Warrior or Spellcaster into facedown Defense Mode, even in the middle of an attack!"

Big Shield Gardna vanished, and was replaced by a facedown card...

Chainsaw Bug slammed into his shield just like Insect Knight had, and tumbled backwards.

"And this guy is single, girls!" shouted Alice.

"Humph," grunted Bugsy. "Don't forget, you have to draw a card now..."

Russell drew, and a small shock of electricity jolted him.

**(R: 4,800) (B: 5,100)**

"I'm in the lead, Russell," said Bugsy, "and next round, your shield is going down."

Russell drew a card.

"Not yet," he said.

He played a card.

"I summon Throwstone Unit."

A large catapult appeared behind him, manned by a footsoldier in mail armor. (900/2,000) –) (1,300/2,000)

The soldier started to pull the crank, and the catapult basket lowered...

"What's the point?" asked Bugsy.

"With Throwstone Unit, I can sacrifice a Warrior Monster and destroy an opposing Monster who's Defense Score is less than Throwstone Unit's Attack Score. Since Chainsaw Insect has zero Defense, any Warrior I have on the field will do."

"Clever," stated Bugsy, "although doing that will cost you Big Shield Gardna or Command Knight..."

"No it won't," answered Russell. "Since Throwstone Unit is a Warrior itself, I can sacrifice itself to use its own effect!"

The soldier pulled a lever and the catapult hurled a huge boulder; as Throwstone Unit vanished, the boulder crushed Chainsaw Bug flat!

"I'll end my turn by moving Big Shield Gardna back to Defense Mode," he said, as Gardna crouched behind his shield again.

Bugsy drew a card.

"I'm playing a powerful Spell Card..." he stated. "It's called... Chrysalis!"

"What on earth?" asked Russell, as he played it.

The lights dimmed…

Russell drew back, as the frightening form of Insect Queen appeared over the field!

She turned to Command Knight and shot forth a mass of sticky strands. Command Knight gasped as she was encased in a cocoon.

Then the Insect turned to Big Shield Gardna and did the same to him...

"Creepy..." muttered Alice.

As Russell was wondering what to make of this, Insect Queen turned to Insect Knight and trapped him in a cocoon as well. Then she grabbed all three cocoons with sticky strands and pulled them up and out of sight.

"What happened, Bugsy?" demanded Russell.

"When Chrysalis is played, all face-up Monsters on the field are returned to the owners' decks, and the decks are reshuffled," explained Bugsy.

_Darn,_ thought Russell, as he reshuffled the two Monsters back into his deck. _Now I'm wide open..._

"Now I'll place a card facedown..." stated Bugsy.

He played a card and it appeared.

"And I'll summon Parasitic Ticky in Attack Mode!"

He played the card, and a Monster that could best be described as… disgusting appeared. It was a humanoid resembling a tick or louse, with sickly white skin. It carried a quiver full of metal javelins. (0/0)

Russell was afraid for a minute, but then he saw that it had no Attack Score.

"You summoned a Monster with zero Attack Points?" he asked. "In Attack Mode?"

"A big, smart Junior like you should know never to judge a Monster by its cover," said Bugsy. "Parasitic Ticky may be deadlier than it seems..."

_He's right,_ thought Russell_. I don't believe for a second that it's harmless..._

He drew a card.

_But I can't leave myself defenseless..._

"I summon... Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" he shouted. "In Attack Mode!"

He threw the card down, and the armored elven Warrior appeared. (1,400/1,200)

"I activate my facedown card!" shouted Bugsy. "Go, Scapegoat!"

His card lifted, and four multicolored sheep popped out...

And Parasitic Ticky's stats shot up to (2,000/2,000)!

"In case you haven't figured it out," chuckled Bugsy, "Parasite Ticky gains 500 Attack and Defense Points for every Token Monster on the field. A very situational effect, but one that I have no problem with…"

"Oo-kay," answered Russell. "Think I'll end my turn there..."

"By the way," said Bugsy, drawing, "I happen to know that I can't destroy Obnoxious Celtic Guardian with a Monster this powerful, so please don't bother pointing that out. However, I also know that when my Monster attacks him, your Life Points will still take a hit.

"So, Parasite Ticky, attack with javelin sting!"

The Tick hurled one of its weapons at the Guardian, and he stumbled backwards.

**(R: 4,200) (B: 5,100)**

"My move..." stated Russell.

He drew.

"And these Western Warriors are starting to bore me... It's time to go to the East..."

He put a card down.

"I summon Mataza the Zapper in Attack Mode!"

A grim-faced ronin with his hair tied in a ponytail, in green oriental armor, holding a long katana materialized. (1,300/800)

"That's weak!" laughed Bugsy.

"I also have a Continuous Spell Card," replied Russell, playing it. "The A. Forces. This card increases the Attack of my Warriors by 200 for each one I have on the field. In other words, the more allies my Warriors have, the stronger they become."

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's Attack rose to 1,800, and Mataza's rose to 1,700.

"And by the way," added Russell. "Mataza may not be the strongest Warrior, but he has a special ability. He can attack twice in one round."

"I don't care if he can attack _ten_ times!" laughed Bugsy. "My Ticky is stronger!"

"True, but who said I was going to have him attack your tick?" asked Russell. "You're forgetting one thing. It needs those Scapegoats to stay strong... so if they go, it's weakened!"

Bugsy stopped laughing.

"Now it's time for Mataza the Zapper to do what he does best," shouted Russell. "**ZAPPING!** Mataza, take out two of those Scapegoats!"

Mataza drew his katana and concentrated… and then split into two Matazas! They both leapt in opposite directions, then leapt off the walls, and each made a slash, blasting two Scapegoats into pixels!

The two Matazas struck a pose, and then blurred together, fusing into one again.

Parasitic Ticky fell to (1,000/1,000)

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian," ordered Russell, "attack Parasitic Ticky with silver blade slash!"

The elf leapt forward and slashed through the bug! It gasped, and then shattered.

**(R: 4,200) (B: 4,300)**

"That's one way to cure a bad case of ticks," chuckled Russell. "And looks like you're in trouble, Bugsy. Aside from those two Scapegoats, you're out of Monsters!"

Bugsy drew a card.

He held up the Shadow Spell he had gotten from Russell.

"Time to use this," he said.

He placed it in a slot, and it appeared.

"That was the stupidest thing I've ever seen!" commented Russell. "You actually _showed_ me a Trap before you set it?"

"I gotta admit, that was pretty dumb," agreed Alice.

"It doesn't matter whether you know what it is or not," explained Bugsy, "because I'm not keeping it there. See, the next Monster I'm going to summon requires two sacrifices, but in this case, you don't sacrifice Monsters to summon it. You have to sacrifice two Spell and/or Trap Cards."

Russell paused.

"Your Monsters are getting weirder and weirder!" he exclaimed.

"Thank you," answered Bugsy. "So now, I sacrifice my Greed, and your Shadow Spell..."

The two Traps vanished.

"To summon... Anteatereatingant!"

A huge ant with a fiendish glow to its eyes rose on Bugsy's side of the field. Saliva dripped from its mandibles! (2,000/500)

"Impressive..." said Russell, getting nervous.

"Of course, it eats things other than anteaters," chuckled Bugsy. "Right now it might have a taste for certain Samurai..."

Mataza the Zapper drew back in fear as the monstrous ant eyed him hungrily...

"But I'm not going to attack him yet," continued Bugsy. "See, by forfeiting its attack, Anteatereatingant can instead destroy one Trap or Spell Card. Such as The A. Forces!"

The Ant spit a stream of venom from its mandibles, striking the Spell Card! It dissolved, and the two Warriors returned to their original Attack Scores.

"I'm ending my turn now," said Bugsy. "Next turn, he's lunch!"

Russell drew.

"I don't think so..." he said with a grin.

He switched cards on his Disk.

"I sacrifice Obnoxious Celtic Guardian..."

The elf vanished.

"To summon my good friend… Freed the Matchless General!"

A sound like a galloping of horses sounded, and a war cry was heard in the distance...

As Russell's card appeared, a powerful form leapt out, a mighty Warrior clad in splendid armor holding a huge sword! His handsome face showed several things... wisdom, courage, strength, and majesty. (2,300/1,700)

"Freed, attack the Anteatereatingant!" shouted Russell. "Blade of the battle-scarred!"

The General leapt up into the air and brought his sword down on the ant, splitting it in two!

"Mataza! Take down the last two Scapegoats with zapping blade!"

Mataza spilt into two again and sped forward, obliterating the last two sheep.

**(R: 4,200) (B: 4,000)**

"So now what, Bugsy?" asked Russell.

Bugsy slowly drew...

"I play... Pot of Greed..." he stated. "Now I can draw two cards…"

He played the card, and then drew two more cards.

He grinned...

"Freed may be matchless," said Bugsy, "but sooner or later, everyone meets his match..."

He showed him a card.

"I just drew the strongest and rarest Monster in my deck," he said. "I got this guy from winning a tournament last year in Boston… That's where I'm from, by the way…

"Anyway, it's an eight-star Insect called Doom Dozer."

"How are you supposed to summon it?" asked Russell. "You'd need to trade two Monsters for it, and you have none on the field."

Bugsy gave him the eye.

"It isn't a Monster that's summoned that way," he answered. "It's kind of like Dark Necrofear... But instead of removing Fiends in your Graveyard from play, you have to remove Insects.

"So, I remove Parasitic Ticky and Insect Knight from play..."

Two cards slipped out of his discard slot.

"And I summon... Doom Dozer!"

With a bellowing roar, a huge creature emerged! It looked like a centipede from Hell, with fangs, horns, claws, and a blood-red carapace! (2,800/2,600)

"EEK!" shouted Alice.

"What do you think?" asked Bugsy.

"It isn't pretty," answered Russell. "And it isn't ugly. It's _pretty ugly_!"

"Well by the way," added Bugsy, "since summoning Doom Dozer was a Special Summon, I can also summon Neo Bug!"

He threw another card down, and an alien looking Insect resembling a cross between a scorpion and a wasp appeared. (1,800/1,700)

"Neo Bug, attack Mataza the Zapper!" shouted Bugsy.

Neo Bug flew forward and grabbed Mataza in its pincer, crushing him.

"Doom Dozer, attack Freed the not-so-Matchless General!"

Doom Dozer lumbered forward and grabbed Freed in its mandibles! He groaned and shattered.

"Freed…" muttered Russell, sadly.

"And one more thing," added Bugsy. "When Doom Dozer damages your Life Points, you have to discard the top card on your deck."

Russell took the top card from his deck.

_So much for using Gilford the Legend this duel..._ he thought, as he discarded the card.

**(R: 3,200) (B: 4,000)**

"Give it up, pal," chuckled Bugsy. "I don't even think there _is_ a Warrior who's stronger than Doom Dozer!"

Russell drew a card.

"Well, this card worked for you," he said, showing him the Pot of Greed.

He played it and drew two more cards.

He looked at Bugsy.

"I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight," he said.

He put the card down, and the mighty Gearfried appeared in front of him. (1,800/1,600)

"What?" asked Bugsy. "He can't even beat Neo Bug!"

"I believe it was you who said, 'Don't judge a Monster by its cover'!" answered Russell. "Gearfried has a powerful secret hidden inside him that I can unleash by playing this Spell Card..."

He played a card.

"Release Restraints!"

Gearfried leapt up into the air, and cracks started to form over his armor...

In a burst of light, a new figure emerged. It was a powerful, bare-chested barbarian with wild, black hair holding a powerful blade.

"Meet Gearfried the Swordmaster!" exclaimed Russell.

(2,600/2,200)

"I'll admit that he's powerful," said Bugsy with a yawn. "But he's still not enough..."

"Really?" said Russell. "Well, Gearfried's true strength appears when he's armed with an Equip Spell Card. And I have a good one..."

He showed him a card.

"It's called Armed Changer. This card is so powerful, that in order to Equip it to a Monster, I have to discard another Equip. So, I'll discard my Fusion Sword Murasame Blade..."

He discarded a card.

"...and Equip Armed Changer to Gearfried."

He played the card.

"Now, when Gearfried is given an Equip, he can destroy one Monster... and I'll bet you can guess which one he's gonna aim for!"

Bugsy gulped...

Gearfried slashed his sword downward, and Doom Dozer screamed! It was blown to pieces.

"And do you know what the best part is?" asked Russell. "I still have his normal attack to use on Neo Bug!"

Gearfried made another downward swipe, splitting Neo Bug down the middle! The two pieces shattered!

**(R: 3,200) (B: 3,200)**

"And now we get to the effect of Armed Changer," continued Russell. "When a Monster destroys an opposing Monster while Equipped with this card, the controller can take any Monster from his Graveyard whose Attack Score is less than the Equipped Monster, and add it to his hand."

A card slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"Your move…"

Bugsy slowly drew, and considered.

"I summon… Gokipon… in Defense Mode…" he said.

He put a card down, and a cute, cartoonish Insect appeared, crouching in Defense. (800/800)

He looked at his hand.

_If I survive one more round, I might turn this around_, he thought. _I have Monster Reborn in my hand… I can't use it to revive Doom Dozer… But when Gokipon is destroyed, I can search for an Insect with low Attack Strength. So when he destroys it, I'll just get Nobleman Eater Bug, use Monster Reborn to summon Neo Bug, and sacrifice it to set the Bug. Then its Flip-Effect can destroy two of his Monsters!_

"Okay, that's my turn," he stated.

"Right!" said Russell, making a draw. "Now I'll summon the Monster I got from Armed Changer's effect…"

He placed a card down, and Mataza the Zapper appeared again. (1,300/800)

"Oh no…" moaned Bugsy.

"Mataza, destroy Gokipon!" shouted Russell.

Mataza split in two again. One of him rushed forward and cut down the Insect.

"Now attack directly!"

Bugsy cringed as the other Mataza's blade struck him.

"Gearfried…" ordered Russell, "finish this!"

Gearfried the Swordmaster slammed his blade down and a wave of energy shot forward! Bugsy screamed as it ripped though him…

The duel was over.

"At ease!" said Russell.

**(R: 3,200) (B: 0)**

Everyone in the bar applauded.

"Yeah!" cheered Alice. "That's the Russell I know!"

Russell leapt down off the table and walked over to the one where Bugsy was lying prone.

Bugsy groaned.

"Guess I have a lot to learn still," he said.

"Not really," answered Russell. "You have a powerful deck and a lot of good strategies. I'd say you could have beaten a lot of the students who aren't as good as me…"

He wrote something down on a slip of paper.

"Like I said, a recommendation won't help much, but I will give you the directions on where to get an application…"

He handed him the paper.

"Just remember our deal – you owe me a favor!"

Bugsy grinned, and turned to leave.

_I think we'll be seeing more of that one,_ thought Russell.

He checked his watch. Nine PM.

He figured he'd best get back soon, before Ben got mad…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When Russell got into the common room of the dorm, Ben was still on the couch, going over his cards.

_Speak of the devil,_ thought Russell.

"Hey, Old Ben," said Russell. "Still working on the deck?"

"It's done now," answered Ben.

"Ben…" asked Russell, slowly. "If it's personal, you don't have to answer, but you never told me how you… you know, lost it…"

"Ya mean this?" asked Ben with a chuckle, holding up his prosthetic arm.

"Yeah…" answered Russell. "Was it in the war?"

"Naw," answered Ben. "You might not believe this, but I lost it playing golf…"

Russell looked at him.

"I know golf is a competitive sport," muttered Russell. "But…"

Old Ben grinned.

"Naw," he explained. "Listen… It's hard to believe, but my original arm was just as big as this one. When I was a boxer, I had the best left hook… They called me the Strongest Left Hand In The Land…

"One day I was vacationing in Australia, and I was playing golf. My ball went into a water hazard. Now, I was never one to want to waste anything, so I tried to fish it out…

"And as I reached in with my left hand, it grabbed me… a crocodile!"

Russell gulped.

"I guess I deserved it for being so cheap," said Ben with a shrug.

"Were you scared?" asked Russell.

"Scared?" asked Ben. "Russell, you're speaking to a guy who's taken on three-hundred pound behemoths in the ring who seemed to have apes as one of their parents. Heh…

"I was petrified…

"Anyway, the croc tried to drag me into the water, but I held my ground. I pulled backwards. As strong as that guy was, I was hoping my arm would be stronger… And for a while, it seemed it was.

"Eventually, the croc gave up on the idea that he would get all of me… So he settled for my arm, and bit it clean off.

"The fact that I stayed conscious was a miracle. Now, this is one of the benefits of always having a cell phone handy. If I hadn't had one, I'd have bled to death before anyone found me.

"They were able to save my life, and even managed to save what was left of my arm. Not that it would do me much good… But I got lucky. I had a doctor who liked to play mad scientist. He told me he was working on an experimental prosthetic arm that had as much dexterity and feeling as a normal arm, and he asked if I wanted to volunteer for the test. The best part was, since it was an experiment, it wouldn't cost me or my insurance company a cent. I agreed.

"The whole process took about a month, and it wasn't pleasant. But in the end I got this… And I was pleased with the result. My boxing career might have been over, and my arm was metal…

"But I was still the Strongest Left Hand In The Land…"

He paused.

"Anyway, anything happen to you tonight?"

"Oh," sighed Russell, "ran into a few pests…"

He walked out of the room towards the boys' rooms.

_Wednesday, September 8th, 2106, 10 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SPIDER WEB (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A spider on a beautifully spun web.

**Card Description:** Take one card from your opponent's Graveyard that he discarded on his last turn and add it to your hand. If this card is sent to the Graveyard, it is sent to the original owner's Graveyard.

_Note: "Spider Web" was first used by Yami in the anime episode "Grappling With A Guardian (Part 3)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**CHRYSALIS (Spell Card) **

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Insect Queen forming a cocoon around a captive Leogun.

**Card Description:** Both players return all face-up Monsters to their decks and reshuffle.

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**Russell's Warrior Deck:**

_Since the American Civil War, all male members of the Majors family (and many of the female members) have served in the armed forces, and all were proud to have done so. Most were officers, all were decorated several times. In fact, Russell's father served in the last war, and his heroic acts earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award a member of the U.S. Armed Forces can receive._

_With his family's history and influence, Russell could have easily entered West Point Academy and prospered as a cadet. But for some reason, he had no aspirations to become a soldier. He heard a different call instead, one that called him to the game of Duel Monsters. His family was a little disappointed, but they respected his wishes. _

_Still, the soul of a soldier still existed in Russell's blood – it didn't die easily. When perfecting his deck, he collected many powerful Warriors and Warrior accessories. While he wouldn't be a soldier for real, he could command a troop of them in the form of a deck of cards._

_Most of Russell's Warriors favor the Earth Attribute, with a few Light ones thrown in and a handful of others. To him, Attribute doesn't make the Monster – Type is the most important factor for him._

_Russell takes pride in knowing that many of his cards were used by the Trinity, a few of them by Yugi. Any card that was good enough for them is good enough for him._

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_**Coming up next:**_

**_The secret of Russell's deck has been revealed, now see the secret of Trisha's! She takes part in some extracurricular work which proves to be more of a hassle than the extra credit might be worth! See a chapter called "A Rival Appears!" coming soon._**


	3. A Rival Appears!

_**My name is Trisha Moise, and I come from a long line of exceptional people.**_

_**Ever since I entered this school, a student who's one year ahead of me has been a thorn in my side. She uses the signature Monsters of a famous duelist from a hundred years ago, and she's just as arrogant as her role model was supposed to be at the beginning of her career.**_

_**It seems fate will make us rivals until she graduates… And what then? Will we cross paths again after I graduate?**_

_**The strange thing is, I really don't know whether I despise the arrangement we have…**_

…_**or whether I'm getting to enjoy it…**_

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**CHAPTER TWO**

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**A Rival Appears!**

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_Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 8AM_

The next morning at the Ra dining hall, Trisha sat alone, slowly stirring a bowl of oatmeal that had long gone cold.

_Wonder if I could afford a ticket to St. Louis?_ she thought.

"Hey beautiful," said Jason's voice.

He and Russell came up and sat down. She nodded to acknowledge them.

"Okay, what's wrong?" asked Jason.

"Nothing," she sighed.

"Bull," answered Russell. "I dueled someone last spring who comboed Spirit Barrier with The Unhappy Girl, and she wasn't as glum as you are right now."

Trisha pushed the cereal away.

"I was chosen to host Freshman Seminar today," she sighed.

Jason and Russell looked at her for a minute. They knew what that meant, but they had no idea why it would make Trisha depressed.

Hosting Freshman Seminar was one of the easiest ways for Juniors and Seniors to gain extra credit. You simply had to duel in front of a Freshman class. You got a hundred points of extra credit if you lost, two hundred if you won.

"Trisha, you've been wanting to do this for two years," exclaimed Jason. "Why the sudden depression now?"

"You want to see who my opponent is?" asked Trisha, handing him a sheet of paper.

Jason looked at it.

"Lineup for Freshman seminar," he read. "Match One: Trisha Moise versus…"

He paused.

"Oh…" he muttered. "Sersei…"

Trisha's face sank.

When Trisha had first entered as a Freshman, Sersei Rhineheart was a Sophomore, and was her roommate in the Slifer dorm. Originally they had been close friends… But a particularly violent and painful duel between them changed all that. Since then, the two constantly tried to outdo each other, and every time one of them won a duel against the other, the other vowed revenge.

Sersei was an Obelisk now, and the cycle was starting again.

"She sent me this note this morning," sighed Trisha, handing them a piece of paper.

Russell took it and read.

_**Dearest Trisha,**_

_**I have been working on my deck, and it has grown to three times its power since last time. By one this afternoon, the Harpie Lady Sisters will be gnawing on your bones.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Sersei**_

"I can hardly wait," she muttered, sarcastically.

"She has a way with words," sighed Russell. "And those Harpies freak me out…"

Trisha nodded. The Harpie Lady Monsters were best known as the signature Monsters of Mai Valentine, a duelist who was best known as Joey Wheeler's wife. But a lot of Mai's early career wasn't known. Joey's autobiography stated that he had met her when he had started his dueling career, but he had never given any details about their early relationship. The romantic version was that she had been just as nasty as her Harpies before Joey melted her heart…

And there were even darker rumors… Some folks said that Mai was actually evil and had worked against the Trinity in some way or another, and Joey had brought her to the light, so to speak. This was the reason a lot of her past before their marriage was unknown, because Joey didn't want his beloved's reputation damaged. It was the standard fantasy romance story: male hero opposes female villain, male hero and female villain fall in love, female villain reforms in order to love male hero…

The "Bat and the Cat" analogy.

This was the most extreme rumor, and it was likely exaggerated; but Jason had met her in virtual reality form, and she _was_ rather nasty and sarcastic, so you had to wonder…

"So what if she's pumped up her deck," shrugged Jason. "So have you! I'm sure you'll give her a big surprise."

He leaned over and kissed her.

"We'll be there to watch you," he said. "Now make Henry Ford proud…"

Trisha grinned.

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At a school where Duel Monsters was taught, dueling naturally happened all the time. An unofficial duel could happen anywhere…

But if it was an official challenge or one important to the curriculum, it took place in the Arena.

The name was no more grandiose than that, but the place was far from simple. It was a large auditorium, where the Dueling Disks were enhanced by special equipment. Monsters looked fiercer, Spells looked flashier, and the attacks packed quite a punch.

Features included a large screen to show the action and a special balcony. The balcony was usually empty…

At the moment, it wasn't.

The seats surrounding the place were occupied by Freshman students. Jason and Russell nodded to a few of them as they walked in.

"Well," sighed Russell, "looks like we're in for a catfight…"

"Don't sell Trisha short," replied Jason. "I've seen her deck. It's gotten better."

"By that, you mean she's kicked your tail with it…" muttered Russell.

"Don't go there…" warned Jason. "I wonder if she'll use that special Monster she showed me…"

"Special Monster?" asked Russell.

"Something that really… appealed to her," answered Jason.

They watched as the two students met in the center of the floor – one was Trisha (now with her hair tied back; she had learned from experience that wearing it loose during a duel was an accident waiting to happen), and one was a girl wearing the blue blazer of the Obelisk dorm. She had strawberry-blonde hair cut short, and a sweet smile.

"Hello, Trisha!" chuckled Sersei. "Long time no see… Although I must say, I really don't think yellow is your color… Clashes with your eyes."

"Will you cut the insults, Sersei?" replied Trisha with a whisper. "Can't you see who's watching?"

She pointed to the balcony, and they both saw a tall woman who looked about forty years old, but still attractive. She wore her hair in a ponytail, and wore glasses.

"All right you two," stated the instructor, who stood between them. "I take it you know the rules. Now each of you cut and shuffle each other's decks."

Sersei gave Trisha a look, but she handed over her deck. Trisha handed over hers, and they shuffled.

"Now let's get started," chuckled Sersei, taking it back. "It's twelve noon… lunch time for my Harpies."

"Hardy, har, har," said Trisha, activating her Disk.

"Game… start!"

**(Trisha: 8,000) (Sersei: 8,000)**

"Now then," chuckled Sersei, drawing her first card. "What to do, what to do… Oh, this one looks good…"

_Thanks for the card, Mai,_ she thought.

She played a Spell Card.

"I play Guardian Treasure," she exclaimed.

The Spell Card appeared.

"Confused?" she asked. "Here's how it works. First I discard five cards…"

She discarded the rest of her hand.

"…then I draw two…"

She drew two cards.

"…and for as long as this card is in effect, I can draw two cards during my Draw Phase, rather than one."

"Sheesh," muttered Russell. "She wasn't kidding… That's a powerful card…"

"True," said Jason, "but if she makes use of it, she'll go through her deck twice as fast… Not exactly a benefit there."

"Next I'll summon a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Sersei.

She set the card, and it appeared in front of her, facedown.

"All right, Sersei," muttered Trisha, drawing, "you'd best hope you can finish me before you run out of cards!"

She threw a card down.

"I summon… Machine King Prototype in Attack Mode," she shouted.

Like something out of _Star Trek,_ a large creature materialized. It was a tall, humanoid robot with streamlined features, yet somewhat rickety. (1,600/1,500)

"Attack her facedown Monster," commanded Trisha. "Laser phaser!"

Machine King Prototype's optic sensors glowed…

Sersei giggled.

"You fall for this every time," she laughed.

A huge mantis appeared on the card. Machine King Prototype fired, and it was blown away.

"You destroyed Flying Kamakiri #1," laughed Sersei. "So now I get to Special Summon a Wind Monster with 1,500 Attack Points or less from my deck.

"But she won't stay that weak…"

She took a card from her deck.

"Not again…" moaned Trisha.

"So I summon… Harpie Lady 1!"

With a screech, one of Mai Valentine's signature Monsters appeared. She had long red hair, green wings, and wore a tight, purple bodysuit. (1,300/1,400) –) (1,600/1,400)

"That's trouble," muttered Jason. "She brought out her booster first…"

"Booster?" asked Russell.

"Harpie Lady 1 increases the Attack Score of all Wind Monsters on the field by 300 points, herself included," explained Jason. "And I do believe _all_ of Sersei's Monsters are that Attribute."

"My turn now," chuckled Sersei. "I'll draw two cards…"

She made two draws.

"And since Harpie Lady 1 looks a little lonely by herself, I'll summon her sister, Harpie Lady 2, in Attack Mode."

She put another card down, and another Harpie appeared. This one looked most like the first, but her hair was short, with long bangs in front. (1,300/1,400) –) (1,600/1,400)

"And don't bother using any Monsters with flip-effects, because she can negate them."

"I'll place a card facedown and leave it at that," said Sersei, fitting a card into a slot.

A facedown card appeared behind the Harpies.

"My draw…" said Trisha.

She drew a card.

_Oh yeah,_ she thought, looking at the powerful four-star.

"I summon the mighty Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode," she stated, playing a card.

Another Machine arose, this one a spherical thing, with spindly arms, wings on its back, and a skull-like face in the front. (1,850/800)

"Not only is Mechanicalchaser stronger than your Harpies," said Trisha with a grin, "but Machine King Prototype gains 100 extra Attack Points for every Machine on the field, other than himself."

Machine King Prototype glowed, and rose to 1,700 Attack.

"So that means it's bye-bye birdies!" laughed Trisha. "Machine King Prototype, take out Harpie Lady 1!"

The Machine's optic sensors glowed.

"I don't think so, Trish," exclaimed Sersei. "I activate Harpie Lady – Sparrow Formation!"

Her Trap Card lifted, and the two Harpies took to the air with a screech! They formed into a large, brown bird, and the Machine's laser glanced off of it.

"Heh, heh," said Sersei. "So long as I have at least two Harpies on the field, this card works just like Waboku. Neat Trap Card, huh?"

"Yeah, neat," answered Trisha. "But your Harpies still can't defeat my creatures."

She waved her hand to signal the end of her turn.

Sersei made two draws.

"We'll see about that, Trish," she chucked. "I'll play Pot of Greed to increase my hand size even more!"

She played the card, and drew two more cards, bringing the number of cards in her hand up to five.

"And I got just the right combination to turn your Machines into little pieces of little pieces!" she laughed.

She flicked her wrist, and her Field Slot opened. She placed a card in it.

The results were dramatic… All of a sudden, huge, rocky bluffs started to rise around them…

Trisha looked around. They were standing in what looked like the valley of a large, rocky mountain range, with odd, flying creatures passing overhead.

"How does that old song go?" asked Sersei_. "I will not rest, till I lay down my head… In the House of Stone and Light…"_

"What is this place?" demanded Trisha.

"Harpie's Hunting Ground," answered Sersei. "Not the real House of Stone and Light, but pretty close. This is the Harpie Ladies' home, and they're the masters here. You're nothing but prey for them now.

"Let me explain the benefits of this Field Spell Card. First, all Winged Beasts on the field gain a bonus of 200 points, for both attacking and defending…"

The two Harpies grew to (1,800/1,600).

"…and also," continued Sersei, "whenever I summon a Harpie or the Sisters, I can destroy one Trap or Magic Card."

"So?" asked Trisha. "Mechanicalchaser is still stronger…"

"It won't be around much longer," chuckled Trisha, holding up a Spell Card. "I play Harpie Lady – Phoenix Formation…"

She played the card, and the two Harpies took to the air again…

They formed into a huge bird made of fire!

"Now I can destroy one of your Monsters for every Harpie I have on the field," she laughed.

Machine King Prototype and Mechanicalchaser exploded!

Before Trisha could react, she was engulfed in flames!

"And that's not all," mocked Sersei, as her opponent fell on her rump. "Now the total Attack Points of those Monsters are deducted from your Life Points."

"Super…" replied Trisha, holding her head.

**(T: 4,450) (S: 8,000)**

"If it's any consolation, my Harpies can't attack you this round," chuckled Sersei. "So I'll just place a card facedown and call it a turn."

She fit a card into a slot, and it materialized.

_Even if Harpie Lady 2's effect doesn't cut it,_ she thought, _Harpie's Feather Storm will…_

"Talk about a nasty card," muttered Russell. "I certainly hope she doesn't have more than one of them!"

"I wouldn't count on it," sighed Jason. "It doesn't sound like a common one. At least, let's hope not. I don't want Trisha to make a _complete_ fool out of herself in front of the Freshmen…"

Trisha made a draw.

_Only Monster I have is Battle Footballer,_ she thought. _And I have two 7 Completed cards. I can use this to raise its Attack or Defense…_

_Raising its Attack to 2,400 would make it stronger than those two Harpies, but I don't like the look of that facedown card…_

_On the other hand, raising its Defense to 3,500 would make me practically untouchable…_

"All right, Sersei, I'm summoning Battle Footballer in Defense Mode…" she stated, putting a card down.

A bulky android in a football jersey appeared. It crouched, as if to receive a blitz. (1,000/2,100)

"And now I'll Equip it with _two_ cards called 7 Completed. These can raise a Machine's Attack or Defense by 700 points! And I'm using it on its Defense."

She played the cards, and the number "77" appeared on the front of Battle Footballer's jersey. Its Defense went up to 3,500.

"And that will be my turn," she said.

"So, you've put up a wall," mused Sersei, drawing two cards. "Thirty-five hundred Defense Points, huh? Well, prepare to have it torn down…"

She played a card.

"I summon Cyber Harpie Lady in Attack Mode."

A third Harpie appeared. This one wore black armor, which didn't quite hide her feminine beauty. She had long red hair, and carried a glowing whip. (1,800/1,300) –) (2,300/1,500)

"And let's not forget the second effect of my Field Card…" added Sersei.

One of the sevens on Battle Footballer's chest shattered, and its Defense went down to 2,800.

"Its Defense is still too strong for me, so I'll end my turn there," said Sersei.

Trisha made a draw.

_If I know Sersei,_ she thought, _and I do… she'll find a way around my wall soon enough, so I have to put up some added protection… She's been powering up her deck, but then again, so have I…_

"I'll place two cards facedown, and that will be all for me," she stated, playing the cards.

Two cards appeared behind Battle Footballer.

Sersei made two draws again.

She grinned at Trisha wickedly…

She played a Spell Card.

"I play… Elegant Egotist!" she shouted. "Now I can summon Harpie Lady Sisters from my deck…"

A triangular pattern appeared on the field, and three Harpies flew out of it! They looked much like the other three, but weren't as splendidly dressed. (1,950/2,100) –) (2,450/2,300)

"Sheesh, how many Harpies does she have in that deck?" exclaimed Russell.

The other seven on Battle Footballer's chest burst, and its Defense fell to 2,100.

"Oh no…" moaned Russell, covering his eyes. "Tell me when it's over…"

"In case you don't know what this means, Trisha," gloated Sersei, "it means I win. First Cyber Harpie will destroy your Footballer, than they'll attack…"

She pointed to the Sisters.

"…then she'll attack…"

She pointed to Harpie Lady 2.

"…and then she'll finish you off!"

She pointed to Harpie Lady 1.

Trisha just looked at her.

"Not much to say, huh?" asked Sersei. "Cyber Harpie, whiplash attack!"

Cyber Harpie flew forward and cracked her whip, blowing Battle Footballer to scrap!

"And now…" started Sersei.

"Hold on!" shouted Trisha. "I activate… Hyper Refresh!"

A Quickplay Spell Card on her side lifted.

"Say what?" asked Sersei.

"It's a powerful card if you use it right," explained Trisha, as the card glowed. "Since I have no Monsters on my side of the field thanks to that last move, and the combined Attack Scores of your Monsters is greater than my current Life Points, my Life Points are doubled."

Trisha glowed with energy, and her Life Points shot up.

**(T: 8,900) (S: 8,000)**

"Humph," muttered Sersei. "So you padded your points… Harpie Lady Sisters, attack directly with triangle ecstasy!"

The three Sisters put their claws together, and a burning energy triangle shot forward…

Trisha cringed as it hit her.

"Now too…" continued Sersei. "WHAT?"

To her surprise, Trisha's Life Points hadn't gone down.

In fact, they had _increased_ again, to 10,450!

Then Sersei saw that Trisha had activated her other facedown card. A strange-looking Trap.

"Like it?" laughed Trisha. "It's called Nutrient Z. Since that attack was strong enough to do at least 2,000 points of damage, I gained 4,000 Life Points the instant before it hit.

"This duel is far from over…"

"My Battle Phase isn't over either Trisha!" shouted Sersei in fury. "Harpie Ladies 1 and 2, get her!"

The two Harpies swooped down on Trisha and she screamed as they dug their talons into her.

The two Winged Beasts grinned as Trisha caught her breath. As if to insult her, Harpie Lady 1 grabbed her shoulder, and pushed down. She was forced to her knees.

**(T: 6,850) (S: 8,000)**

"You may have survived one round, Trisha," mocked Sersei, as the Harpies flew away, "but next round, the Harem From Hell is taking you down."

Jason smirked as Trisha got up.

"Russell, you can look now," he said. "I think Trisha might just be getting her second wind…"

"You haven't won yet, Sersei," snarled Trisha, drawing.

"I might as well have," said Sersei. "My Monsters have you outnumbered… Four to none… Well, as far as actual cards are concerned. It looks a lot more like six to none from your side, doesn't it?"

"I play Graceful Charity," said Trisha.

She played the card. A beautiful angel flew into the air, and her feathers fell upon Trisha's deck.

"Now I can draw three cards…"

She made three draws.

"…so long as I discard two."

_Okay,_ she thought, looking at the cards. _Now I might still have a chance…_

She made two discards.

"Take this…" she shouted. "Swords of Revealing Light!"

She played the card, and a flurry of gleaming swords shot forward!

"Gaah!" shouted Sersei. "Not the Swords!"

"That's right," said Trisha. "They'll keep your Harpies at bay for three turns.

"I believe that this Spell Card was essential in helping Yugi Mouto buy time when he faced Mai Valentine for the first time and was facing a similar problem…"

"Smart," said Sersei, "but it won't help for long…"

"Next," continued Trisha, "I'll place one card facedown, and a Monster facedown as well."

Two facedown cards appeared.

She looked at the Spell Card in her hand.

_If I draw one of them in my next turn, I'm closer to a solution,_ she thought. _But I have twenty-seven cards left in my deck, and only three copies… drawing one isn't likely…_

"Your move…" she said.

"I'll draw two cards…" said Sersei.

She drew two and looked at them.

"No move this turn," she said, "I'll just wait for your Swords to expire for now…"

Trisha closed her eyes.

Sersei had a very good strategy…

She could only hope hers worked as well. No way was she going to let her win…

She drew a card.

"I play _my_ Pot of Greed," she stated.

She played the card, and drew two cards.

_Yes!_ she thought.

"First, another card facedown," she stated.

She set one of the cards, and it appeared next to the other two.

"Now I summon… Bokoichi the Freightening Car," she exclaimed. "In Defense Mode."

She placed a card down, and a weird creature that looked like a freight car with a fiendish face on the front appeared. (500/500)

"Huh?" asked Sersei.

"You probably think that Bokoichi here looks pretty pathetic," said Trisha with a grin. "Well, that's the whole point! See, because his Attack Score is only 500, I can use him to play this Spell Card…"

She played the last card in her hand.

"Machine Duplication," she said. "This lets me Special Summon two more Bokoichis from my deck."

She took two more cards from her deck, and placed them down. Two more Freightening Cars appeared.

"Still don't see the point?" asked Trisha. "Well you will once I flip-summon my facedown Monster. Presenting… the ultimate engine that could… Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!"

Her facedown Monster flipped face-up, and a larger Machine appeared. This one was a steel locomotive, again with a fiendish face. (1,400/1,000)

"Now, here's where it gets interesting," continued Trisha. "When Dekoichi is flipped, I get to draw one card. And for each Bokoichi I have on the field when that happens, I get to draw another."

"Meaning, you can draw four cards now," muttered Sersei. "Impressive combo… you'd best hope it gets you some good cards…"

Trisha made four draws.

"I'll end my turn on that note," she said calmly.

She eyed the Monster she had just drawn and gave a slight smirk.

"Fine," sighed Sersei. "I'll draw two cards…"

She drew two.

And then she laughed.

"Allow me to introduce the newest member of my team!" she said, placing a card on the field. "I summon… Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon, in Attack Mode."

A large creature appeared next to the three Sisters. It looked similar to the regular Harpie's Pet Dragon, but smaller, and much cuter. (1,200/600)

"Baby Dragon?" said Trisha in surprise. "What happened to your adult one?"

"Oh, she's still in my deck somewhere," replied Sersei. "But her daughter is much cuter, isn't she? And while she might be a baby, she's much better than her mom. You see, Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon can have three different effects, and for every Monster on my side of the field with the word 'Harpie' in her name, aside from herself, she gets one of them.

"As you can see, I have four such Monsters… So she gets all three.

"First, her base Attack and Defense are doubled, and don't forget that she also gets boosted by Harpie Lady 1 because she's a Wind Monster."

The Dragon's stats shot up to (2,700/1,200).

"Second, you can't attack any of my Harpie Monsters other than her."

"I think Trisha's odds just worsened to about fifty to one," said Russell.

"And third," continued Sersei, "once per my turn, she can automatically destroy any one of your cards on the field."

"Now I put those odds at five-hundred to one…" muttered Russell.

"Well sure…" muttered Trisha. "Destroy my Swords. I guess I can't stop you…"

"Heh, heh, heh," snickered Sersei. "Oh, you _want_ me to do that, don't you, Trisha? Well, I know that your Swords will be gone anyway after my next turn, and since I really don't like the look of those facedown cards you have…

"Dragon, destroy her facedown card on the left!"

Harpie's Baby Pet Dragon shot a stream of fire at the facedown card. The card was revealed to be Sakuretsu Armor, and was burned up.

"Thought so," said Sersei. "My turn is over. Next round, I'll just wipe out the other one, and I'll break your little toy train set."

_That was close, thought Trisha,_ drawing a card. _Good thing she fell for that bluff… If she really had destroyed the Swords, I'd never have beaten her…_

"Not going to happen, Sersei" she finally answered.

She switched cards on her Disk.

"I sacrifice two Bokoichis…"

Two of the Freightening Cars vanished.

"…and I'll summon… **_Perfect Machine King_**!"

A beam of light struck Trisha's side of the field, and a _huge_ robot with shiny, flawless armor materialized. (2,700/1,500)

"HUH?" shouted Sersei. "When did you get _that_ thing? It's even bigger than your old Machine King!"

"Over the summer," answered Trisha. "Now, let me explain Perfect Machine King's incredible effect; in addition to his own considerable Attack Score, he gains 500 Attack Points for every Machine on the field, other than himself.

"He just _loves_ company.

"And as you can see, I already have two…"

(3,700/1,500)

"Wha… Buh… Guh…" sputtered Sersei.

"Is that her 'special Monster'?" asked Russell.

"No," replied Jason. "It's her strongest one, but she has one that she likes better."

"But I'm about to get a few more," chuckled Trisha. "You're going to be the first to see my new strategy… I reveal my facedown card… DNA Surgery!"

The facedown card lifted.

"That Trap…" gasped Sersei. "It lets you change the Type of every Monster on the field to whatever you choose…"

"Exactly," replied Trisha. "And I choose Machines."

The three Harpies and the Sisters screeched and their Dragon roared…

But they were silenced as their flesh, feathers, and hair was transformed to metal, and their joints became mechanical.

"What have you done to them?" screamed Sersei in horror.

"I know, it isn't pretty," sighed Trisha. "They lost their beauty and humanity. But on the plus side, they now get over three-hundred channels, including the premiums.

"Of course, since the Harpies aren't Winged Beasts anymore, the first bonus of your Field Card no longer applies."

Harpie Lady 1 and 2 dropped to (1,600/1,400), while Cyber Harpie Lady dropped to (2,100/1,300) and the Sisters fell to (2,250/2,100)

"And furthermore, now that there are a total of seven other Machines on the field, well, take a look at my King…"

Perfect Machine King grew even stronger! (6,200/1,500)

"So, I can only attack your Dragon, huh?" asked Trisha. "Well, I see no problem with that… Perfect Machine King, attack with mega missile assault!"

Two hatches on the great Machine's shoulders opened, and a volley of missiles shot out, blasting Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon into spare parts!

Sersei shielded herself…

**(T: 6,850) (S: 4,500)**

The crowd started to cheer.

"That's my turn, Sersei," said Trisha, as Perfect Machine King's Attack went down to 5,700. "So you'd best make your next move count…"

Sersei slowly drew two cards…

She growled.

"I'll switch my four Monsters to Defense Mode, and that will be all for now," she sneered.

The Harpies and the Sisters knelt in Defense.

She looked at the Ritual Card in her hand.

_With any luck, I'll be able to last long enough to draw Calypso and give her a big surprise…_ she thought.

Trisha drew.

"I play… Premature Burial," she exclaimed, playing a card. "And I'll use it to bring back my old friend Machine King Prototype."

Her Life Points decreased by 800, and Machine King Prototype arose out of the ground. (1,600/1,500)

Perfect Machine King's Attack rose back to 6,200.

"And don't forget, he gains an additional 100 Attack Points for every Machine on the field, other than himself."

(2,300/1,500)

"And now I'm going to play another Equip," continued Trisha. "One I put in my deck especially for you Sersei. It's called Jumper Cables."

"Don't tell me that it's going to make your King stronger!" gasped Sersei.

Trisha laughed.

"Oh, I'm not going to equip it on any of my Monsters, Sersei," she answered. "I'm going to Equip it on one of _yours_. Cyber Harpie Lady, to be precise…"

She played the card.

"Now watch…"

Two jumper cables sprouted out of Cyber Harpie Lady's hips…

And then one of them clamped onto each of her sisters' hips.

"Here's how it works," stated Trisha. "When Jumper Cables is Equipped to a Monster, it and all Monsters on the owners' side of the field with the same name gain 1,000 Attack Points. And I know that each Harpie is assumed to have the name 'Harpie Lady', due to their effects."

Harpie Lady 1 and 2 rose to 2,600 Attack, while Cyber Harpie Lady rose to 3,100.

"And you're being so helpful, why?" asked Sersei.

"Because, they're in Defense Mode, and that Equip didn't raise their Defense," answered Trisha. "And this Equip has an unfortunate side effect: If the Equipped Monster is destroyed, so are all the other Monsters who benefit from it!"

Sersei's eyes opened wide…

"Machine King Prototype, take out the Sisters!" she shouted. "Laser phaser!"

A beam of energy shot from Machine King Prototype's eyes, and the Harpie Lady Sisters blew up!

"Dekoichi, attack Cyber Harpie Lady!"

With a chugging noise, the Battlechanted Locomotive charged forward, striking the Harpie! All three of them exploded!

"And now that that's done," said Trisha, as Perfect Machine King fell to an Attack of 4,200, "Perfect Machine King, attack directly!"

Perfect Machine King's eyes glowed. A set of crosshairs centered on Sersei…

"**Target sighted…"** said a voice from the huge Machine.

Sersei looked nervously.

Perfect Machine King's hatches opened.

"**Fire at will."**

The huge Machine let loose another volley of missiles! Sersei screamed as they honed in on her and exploded!

**(T: 6,050) (S: 300)**

"Ready to throw in the towel?" asked Trisha.

"Eesh…" muttered Sersei. "No!"

She drew two cards.

"I'll place a card facedown, and summon Harpie Girl in Defense Mode," she stated.

A card appeared in front of her, and then a cute little girl in a skimpy black outfit with blonde hair and pink wings appeared, shyly hiding behind her wings. (500/500)

She let out a frightened chirp, as DNA Surgery glowed, and she was transformed too.

"You know Sersei," said Trisha, drawing a card, "I think that card is a bluff…"

She looked at the card she had drawn.

"But why take chances? I play Heavy Storm."

She played the card, and a fierce wind tore over the field. Harpie's Hunting Ground crumbled, then Sersei's facedown Mirror Gate (for that's what it was) lifted up and shattered, along with Guardian Treasure. Then the DNA Surgery card shattered. Finally, the Premature Burial card shattered, as did Machine King Prototype.

"Interesting…" said Trisha. "But it wouldn't have worked, Sersei. Even if you had triggered it, I didn't intend to attack her with Perfect Machine King.

"Dekoichi, destroy the Girl!"

Harpie Girl screamed as Dekoichi thundered forward and ran her over.

"Now, Perfect Machine King, finish this!" shouted Trisha.

Sersei screamed bloody murder as the missiles slammed into her again, erupting in a huge explosion!

Sersei lay on her back groaning, with smoke coming from her body.

"**Target neutralized…" **said Perfect Machine King.

"Yeah…" said Trisha with a grin. "You neutralized the Hell out of her!"

**(T: 6,050) (S: 0)**

"Game… over!" said Trisha with a sweet smile.

The crowd cheered, as Trisha's Machines vanished.

"I'm glad I didn't take you up on that bet, Russell," sighed Jason. "I told you she had gotten better."

"Too bad we didn't see her special Monster," said Russell, shaking his head.

Trisha went up to Sersei, who was starting to sit up.

"So Sersei," sighed Trisha, "until next time?"

"Oh, shut up…" sulked Sersei.

"Hey, I beat you fair and square," replied Trisha. "Complaining about it won't help you."

"Yeah, fair and square," mumbled Sersei. "Just like your brother…"

Trisha backed up.

"You take that back!" she demanded.

"Make me, gear-girl!" snapped Sersei.

"Take it back, or I swear I'm going to take this Duel Disk, and shove it up your…"

"MOISE! RHINEHEART!" shouted a demanding voice. "You stop it right now!"

They both gulped and turned around…

The figure from the balcony had come down.

One thing you had to keep in mind about Chancellor Andorra Artemis… Making her angry was _never_ a good idea…

"Uh, afternoon Chancellor…" gulped Sersei.

"I expected better from two of my top students," snarled the administrator. "One of the purposes behind these seminars is to show the Freshmen good conduct. Starting fights is NOT my idea of good conduct!"

"She mentioned my brother…" grumbled Trisha.

Artemis's eyes narrowed.

"Is that true, Sersei?" she asked, now even angrier.

"Uh…" muttered Sersei.

Artemis didn't wait for an answer. Sersei's hesitation was all she needed to know that the answer was yes.

"I thought it was made clear that he was _never_ to be brought up, Miss Rhineheart, especially in Miss Moise's presence. Now you will either apologize to your opponent this instant, or you will not only forfeit the extra credit for this duel, but you will get detention as well!"

Sersei sighed.

"I'm sorry Trisha…" she mused.

"Good," answered Artemis. "Now let's hope the rest of this seminar passes without a similar incident…"

Trisha walked up to where Jason and Russell were sitting, and sat down herself.

"Hey Trish, you won!" exclaimed Jason.

"Really?" mumbled Trisha. "Well, how come I don't feel very happy?"

Jason knew better than to answer.

Living in her brother's dark shadow was a burden that had haunted her for two years now. Every time it came up, accident or not, it was a slap in the face that didn't go away for a long time.

At the very least, Trisha would recover in an hour. At most, in a day.

Until she did, she'd be more miserable than she was at breakfast.

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Sersei sat in an isolated part of the arena seats sulking. Eventually, another student wearing the Obelisk colors came up beside her.

She smirked a little. She knew Anthony pretty well. After all, he was her boyfriend.

"Come to console me?" she asked.

"Uhm, actually," he muttered, "I was kind of wondering where you got that card…"

"What card?" asked Sersei.

"That Treasure thing," he asked. "It's mega-powerful!"

Sersei grinned. She searched through her deck and found Guardian Treasure.

"Would you believe that this card used to belong to the real Mai Valentine?" she asked.

"No…" he said, shocked.

"And technically, it still does," continued Sersei. "She's lending it to me."

"She's dead…" muttered Anthony. "How…"

"This is an incredibly rare card, Anthony," answered Sersei. "Apparently, some ex-lover did something that made Mai incredibly angry at him. I have no idea why, but it must have been something really bad. Shortly before she married Joey Wheeler, the guy somehow got this card, and gave it to her as a means of asking forgiveness. He wasn't forgiven, but Mai kept the card. She wouldn't use it however, since she wouldn't put his cards in her deck.

"Oh course, there was even a rumor that the card wasn't even his to give, but that he had stolen it from someone who trusted him. Likely that guy never trusted him again.

"Anyway, she offered it as a prize for anyone who could win a major tournament with a Harpie Deck. But whoever won it would have to sign a contract saying that it would go back to her representatives when he or she stopped dueling permanently for any reason, including death. So only those who used her signature Monsters would ever use it."

She looked at the card.

"Over one hundred years, four duelists have won it," she continued. "Over the summer, I won a tournament, and I was shocked when they offered me this along with the normal prize. I couldn't sign the contracts fast enough.

"It's the rarest card I have…"

Sersei and Anthony didn't notice that a figure behind them had been listening to the whole conversation.

They didn't see him… And if they tried to, they couldn't have.

The figure sighed; a tear trickled down his face.

And then he simply vanished.

_Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 1PM_

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**GUARDIAN TREASURE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A beautiful woman with silver hair in front of a crystal ball.

**Card Description:** Discard five cards from your hand, then draw two cards from your deck. For as long as this card remains in effect, you may draw two cards during your Draw Phase.

_Note: "Guardian Treasure" was used by Raphael in the multi-part anime episode "Fate of the Pharaoh". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**HARPIE LADY – SPARROW FORMATION (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A golden bird inside a rune-covered circle.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have two or more Monsters named "Harpie Lady" face-up on your side of the field. All battle damage done by your opponent's Monsters becomes zero for the remainder of the turn.

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**HARPIE LADY – PHOENIX FORMATION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A fiery blue bird inside a rune-covered circle.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have two or more Monsters named "Harpie Lady" face-up on your side of the field. Destroy one opposing Monster for every "Harpie Lady" you have face-up on your side of the field. Reduce your opponent's Life Points by an amount equal to the combined ATK of the destroyed Monsters. During the turn this card is activated, all Monsters named "Harpie Lady" cannot attack.

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**HARPIE'S FEATHER STORM (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Counter  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A flurry of multicolored feathers.

**Card Description:** You can activate this Trap when you declare an attack on a Monster named "Harpie Lady". Negate the effect of the Monster you are attacking. After using this card, end your Battle Phase.

_Note: "Harpie Lady – Sparrow Formation", "Harpie Lady – Phoenix Formation", and "Harpie's Feather Storm" were first used by Mai in the multi-part anime episode "My Freaky Valentine". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**HYPER-REFRESH (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A shadowy figure, holding a bottle that shines with radiance.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field and the combined ATK of your opponent's face-up Monsters is greater than your Life Points. Double your Life Points.

_Note: "Hyper-Refresh" was used by Joey in the anime episode "Down in Flames (Part Two)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**JUMPER CABLES (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Two jumper cables connected to a car battery on one end and free on the other end.

**Card Description:** You can Equip a Monster with this card when there are additional Monsters with the same name on the same side of the field. Increase the Equipped Monster and all Monsters with the same name as the Equipped Monster on the same side of the field by 1,000. When a Monster Equipped with this card is destroyed, all Monsters with the same name as the Equipped Monster on the same side of the field are also destroyed.

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**MIRROR GATE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A cluster of glass crystals.

**Card Description:** This card can only be activated during your opponent's Battle Phase when your opponent's Monster declares an attack. Switch the control of the attacking Monster with a Monster on your side of the field. Continue the battle normally.

_Note: "Mirror Gate" was used by Jaden several times in "Yu-Gi-Oh GX", first in "Welcome to Duel Academy"._

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**Trisha's Machine Deck**

_For as long as the Moise family history can be recorded, all members of the family have been known as excellent mechanics and engineers. Family legend says that one early member of the family was an assistant to Henry Ford himself._

_Trisha is no exception. She was able to repair the transmission on her father's car effortlessly when she was ten, and got perfect marks in auto shop class before attending the academy._

_Thus, deciding on a Machine Deck was a natural. Trisha's deck uses a variety of Machines and Machine accessories; her creatures are unsubtle, but they get the job done. Her most powerful card is the rare Perfect Machine King, which grows stronger with every additional Machine on the field. She also carries the normal Machine King in her deck, as well as multiple copies of the weaker Machine King Prototype, and has a special combo that utilizes all three Kings (to be revealed later)._

_Trisha doesn't use Cyber Dragons or Ancient Gear Monsters, at least not most of the time. To her, those cards are a different brand of Machine that should be used in decks designed to make the most of them. She does, however, have a deck that uses special Machines that she utilizes when she wants to take opponents by surprise…_

_Those who want to know the nature of this special deck will simply have to wait._

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_**First of all, brownie points to whoever can tell me what The House of Stone and Light is, besides a song. And if you liked Sersei, she will be appearing again, although a rematch with Trisha is not planned.**_

_**You're probably wondering who that shadowy figure is who was watching Sersei and her boyfriend. Well, put all the pieces together, and maybe you'll figure it out.**_

_**Next chapter:**_

_**There's more than one way to earn extra credit at this school, but many of the ways are rather painful. Also, while many great duelists from the first generation have passed to the great beyond years ago, in this future time, there are ways that duelists can meet them – and duel them too!**_

_**Coming up next, a character from the anime makes a guest appearance, as Jason tries for one of said extra credit assignments, in a chapter I'm calling "Dreamsprite"!**_

_**Who is it? You'll just have to wait and find out…**_


	4. Dreamsprite

_**I'm the kind of guy who's an overachiever. At this place, I'll do anything for extra credit, no matter how hard it is. I love doing it.**_

_**You know another thing I love? Revisiting the past. The same technology that my idol invented can let you meet duelists from the old generations – and duel them if you desire. **_

_**I've met several figures this way; my success rate is average. And now that the school year has started and the technology has improved… Well, it's time to get acquainted with it again.**_

_**Of course, this guy who I'm facing right now doesn't exactly look like a challenge, but if I know one thing about duelists…**_

_**Looks are always deceptive…**_

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**CHAPTER THREE**

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**Dreamsprite**

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_Thursday, September 2nd, 2,106, 3:30 PM_

When Bastion Misawa graduated with honors from the original Duel Academy, he became a great duelist who accomplished a great deal in his life, and a lot of duelists after him admired him.

Misawa was an intellectual who used mathematics, physics, and statistics to plan his dueling strategies. As a result, a lot of schools eventually started to take his ideas into practice.

Dueling Theory was one class that only the brightest students took. It involved a great deal of commitment. Jason was committed, but everyone who took it had to admit one thing…

Physics, no matter what it pertained to, was _boring_.

Dr. Lang was the first to notice that most of the class was nodding off. Well, that wasn't a problem…

He picked up a Duel Disk, and turned to on, and then put a card on it…

A huge Jigen Bakudan materialized in front of him, and it exploded!

Everyone sat up with a start.

"Maybe everyone needs a five-minute break to stretch their legs," he sighed. "But only five minutes…"

The students got up.

"Hey, Jason!" said a voice from the desk next to him.

Jason turned and saw the student in the red blazer.

"Can you fill me in on what happened with Trisha's brother?" asked the Slifer.

Jason rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he answered, "but if she asks you, you didn't hear this from me…"

He paused.

"When she and I were Freshmen, he was a Junior, and was one of the best duelists in the school, or so we thought…

"We didn't know that Patrick was cheating during his duels, and had a way of doing so that was nearly undetectable. He had learned a tricky way to shuffle from some stage magician.

"A good stage magician might know over a thousand ways to cheat at cards. And Patrick got one to teach him one of the most useful.

"See, you probably know by now that it's customary here before an official duel for your opponent to shuffle your deck. Now, the most powerful cards in a deck are usually holofoil, and holofoil cards weigh slightly more than other cards. Patrick knew a way to shuffle so that almost all of the heavier cards wound up on the bottom of the deck. So his opponent always got bad draws."

"Good lord," said the Slifer.

"We might not have caught him, but his girlfriend asked him what his secret was. He told her the truth, thinking she'd be loyal. Seemed she was a much more honorable duelist than he was. She secretly told Dr. Artemis.

"They didn't have any proof, but they started a sting operation – it seemed Artemis was suspicious of him to begin with – and she never liked him much anyway, seeing as he boasted a lot. Probably the breaking point was when he said to her face that he could beat _her_ in a duel if she had the guts…"

The Slifer stared in disbelief.

"She made a new rule – after your opponent shuffled your deck, you had the option to cut it once. She also encouraged it by explaining that there was a rumor that some students were learning how to trick-shuffle, without naming names.

"As soon as this started, Patrick's success started to plummet. Then he started to protest the new rule. Of course, arguing about it had a result that he didn't expect. He protested against it so loudly, that all of his opponents were almost certain that he was rigging the shuffling, and they always took the option.

"Eventually, he told his girlfriend again to commiserate, and she recorded what he said on tape. That was all the proof they needed.

"In this college, cheating is unforgivable. He was expelled.

"It hit poor Trisha the hardest. She had never believed that the rumor was true, but when he was caught, she felt betrayed. She said publicly to him, that as far as she was concerned, he was dead. She'd never speak to him or acknowledge him again."

"He got what he deserved," muttered the Slifer.

"Strange part is, no-one knows what happened to him after that," added Jason. "Not even Trisha or their parents know where he is… She kinda hoped he eventually jumped in the East River, but that's probably wishful thinking…"

By now, the students were starting to come back in, as was Dr. Lang.

"Before I forget," added the Professor, "the VR pods are back online, and anyone who wants extra credit is welcome to use them. Ms. Nichols has told me that a great deal of new programs have been added since last year…"

Jason's eyes opened at this…

_About time…_ he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Virtual reality…

In a wing of the school library was a large room holding several of the virtual reality pods. They worked on a strange system.

When a device similar to a DVD was loaded into a pod, the recipient could project his consciousness into a small pocket cyberspace dimension. The appearance of the place depended on the whim of the Lord…

"Lord" was a catchall term for the AI entities that were programmed into them. One was in each program, and all of them had the likeness of a duelist from one of the previous generations of Duel Monsters. They were programmed with the intelligence, memories (up to a certain point of their lives) and personality of the actual duelist. A student who was brave enough could come here and challenge them – but these duelists were _not_ pushovers.

Jason had done it several times. A few duelists were easy. Some he had beaten on the first try. However, Ishizu Ishtar had defeated him five times before he was able to defeat her. Mai Valentine had been harder – he had Inever/I been able to beat her. (And she was so sarcastic, he always wondered why Joey Wheeler had fallen for her.) Since these AI's could remember a student if they faced them multiple times, it seemed to get worse with each defeat. The last time he dueled Mai, she asked why he had even bothered coming.

He had a good reason for dueling her, however – as one of the harder duelists, she awarded more extra credit than the others if she was beaten. How much you got was up to the AI, but there was a minimum based on the AI's skill.

A lot of students would have loved to duel the three members of the Trinity, but they couldn't. Making AI versions of them was illegal. (Jason personally thought that the Council was afraid someone might actually defeat one of them and their reputations would be ruined.)

As Jason walked into the chamber, he saw that only three of the twenty pods were occupied (one of them by Sersei, surprisingly).

The supervisor looked up.

"Mr. Conrad, what a pleasant surprise!" she said sweetly. "If you want another rematch with Mrs. Valentine, I'm afraid her program is being used right now…"

Jason looked over at Sersei's pod.

_Ironic,_ he thought.

"No, Ms. Nichols," he answered, "I was hoping for someone new… Someone with something original…"

"Well," said Ms. Nichols, going to the shelf, "we do have a few new additions, and no-one has tried a few of them yet except Dr. Artemis…"

She took down a disk.

"She said this one was her favorite – the Lord of this program was a real challenge, and quite original."

"How much is he worth?" asked Jason.

"On the average, two-hundred points," answered Ms. Nichols. "But I warn you, he's tough…"

Jason looked at it.

"Eh, why not?" he said.

"This way," she replied.

They walked to a booth, and Jason sat down. Ms. Nichols inserted the disk.

"**Please insert deck,"** said a computerized voice.

Jason placed his deck in the holder.

"Just a warning," said Ms. Nichols. "This guy's cards are very bizarre… but don't take him lightly, because they're quite deadly."

The pod closed, and a flash of light appeared in front of Jason's eyes…

He wondered if he'd ever get used to this…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"OOF!"

Jason fell and landed on his butt!

_Traveling through the virtual vortex,_ he thought. _Always a pain in the ass…_

He got up, and saw himself in a dark forest, on a dirt pathway. He saw large butterflies in front of him…

Then he realized that they weren't butterflies… They were tiny fairies!

They danced around his head, and then one of them kissed him on the nose! Then she pointed ahead.

Jason looked ahead and saw a four-way intersection with a signpost.

One pointer said:

"**TO THE THREE BEARS' HOUSE"**

Another said:

"**TO THE THREE LITTLE PIGS' HOUSE"**

And the third:

"**TO DUELIST'S HOUSE"**

_What sort of crazy place is this?_ thought Jason. _Whoever the Lord is has a weird sense of humor…_

Nonetheless, he followed the pointer to the Duelist's House. After walking for about five minutes, he came to an old-fashioned wooden house with a thatched roof.

He knocked on the door.

"Won't do you much good to knock," said a voice. "You see, I'm on the same side of the door as you are…"

He turned around, and saw someone who certainly hadn't been there before. It was a young boy who couldn't have been more than twelve, with neatly-cut hair, dyed purple and tied in a ponytail, wearing a sweater. He also wore a Duel Disk.

"It might make more sense to knock if I were on the outside and you were on the inside," said the youth. "Then I could let you out… But then, if you wanted to be in the house, why would you do that?"

"Uhm, hullo," said Jason. "Are you the one in charge here?"

The boy nodded.

"Leon Wilson's the name," he said. "Welcome to storybook land!"

"I, uh, expected someone… taller…" muttered Jason.

"Don't knock it, pal," chuckled Leon. "I'll have you know I once dueled the King of Games himself."

"Yugi?" asked Jason, surprised.

Leon nodded.

"I always wanted to duel him again in a more fair contest," he muttered, "but you see…"

"More fair?" asked Jason. "You dueled him and cheated?"

Leon frowned.

"Well…" he said.

He paused.

"It wasn't my fault!" protested Leon.

He sighed.

"Look, if you want," he muttered, "after we duel I'll give you the card catalogue number for a DVD where you can see the whole thing. But until then…"

He raised his Disk.

"…you're the first student who's come here since I was programmed, and I'm more than anxious to see how the next generation is shaping up. So, how about it?"

Jason hesitated, but then he remembered that these programs could _not_ cheat. It went against their programming.

He gestured, and his own Disk appeared on his arm.

"Okay Leon," he said, "Disk away!"

His Disk activated.

They drew their first hands, and a flock of birds flew from the trees above…

**(Jason: 8,000)--------------------(Leon: 8,000)**

Jason made his first draw.

_All right!_ he thought. _I haven't had an opening hand this good in ages!_

"I'll start by summoning Blade Knight in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

He put a card down, and a beam of light struck his side of the field. A knight in brilliant armor holding a sword appeared. (1,600/1,000)

"Not a bad Monster," commented Leon.

He drew a card.

"Now look out!" he laughed. "I'm summoning my Forest Wolf in Attack Mode."

He threw a card down, and a growl sounded over the field…

A weird Beast appeared. It was a wolf, dressed in a nightgown and nightcap, along with old-fashioned glasses. (1,800/300)

Jason almost laughed… But then he noticed that this Monster's Attack Score was higher than his…

"Forest Wolf, attack!" shouted Leon.

The Wolf pounced, and to Jason's shock, it swallowed Blade Knight whole! It liked its lips, and then spit out the sword!

"What is that?" asked Jason. "The Big Bad Wolf?"

Leon chuckled.

"You've got the right house," he answered. "But you've got the wrong story…"

"How the heck can two stories take place in the same house?" asked Jason.

"_Because it's a two-story house!"_ laughed Leon, pointing to the house.

"Ugh, I walked right into_that_ one…" groaned Jason.

**(J: 7,800)-------------------- (L: 8,000)**

"All right," he said, drawing a card, "you've had your fun…"

He put a card down.

"Now I'll summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode."

In another flash, the wicked Beast-Warrior appeared, holding aloft his huge axe. He growled a guttural growl. (1,900/1,200)

"Attack the Forest Wolf!" shouted Jason. "Blood axe swipe!"

Vorse Raider hurled his axe, and Forest Wolf's eyes popped out in surprise…

The Beast shattered, and an orb of light flew out of the remains…

The orb flew to Jason's side, and formed into Blade Knight! (1,600/1,000)

He and Vorse Raider nodded to each other.

"Huh?" asked Jason. "Where did he come from?"

"Uh, yeah…" muttered Leon. "You have to make sacrifices for being a three-star Monster who's that strong. When it's destroyed, you get back anything it devoured."

"Well," said Jason with a shrug, "never look a gift horse in the mouth… Or a gift wolf. And since my Battle Phase isn't over, Blade Knight, attack Leon directly."

Blade Knight slashed at Leon with his sword, and he stumbled backwards.

"Not bad," panted Leon. "I guess chapter one is over… Chapter two is starting…"

**(J: 7,800) -------------------- (L: 6,300)**

He drew a card.

"I'll place two cards facedown on the field," he said.

Two cards appeared in front of him.

"And then I'll summon this gal in Attack Mode," he continued. "Meet Cinderella."

He put a card down, and a disheveled figure appeared. It was a young woman with a dirty face, dressed in rags. (300/600)

"Huh?" asked Jason.

"Watch…" said Leon.

From out of nowhere, a shower of pixie dust, and a beautiful fairy appeared. She waved her wand over Cinderella, and her rags turned into a gorgeous ballroom gown.

Then the fairy waved her wand again, and a carriage shaped like a pumpkin drawn by white stallions appeared next to her. (100/800)

"See," said Leon, "when Cinderella is summoned, I can Special Summon the fabled Pumpkin Carriage from my hand, deck, or Graveyard in Defense Mode. I can also Equip her with her favorite footwear…"

He played a card.

"Glass Slippers…"

Cinderella grinned, as the legendary slippers appeared on her feet.

"By the way, so long as Pumpkin Carriage is on the field, you aren't allowed to attack Cinderella," he said. "And I'll call that a turn."

_This is weird,_ thought Jason, drawing a card. _His cards seem to all be based on fairy tale creatures. And they must all be pretty rare, because I've certainly never heard of these cards… Doesn't he have any normal cards?_

"Vorse Raider, attack the Pumpkin Carriage!"

Vorse Raider growled and threw his axe…

"Activate Mirror Force!" shouted Leon, as one of his Traps lifted.

Vorse Raider and Blade Knight screamed, as the holy light blew them to pixels!

_Well, there's a familiar one…_ thought Jason.

"By the way, Leon," he continued, "I had a feeling one of those cards was a Trap, so I purposely didn't summon until you set it off…"

He put a card down.

"I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in Attack Mode."

Green smoke poured out of the ground on Jason's side, and the impressive form of La Jinn appeared. He gave a throaty chuckle. (1,800/1,000)

"Interesting," commented Leon. "I've read a lot of fairy tales, but the _Arabian Nights_ ones were never my thing…"

He went to draw a card…

But then he stopped.

"Say, Jason, before I draw, a question…"

"Yeah?" asked Jason.

"So far, I've seen a Warrior, a Beast-Warrior, and a Fiend," said Leon. "Your Monsters don't seem to have anything in common except one thing…

"All of them were cards that Kaiba used in his deck."

Jason grinned.

"You figured it out pal," he said. "I've admired Kaiba my whole life. I mean, Yugi was the better duelist, sure, but Kaiba contributed a lot more to the cause of Duel Monsters. Who invented the Duel Disk? Who created the Kaibaland chain?

"So when I was building my deck, I tried hard to make one just like his, for the most part."

"Well then," said Leon, with a shrug, "I hate to say this, but if you want to emulate him, you're doomed to failure…

"After all, Kaiba wouldn't be Kaiba without the three _big_ stars in his deck, and we both know you can't have those."

Jason watched as he drew.

_He'll find out soon enough,_ he thought.

"I activate Call of the Haunted," exclaimed Leon.

His other Trap lifted.

"Normally in fairy tales, dead means dead, plain and simple," said Leon. "But this is Duel Monsters, and things are never that simple, so my Forest Wolf is coming back from the grave."

Forest Wolf arose again. (1,800/300)

"Now let me show you how this great combo works, Jason," he started to explain. "Another great thing about Pumpkin Carriage – so long as it's on the field, Cinderella can attack you directly. So, Cinderella…"

Cinderella kicked off her slippers and threw them at Jason!

"Humph, I barely felt a thing," chuckled Jason.

"That's not all," added Leon. "Now that she did that, I can Equip the Glass Slippers to one of your Monsters."

La Jinn looked down in puzzlement. Sure enough, he was wearing them on his feet.

"I don't get the point…" questioned Jason.

"How long has it been since you've read this story?" asked Leon. "Those Slippers only fit Cinderella – on anyone else, they're a curse. Your genie now loses 1,000 Attack Points!"

La Jinn grunted as his Attack fell down to 800.

"And now, here comes my Forest Wolf!" shouted Leon.

Forest Wolf pounced, and just like before, swallowed La Jinn!

"And as the last part of the combo," said Leon, "the Slippers reappear on Cinderella, and she gains 1,000 Attack Points."

The Glass Slippers magically appeared in Cinderella, and her Attack rose to 1,300.

"And next round we can do that all over again," said Leon with a smirk.

**(J: 6,500) -------------------- (L: 6,300)**

"Not if I get rid of her first," snarled Jason.

He drew.

"All right Leon, I'm playing Pot of Greed!" he exclaimed, playing a Spell Card. "Now I can draw two more cards…"

He made two draws.

He looked at the two identical cards.

"Remember when you said I couldn't have Kaiba's three big stars in my deck?" he asked. "Well, I knew that, so I found three replacements that are even better…"

He showed him a card.

"A Cyber Dragon?" asked Leon.

"See, the Blue-Eyes White Dragons can only be combined one way, into the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon," explained Jason. "Admittedly, that's a powerful creature, but Cyber Dragons can be combined LOTS of ways.

"For example, I'll use Polymerization, to fuse these two into the Cyber Twin Dragon!"

He played the card, and two huge metal serpents appeared on the field. They swirled into a vortex of light, and formed into a huge, two headed metal serpent! (2,800/2,100)

"And by the way," added Jason, "this lovable fellah can attack twice, since he has two heads to do so. Cyber Twin Dragon, squash that squash! Strident blast!"

The Dragon's right head shot forth a blast of flame! The Pumpkin Carriage was blown to pieces!

"Now demolish the Forest Wolf!"

The left head shot forth a stream of flame, and Forest Wolf howled before it was blown apart!

"I seem to remember you saying that when that guy is destroyed, I get back any Monster that he destroyed…" said Jason.

La Jinn reappeared on Jason's side. (1,800/1,000)

"La Jinn, wipe out Cinderella!" he shouted.

La Jinn breathed fire at the princess and she screamed! She shattered into pixels.

**(J: 6,500) -------------------- (L: 4,800)**

"Lovely," sighed Leon. "I guess subtlety in Duel Monsters must have died when I did… But the bigger they are, the harder they fall…"

"Just move," laughed Jason. "This will be the easiest extra credit I ever got…"

Leon drew.

"I'll place a card facedown," he stated, "and then I'll summon… Little Red Riding Hood in Defense Mode."

He played the cards. A facedown card appeared, followed by a little girl with a red hood and cape, carrying a basket. She crouched in defense. (800/1,200)

"That the best you can do?" said Jason, almost laughing.

He drew a card.

"Let's end this, people. La Jinn, take her out…"

La Jinn breathed fire. Red screamed and was blasted into pixels.

"Hold on!" shouted Leon. "When she's destroyed in battle, I get to Special Summon one Warrior from my deck with four stars or less… and I've got a good one…"

He put a card down.

"Tom Thumb!"

A cute-looking elf with a stocking cap appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,300/1,500)

"Clever," stated Jason. "But I've still got another Monster… Cyber Twin Dragon, attack Tom Thumb with strident blast!"

The left head breathed fire…

"I activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Leon.

The Trap lifted, and the attack was halted.

"Now your Dragon's attack is stopped cold," said Leon, "and this battle ends right now."

Jason paused.

_Clever,_ he thought. _He purposely let Little Red Riding Hood be destroyed so he could use her effect, saving his Trap to protect Tom Thumb. _

_But what's his story?_

He paused.

"_What's his story" indeed. Now he's got me doing it…_

"Okay, it's your move," he said.

Leon drew a card.

"Now then," he said, "during my Standby Phase, Tom Thumb gains 300 Attack Points…"

Tom's Attack rose to 1,600.

"And to protect him until I'm ready, I'll play Swords of Revealing Light."

He played the Spell Card, and the shimmering Swords rained down upon Jason!

"That will keep you from attacking for three turns," said Leon.

"Big deal!" said Jason. "Your elf would need _five_ turns to grow strong enough to take down my Dragon."

"He won't be the one who takes him down," said Leon, slyly.

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Gingerbread House."

A large house made of gingerbread and candy appeared behind Leon!

"What does that do?" gasped Jason.

"You'll see when you start your turn," answered Leon, "and I'm ending mine now."

"Okay, fine!" said Jason, drawing.

He looked at the card.

_Hmmm,_ he thought.

"Gingerbread House," said Leon, "your target is the Cyber Twin Dragon!"

"Huh?" asked Jason.

Suddenly, Cyber Twin Dragon was sucked into the candy house!

And then it was spat back out… And it was covered with chocolate and crumbs.

"See," said Leon, "during your Standby Phase, this Continuous Spell Card can take one of your Monsters and increase its Attack Score by 600…"

(3,400/2,100)

"Why would you make one of my Monsters stronger?" asked Jason.

And then Cyber-Twin Dragon burst into shards!

"I was getting to that," added Leon. "If doing so raises its Attack to 2,500 or higher, the Monster is destroyed. Also, I gain 500 Life Points."

Jason glared at him.

"And it's a Continuous Spell," he added, "so on your next turn, we'll just do that again."

**(J: 6,500) -------------------- (L: 5,300)**

Jason put a card on his Disk.

"I summon Twin-Headed Behemoth in Defense Mode," he stated.

A large dragon with violet scales, wings, and two heads appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,500/1,200)

"I'll move La Jinn to Defense too, and that will be all."

La Jinn shielded himself.

Leon drew, and Tom's Attack grew to 1,900.

"Well," he said, turning the card, "you can't attack, but I sure can. I'll move Tom to Attack Mode, and have him attack your Behemoth."

Tom Thumb leapt up, and socked Twin-Headed Behemoth, crushing it!

"Perhaps you don't know about Twin-Headed Behemoth's special ability," stated Jason. "Destroy him, and he makes a quick recovery."

Behemoth reappeared. (1,000/1,000)

"Sure he's not as strong as he was before, but he's still defending me…"

"Well, it's your move…" said Leon.

"Then I'll draw," exclaimed Jason.

He drew a card.

"And you know what that means…" said Leon with a grin.

Gingerbread House came to life, and this time sucked La Jinn into it.

He was spat out, gleefully munching on a piece of chocolate – he had clearly also packed on a few pounds. His Attack rose to 2,400.

Jason looked at his card.

_Dust Tornado,_ he thought. _I could use this to destroy the Swords, but La Jinn won't survive another dose of gingerbread…_

"I'll play a card facedown, and end my turn," he said, playing the card.

A facedown card appeared.

"All right!" laughed Leon, drawing. "This story's about to reach the climax!"

"I activate Dust Tornado!" shouted Jason. "I do hope your House has a storm cellar."

His Trap activated, and a furious tornado whipped across the field! Like something out of _The Wizard of Oz,_ Gingerbread House was swept up and blown into pixels!

"Clever," said Leon, as Tom's Attack rose to 2,200. "Tom, take care of that Behemoth for me, will you?"

Tom laughed, and punched Behemoth again, blowing him into shards.

"Well, let's see what else you've got," said Leon.

Jason drew a card.

_Rush Recklessly,_ he thought. _I'll give him a surprise…_

"I'll play a card facedown, and move La Jinn back into Attack Mode," he said.

La Jinn got out of his Defensive stance, and a facedown card appeared.

"Well, Leon, it's been three turns, so that means your Swords go bye-bye," said Jason.

The Swords vanished.

"Indeed," said Leon, making a draw.

Tom grew to 2,500 Attack.

"I'll summon a new Monster," he said, "Glife the Phantom Bird!"

A huge bird with scarlet feathers appeared behind him! (1,500/1,200)

"Hey!" shouted Jason. "What fairy tale is he from?"

"A rather obscure one," answered Leon. "And by summoning him, I can blow away your facedown card."

Glife beat his wings, and the facedown Spell Card shattered.

"Oh really?" exclaimed Jason. "Well by destroying my Rush Recklessly, you activated it."

La Jinn's Attack rose to 3,100.

"I see," said Leon, scratching his chin. "Well, then, it's time to play this…"

He took a Spell Card from his hand.

"Giant's Training."

"Huh?" asked Jason.

"Here's how it works," explained Leon. "When Tom Thumb is on the field, this Spell Card lets me sacrifice him for his grownup form… Globerman!"

Tom Thumb vanished, and a huge creature appeared! It was a hulking giant with green skin, bulging muscles, dressed only in ragged shorts.

He grunted and flexed his muscles.

"And Globerman's Attack Score is whatever Tom Thumb had when I used this card, plus 1,000," continued Leon.

(3,500/0)

"That's… not good…" muttered Jason.

"Globerman, take out that genie with your mighty fist," commanded Leon.

Globerman socked La Jinn, and the Fiend shattered.

"Glife, attack Jason's Life Points directly."

The Phantom Bird swooped down on Jason and dug his talons into his shoulders! Jason toppled over.

**(J: 4,600)--------------------(L: 5,300)**

"Leon…" growled Jason, getting up, "you're dead…"

"Forgetting something?" asked Leon, shaking his finger. "I'm already dead."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Jason, drawing a card.

"Don't know how it will happen, though," said Leon, shrugging. "Or when it will. They never program that into our memory. And if you were to tell me, my own programming would erase it. I'm not exactly sure why that is, but hey…

"The way I am now, I'm pretty much immortal…"

His eyes narrowed.

"Ever dream of becoming a great duelist, Jason?" he asked. "Maybe if you succeed at this school and go on to better things, a future generation will do to you what they did to me…

"All men die, but this is as close to being able to cheat the Reaper as you can get…"

Jason looked at his card.

"That is something to think about…" he muttered. "But for now…"

He played a card.

"I play something that not even Kaiba thought of," he said. "Magical Mallet."

He removed his deck.

"It works this way," he explained. "I get to take as many cards from my hand as I want, shuffle them into my deck, and then draw cards equal to the number I returned there. So of the six cards I have, I'm going to return four…"

He placed four cards in his deck, and reshuffled. Then he drew four.

He looked them over.

"I'll place a card facedown, and summon Luster Dragon #1 in Defense Mode," he stated.

A facedown card appeared, and then a large Dragon made of sapphire appeared. (1,900/1,600)

"Well," said Leon, "let's see what we have here…"

He drew a card.

"I activate… Burst Breath!" shouted Jason.

His Trap lifted.

"To play this card, I have to sacrifice my Dragon…" he said, "and then, all Monsters on the field with a Defense Score equal to or less than its Attack Score are wiped out!"

A blast of energy shot out of Luster Dragon's jaws, and both Glife and Globerman howled! They and Luster Dragon shattered.

"Not bad…" said Leon, nodding. "But to do that, you left yourself defenseless."

"Yeah, but I'm not worried," commented Jason. "See, I think I see the weakness of your deck."

"Oh?" said Leon, offhand. "Do tell…"

"Yes," replied Jason. "With the exception of Forest Wolf, all of the Monsters you can summon with no sacrifice are weak Monsters with tricky effects. I doubt you have any real beatsticks in your deck."

"Interesting theory…" muttered Leon.

He put a card down.

"Wrong, but interesting. Meet Puss 'N Boots!"

A tall cat wearing a cavalier hat, a pair of boots (naturally), and holding a rapier appeared. (1,700/500)

He removed the hat and bowed.

"Puss, attack Jason directly!"

Puss 'N Boots charged, and swiped across Jason's stomach with his blade. Jason yelped.

**(J: 2,900) -------------------- (L: 5,300)**

"I've been wrong before," gasped Jason.

He drew a card.

_Not bad,_ he thought.

"I summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Attack Mode." he exclaimed.

A fiendish gargoyle appeared. (1,600/1,200)

"And next I'll play… Shrink," he continued.

Puss 'N Boots shrank to half his size, and his Attack fell to 850.

"Ryu-Kishin Powered, attack," shouted Jason.

The Fiend slashed with its claw, and the Beast-Warrior shattered.

**(J: 2,900) -------------------- (L: 4,550)**

"Good try," commented Leon. "But pointless. You see, when Puss 'N Boots is destroyed in battle, I can discard one card to Special Summon him right back."

He discarded a card called Curse of Thorns, and Puss reappeared.

"I see…" said Jason, amazed.

"My draw…" said Leon.

He drew a card.

He smiled.

"I play… Spinning Wheel Spindle," he exclaimed.

He played a Spell Card, and an old fashioned spinning wheel appeared on the field.

Ryu-Kishin Powered got dizzy. He fell to the ground, and fell asleep.

"What?" asked Jason.

The Fiend vanished.

"He's going to take a little nap-nap," said Leon. "He'll be back in three turns, if assuming I don't finish you before then.

"Now, Puss, take Jason down."

Puss 'N Boots made three slashes with his sword, and Jason yelped again!

**(J: 1,200) -------------------- (L: 4,550)**

"So, what do you think?" asked Leon.

Jason started to laugh.

"Your cards are so cool, Leon!" he laughed. "That Puss 'N Boots… I've gotta get one of those! I'll trade you for it?"

"Jason, Jason, Jason…" said Leon, crossing his arms, "you know that's impossible. All my cards are virtual. They and I just made up of ones and zeroes."

"All right, fine," sighed Jason. "My move… But you have to tell me where you got all these cards at least…"

He drew a card.

"I play Brain Control," he said, playing a Spell Card. "Playing this card costs me 800 Life Points…"

His Life Points fell to 400.

"But now I can brainwash your Beast-Warrior!"

A fiendish brain appeared, and grabbed Puss.

"You said that you could bring him back if he was destroyed in battle," said Jason. "So I'll simply sacrifice him…"

He put a card down, and Puss 'N Boots vanished.

"…to summon Luster Dragon #2!"

A huge Dragon made of emerald appeared! (2,400/1,400)

"Luster Dragon, attack Leon directly!" he ordered. "Emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon blasted forth a burst of fire, and Leon cringed.

**(J: 400) -------------------- (L: 2,150)**

"You're a good duelist, Jason," said Leon, slowly. "You're giving me your best, so I'm gonna give you my best…"

"Who's next?" asked Jason, excitedly. "Rapunzel? Snow White? I can't wait to see who's next!"

Leon drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Cinderella," he stated.

He played the card, and Cinderella appeared on the ankh. (300/600)

"Which, as you'll remember, let's me Special Summon her Pumpkin Carriage…"

The Pumpkin Carriage appeared. (100/800)

"And now I'll sacrifice both of them…"

The two of them vanished…

"To summon… **_Hex Trude_**!"

A new creature appeared. It was a sinister-looking woman dressed in a black, sexy, low-cut dress, with a wicked expression on her face. (2,600/2,000)

"Oo-kay…" muttered Jason. "On second thought, I could have waited a _little_ longer…"

"I know with a lot of my Monsters, appearances are deceptive," said Leon. "But Hex Trude is just what she appears to be: an evil sorceress with incredible powers! Trudy, wipe out his Luster Dragon with hex magic!"

Hex Trude pointed at Luster Dragon, and her hand glowed…

She fired a beam of black magic, and Luster Dragon shattered!

Jason cringed from the impact.

**(J: 200) -------------------- (L: 2,150)**

"And now her effect kicks in," said Leon. "Whenever Trudy destroys a Monster, she gains 400 Attack Points."

Trude's Attack rose to 3,000.

"And there's no upper limit," he added. "She'll just keep getting stronger.

"It's your move."

Jason looked at Leon.

_Okay, let's do a brief run-down,_ he thought_. My Life Points are at 200, his are at 2,150… And he has a Monster who was stronger than the Dark Magician when he summoned her, has now become just as strong as a Blue-Eyes, and has the potential to get even stronger…_

_I wish I had researched Yugi's duels more… I might have seen this kid duel and seen how he beat Leon. Maybe I could figure out a way to defeat this Spellcaster…_

He slowly drew a card.

_My third Cyber Dragon,_ he thought. _If I drew one more card, I could win this… But if I put it on the field now, it would just die._

He chose another card.

"I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode," he said, playing it.

A jester with black and white face paint in a harlequin costume appeared, crouching in defense. (500/1,200)

"I'll end my turn with that," he said.

Leon drew a card.

"Trudy, cream his clown," he shouted.

Hex Trude cast her wicked spell, and Peten was destroyed.

Her Attack Score rose to 3,400.

"Nice try, Leon," said Jason, "but when Peten the Dark Clown is destroyed in Battle, I can remove him from play to summon another one from my deck, and I just happen to have two more of them."

He placed a card down, and another Peten appeared. He tipped his hat, and then blew a raspberry at Leon.

"Fine," chuckled Leon. "You set up a wall. But it won't last forever. I'll end my turn now."

_It's now or never…_ thought Jason.

He drew a card.

_Gotcha!_

"I sacrifice Peten to summon my third Cyber Dragon!" exclaimed Jason.

Peten vanished, and another Cyber Dragon appeared. (2,100/1,600)

"Next, I'll play Monster Reborn, to summon another one from my Graveyard."

Another Cyber Dragon appeared.

"I don't get it…" said Leon.

"Remember when I said that Cyber Dragons could be combined in a lot of different ways?" explained Jason. "Well here's another way. I play a Spell Card that you might call… evolutionary.

"Photon Generator Unit!"

He played a card.

"It's a powerful Spell," he explained, "that lets me sacrifice two Cyber Dragons to summon something better – a guy called Cyber Laser Dragon."

The Cyber Dragons vanished, and a new creature appeared on the field. It looked sort of like a Cyber Dragon, but it had a different shape. Its tail had a weapon on it that looked like a cross between a laser and a dish antenna. (2,400/1,800)

"I still don't get it," said Leon. "His Attack Score is still less than my Monster's…"

"That's the whole point," said Jason with a smirk.

"Huh?" said Leon.

"This guy has a powerful special ability," explained Jason. "Once per round, he can automatically destroy one Monster, assuming the target meets at least one of two criteria…

"Its Attack or Defense has to be equal to or higher than his Attack Score."

A look of fear came over Hex Trude's face…

"Looks like she realizes the situation…" said Jason. "She meets one criteria. And she's got a date with the Graveyard."

He pointed.

"Cyber Laser Dragon, wipe out Hex Trude with blue lightning lash!"

The Machine aimed its tail weapon, and the Spellcaster gulped…

A blast of brilliant blue energy shot from its tail, and Hex Trude screamed before she was vaporized.

Leon stepped back…

"And that was just his special effect," said Jason with a smirk. "I still have his normal attack to use on you. Attack! Blue lightning blast!"

Cyber Laser Dragon blasted blue energy from his jaws, and Leon howled…

He fell flat on his back.

**(J: 200) -------------------- (L: 0)**

Jason held up two fingers.

"Boo-ya!" he exclaimed.

Leon moaned as he got up…

But he was quickly smiling again. These AI duelists couldn't truly be hurt.

"Good job, Jason…" he said. "Not exactly subtle… but good… I personally think Kaiba might be impressed…"

He smirked.

"Anyway, I'm awarding three-hundred points of extra credit. It will be on the printout when you wake up… And the card catalogue number will be on it too."

"Card catalogue number?" asked Jason.

"Remember what I said?" Leon replied. "It will show you where to look to find information on that duel I had with the King of Games, one hundred years ago…

"And come back anytime – I'd like a rematch sometime."

"Sure Leon," chuckled Jason. "You weren't bad yourself…"

He turned and walked away.

The world turned bright…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The VR pod opened. Jason retrieved his deck.

He saw that Sersei was sitting up in hers, and she was holding her forehead as if it was hurting badly.

He grabbed the printout on the side of the pod.

"She beat you, huh?" he asked Sersei.

"How did you…" she started.

"I guessed," interrupted Jason. "A word of advice, Sersei. Dueling someone who likely knows how every card in your deck works is NOT a good idea."

"You're telling me…" she muttered.

As she left, she took the Guardian Treasure card from her deck.

_Truthfully,_ she thought, _I only dueled her because I wanted more information about this… But she wouldn't tell me. She refused to even accept a wager for information. I guess the AI duelists can't accept wagers because you can't give them anything they'd want…_

_But I have to know…_

_Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 5PM_

**0**

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**FOREST WOLF (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Beast-Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,800  
**DEF: **300

**Card Description:** This Monster cannot attack after it has destroyed one Monster in battle. When this Monster is destroyed, Special Summon the Monster (if any) destroyed by this card as a result of battle from your opponent's Graveyard to your opponent's side of the field.

**0**

**0**

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**CINDERELLA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **300  
**DEF: **600

**Card Description:** When this Monster is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned successfully, Special Summon one "Pumpkin Carriage" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard, then select one "Glass Slippers" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard and equip it to this Monster.

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**0**

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**PUMPKIN CARRIAGE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Plant/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **1  
**ATK: **100  
**DEF: **800

**Card Description:** As long as this Monster remains face-up on the field, "Cinderella" on your side of the field can attack your opponent's Life Points directly. Also, your opponent cannot target "Cinderella" for an attack.

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**0**

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**GLASS SLIPPERS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description:** This card can only be initially Equipped to "Cinderella". When a "Cinderella" Equipped with this card successfully attacks directly, Equip this card to one of your opponent's Monsters. An opposing Monster Equipped with this card has its ATK lessened by 1,000; if this Monster is destroyed as a result in battle, Equip this card back to the "Cinderella" it was originally Equipped to and increase her ATK by 1,000.

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**0**

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**LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **800  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description:** When this Monster is destroyed as a result of battle, you can Special Summon one WARRIOR-Type Monster with four stars or less from your Deck.

**0**

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**TOM THUMB (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,300  
**DEF: **1,500

**Card Description:** During each of your Standby Phases, increase the ATK of this monster by 300 points.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GIANT'S TRAINING (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description:** Offer one "Tom Thumb" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one "Globerman" from your hand, deck, or Graveyard in face-up Attack Position.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GLOBERMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **?  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description:** This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned through the effect of "Giant's Training". This Monster's ATK is equal to the ATK of the "Tom Thumb" when it was Tributed to activate "Giant's Training"+1000.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GLIFE THE PHANTOM BIRD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Winged Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,500  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned successfully, destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your opponent's side of the field.

_This may be a good time to add that, like most of you, I have NO idea what fairy tale this creature is from. I only assume it's an obscure one._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SPINNING WHEEL SPINDLE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description:** Destroy one Monster on your opponent's side of the field. During your third Standby Phase after the activation of this card, Special Summon the destroyed monster to your opponent's side of the field.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**HEX TRUDE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,600  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description:** When this Monster destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, increase this Monster's ATK by 400.

_I'm not certain of this character's origins either._

_Note: The preceding ten cards were used by Leon in various episodes of the Grand Prix arc. All creative credit goes to the writers._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**PUSS 'N BOOTS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Beast-Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,700  
**DEF: **500

**Card Description:** When this Monster is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can discard one Spell or Trap Card from your hand to Special Summon it to your side of the field in face-up Attack Position.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Jason's Hero-Worship Deck**

_Jason has researched the early days of Duel Monsters with vigor. He's watched old tapes and DVDs almost religiously, and has witnessed almost every public duel that the three members of the Trinity engaged in. (Though not all of them, as proven by his failure to recognize Leon.) He's also researched their lives as much as he could._

_And Kaiba has always been his favorite. He admits that Yugi was the better duelist, but as he said, Kaiba did a lot more for the cause of Duel Monsters, inventing the Disk, opening a chain of Kaibaland parks, holding countless tournaments, and founding the original Duel Academy that paved the way for others of its type. That was his reason for constructing a deck to emulate Kaiba's._

_A great deal of the cards in his deck are the same as Kaiba's favorites. His theme, if he has one, is mostly Beatdown, although he has quite a few Dragons and Dragon accessories. He doesn't use the Crush Card Trap that Kaiba was so fond of – that's the one area where he disagrees with his idol (he thinks of it as an overpowered card, and folks who use it these days are thought of as poor sports anyway). _

_As Leon pointed out, Jason can't have Kaiba's trademark cards – in fact, Kaiba's will ordered the Blue-Eyes cards locked away in a very secure vault upon his death, and given to a duelist who proved to be better than he was. Whoever is in charge of making that decision isn't widely known, but no-one has fit the bill yet. In any case, Jason replaced them with three Cyber Dragons, which are in his opinion even better. The Blue-Eyes can only be combined into one Monster (albeit a powerful one), while Cyber Dragons can be used to create Ifour/I special Monsters._

_Still, Jason would tear them all up if it meant obtaining Kaiba's prize cards… A kid can dream, can't he?_

**0**

**0**

**0**

_**A lot of new cards, but that's what you have to do when a character from the anime appears.**_

_**Coming up next:**_

_**We've seen the three main characters – we've seen some of their decks. And next chapter, the villains show their faces…**_

_**One of the most sinister forces in the Yu-Gi-Oh world comes back after one hundred years in a new form, and our three students find themselves in the middle of it. Who or what is this evil being? Find out, next chapter, which will come sooner than you think…**_

**_I'm not even going to reveal the title… You'll have to see for yourself._**


	5. Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell

_**My father didn't get to be a two-star General by being dumb, and he didn't do it by cutting corners or taking the easy ways out.**_

_**He once told me, "Russell, when you are confronted by two paths, always choose the harder path. It will be worth it in the end."**_

_**Sound advice.**_

_**The trouble is…**_

_**In Duel Monsters, the harder path often seems to choose you…**_

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**CHAPTER FOUR**

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**Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell**

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_Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 5:15PM_

As Jason exited the library, Trisha and Russell were waiting.

"So how was it?" asked Russell.

"An experience," replied Jason. "If you want to try tomorrow, ask for Leon – even if you lose, it will be entertaining…"

"Oh, students!" called a voice.

They turned and saw Chancellor Artemis running up, holing a long box.

"I'm glad I found you three," she said. "I need some responsible students to run a little errand… I can give you each twenty-five points of extra-credit for it…"

"Responsible is my middle name," answered Trisha. "Trisha Responsible Moise. What's the errand?"

"Well, remember when Mayor Barna was here to open the new gymnasium on the first day of the year?" answered Artemis. "She left something behind, and I need these delivered to her office downtown before tomorrow morning."

"Sure," said Jason. "What are they?"

"What every opening ceremony needs," said Artemis, opening a box. "The oversized novelty scissors. You've got to get them to her, because she has to open the new shopping mall tomorrow morning."

"Don't worry," said Jason, taking the box. "We know the way."

They turned to leave.

"Come on guys, we'll stop for pizza on the way back!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

NYC Dueling Academy was situated in the heart of Manhattan, and was a quick subway ride from City Hall, where Mayor Barbara Barna was certain to be working.

She was a good friend of the academy, being a duelist herself who had been a national champion before going into politics. She had earned a fortune from tournaments, and though it was true that no-one ever became a politician to become rich, almost all of her salary went to charity.

She was one of a minority – a Liberal Republican, who attracted a lot of Democrats. Jason wished it was an election year – he'd have loved to vote for her a second time.

And it was quite common for students to run these errands to City Hall on a frequent basis. Anyone who knew how to operate a Duel Disk was welcome there.

As the three students walked to the subway stop, Jason tried to fit the box with the scissors in it into his knapsack, but it was too awkward – especially with his Disk in there.

"You should have left the Disk behind," sighed Russell.

"Force of habit," said Jason. "Maybe we can…"

And then there was the sound of a whip cracking…

Suddenly, the box was torn out of his hands!

The three students looked up, and saw three figures in front of them…

The first one (the one who had snatched the box with a whip) wore a vest that was open in the front, along with camouflage pants and an outback-style hat, complete with teeth decorating it. He looked to be about twenty…

Behind him were a young man and a woman, who looked about eighteen.

The man was dressed all in black leather, with short sleeves, revealing tattoos (strange ones that the three students could swear they had seen before somewhere…). He wore a studded belt and reflective sunglasses.

As for the woman, she was even stranger. She wore a tight leather top with no sleeves. She also wore a leather skirt and knee-high boots. The right side of her face was covered by her blonde hair that was styled in long bangs.

"G'day," said the one with the whip. He took the scissors out of the box and threw the box aside.

"Give that back!" ordered Jason.

The three thugs chuckled.

"Tell you what," said the girl. "You want these scissors so badly… Chase us… If you catch us, we'll give it back!"

And then they turned and ran.

"HEY!" said Jason, starting to run. "Didn't your parents ever tell you not to run with scissors?"

That seemed to elect a lot more laughter from them.

"You know," said Trisha, "they're probably leading us into something…"

"I know," muttered Jason. "And I also know how much detention we're all going to get if we lose those scissors…"

"So much for stopping for pizza…" moaned Russell.

The three hoods ran into the subway station. As the three students followed, they saw them leap over the turnstiles. The students were more law abiding – they scanned their subway passes, and went through.

"This way!" laughed the tattooed youth, waving from a stairway.

They followed him down a stairway, and to the track for the 6-Train, just as the train itself was pulling into the station.

The students ran into the train…

In this era, the subways of New York City had advanced greatly. The cramped, dirty cars of the old days had been replaced by spacious, clean, comfortable cars.

But as they looked around, the thieves were nowhere to be seen…

A note was on the floor.

Russell picked it up.

"Dear suckers," he read. "Ride this train to the last stop in the Bronx, and then walk one block north to the Ah! Chips! factory. We'll be waiting for you there."

"We appear to have no choice…" muttered Trisha.

The train sped towards the Bronx…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

An hour later, the three of them walked up to a large factory with the sign **"Ah! Chips!"** on it.

"Okay…" muttered Jason. "It's a potato chip factory. How dangerous can a potato chip factory be?"

They walked in… and gulped.

There were machines armed with slicers, dicers, and other sharp objects all around.

"Pretty dangerous…" muttered Trisha.

"Welcome!" said a voice above them.

They saw the three thieves on a catwalk above them.

"Welcome to our playground," said the tattooed youth, "where you'll soon find that your worst nightmares will come alive!"

"Cut the melodrama, Sebastian," said the girl, slapping him on the back of the head.

"Give me a break, Cleo, we're supposed to talk that way!" he answered.

"Quiet, both of you!" said the one holding the scissors. "Glad you all could make it… You already met Cleo and Sebastian… You can call me Cassius, and…"

"Look pal!" shouted Russell. "I don't care if you call yourself Henry the Eighth! Give those scissors back or I'm gonna come up there and give you all such a pounding!"

"Oh, you are, are you?" asked Cassius.

He grasped the handrail of the catwalk…

And then he bent it… with a simple flick of his wrist.

The three students gulped…

"My two associates are just as strong," he added.

"What do you want?" asked Jason.

"To try a little test…" said Cassius.

He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled.

A figure walked out of the shadows in front of them…

It was another punk, this one with spiky blonde hair, a white tank top, torn jeans, and battered sneakers. Most remarkably, he wore a hunting knife in a sheath on his waist. (Russell had seen knives like that before – it was likely more expensive than everything else he was wearing combined.)

"Hello folks," he said. "Fang's the name. You want those scissors so bad? Then one of you is going to have to duel me for them. You win, you get them back…"

"And if you win?" asked Russell.

Fang gave an evil grin.

"I'll keep that a secret for now…" he said in a sinister voice.

"I'm not afraid of you," said Russell. "I'll take you on!"

Jason took his Disk out of his knapsack and tossed it to him.

"Catch!" he shouted.

Russell caught it.

"Good luck," urged Jason. "I don't like the look of this…"

Russell slipped the Disk on his wrist, and plugged his deck in.

As Fang activated his own Disk, Russell noticed something odd. Fang's Disk was a model he had never seen before. The metal was black, covered with… runes of some sort, and the tray was shaped like a wicked, scythe-like blade…

Russell considered this as he activated his own Disk.

"Meh," he said, as the scores set.

_Maybe it's custom made…_ he thought. _KaibaCorp can do that if you have enough money…_

**(Russell: 8,000)--------------------(Fang: 8,000)**

"You'll soon discover that there's more riding on this duel than you believe," said Fang with a smirk, as he drew five cards. "But anyway, make the first move…"

"Fine!" said Russell. "Atten… shun!"

He drew a card.

"I play the Spell Card, Reinforcement of the Army," he said, playing a card.

He removed his deck.

"Now I can search my deck for a Warrior of four stars or less, and I think King's Knight will fit my needs…"

He reshuffled and replaced the deck.

"Go ahead…" said Fang. "I'm not afraid of him…"

"But rather than use him right now," said Russell, not noticing the comment, "I'll summon a knight of a different type. I summon Familiar Knight in Defense Mode."

He put a card on his Disk. A knight in shining armor appeared, kneeling and leaning on his sword. (1,200/1,400)

"Now just try to get past him," dared Russell.

"I'll do more than just try," said Fang, drawing a card.

He placed a card down.

"Let me show you a real Monster!" he shouted. "I summon Berserk Gorilla in Attack Mode."

A very angry gorilla appeared, and beat its chest in rage! (2,000/1,000)

"Trying to hold him back would be an exercise in futility," said Fang, with a shrug. "So… Attack the Knight! Blazing berserk breath!"

Berserk Gorilla shot forth a stream of flame from its jaws, and Familiar Knight was blown into pixels!

"Seems I've taken the lead…" chuckled Fang.

"No," answered Russell, "you've taken the bait. When Familiar Knight is destroyed in battle, we each can Special Summon a four-star Monster from our hands."

"Very well…" said Fang, putting a card down. "I'll summon Hitotsu-Me Giant, and have him defend me."

A cyclopsed Beast-Warrior with green skin appeared, and crouched in defense. (1,200/1,000)

"Not much of a Monster…" commented Trisha.

"And I'll summon a lady known as… Queen's Knight," exclaimed Russell. "In Attack Mode."

He placed a card down, and a beautiful woman in ruby red armor with long, blond hair, carrying a sword and a triangular shield, all adorned with hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"You think she's safe?" laughed Fang. "This guy isn't King Kong, and she isn't Fay Wray."

"We'll see…" said Russell, making a draw.

He put a card down.

"Now's the time to summon King's Knight," he said.

Another knight, this one with a beard, wearing golden armor, a crown, and a circular shield appeared, also adorned with playing card symbols. He held a sword. (1,600/1,500)

"Notice anything similar about my two Monsters?" asked Russell. "It isn't hard… One of them is Queen's Knight, and one is King's Knight.

"And when I summon King's Knight when Queen's Knight is on the field…"

"Yes, you get to summon Jack's Knight, I know," interrupted Fang. "Please, I'm smarter than I look…"

"True, but you're still pretty dumb," shouted Cleo from the catwalk.

"HEY, who's the one dueling here?" snapped Fang.

Russell put a card down, and a handsome Warrior with blonde hair wearing sapphire-blue armor and a shield (again adorned with hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds) and sword appeared. (1,900/1,000)

"Now I have a whole team of Warriors, and your ugly freaks are going down…" warned Russell.

"None of them can beat my Gorilla…" answered Fang with a smirk.

Russell played a Spell Card.

"I play… The A. Forces," he exclaimed. "Now each Warrior on my side of the field gains 200 Attack Points for each Warrior present. That's 600 for each of them!"

Queen's Knight's Attack Score rose to 2,100, King's Knight to 2,200, and Jack's Knight to 2,500.

"Hey, no fair!" shouted Fang.

"Go, my Knights!" shouted Russell. "Attack him and his freaks! Royal Flush Rush!"

Queen's Knight brought her sword down on the Gorilla, and it howled before shattering.

King's Knight made a swipe, cutting Hitotsu-Me Giant in two! Its remains were blasted into pixels!

Jack's Knight made a savage slash, and Fang was thrown backwards!

**(R: 8,000)-------------------- (F: 5,400)**

"OOF! Ouch, ow…" muttered Fang. "Bastard…"

"If I were you, I'd fold your cards," said Russell.

"And to think that Dr. Peters only gave that combo a B," sighed Trisha. "I thought for sure that Russell deserved an A."

"Dr. Peters is _impossible_ to please…" answered Jason.

"Fang!" shouted Sebastian. "You're embarrassing yourself more than you usually do."

"Yeah, yeah," said Fang, getting up. "Keep your pants on! I don't know why I agreed to this…"

"Because you volunteered," answered Cassius. "Now move."

He drew a card.

"Bunch of arrogant jerks…" he muttered, looking at it. "Think just because they're 'The Three' they can boss everyone else around…"

He played the card.

"I play Pot of Greed," he exclaimed.

He drew two more cards.

He chuckled as he saw them.

"Don't worry people!" he laughed. "I just drew it!"

"It?" asked Russell. "What is 'it'?"

"You'll see in a second," said Fang. "But first, I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon to wipe out The A. Forces."

He played the card, and a whirlwind shot forth, shattering the Spell Card. The three Knights lost their bonus.

"Next I'll summon… Enraged Battle Ox, in Attack Mode."

He put a card down, and an armored minotaur surrounded by an aura of flames appeared. (1,700/1,000)

"And now…" he said in a sinister voice. "You wanted to know what 'it' is?"

He held a card aloft.

"It's a card of incredible magic… and it's as ancient as time itself… A card of unspeakable power…"

A Field Slot opened on his strange Disk, and he slid the card in…

Thunder flashed outside…

"I play… **_The Seal of Orichalcos_**!"

Only one word could describe the feeling that Russell felt next coming from Fang:

Evil.

Darkness seemed to descend on the arena, and then a glowing five-pointed star traced on the floor, and was surrounded by a circle of mystic runes!

Then Trisha and Jason screamed as something slammed into them, and they were propelled backwards!

"Guys!" gasped Russell.

He tried to run to them, but he was pushed back by the same thing!

Fang chuckled.

Russell noticed now that the same strange symbol was etched on Fang's forehead!

"They can't help you now, Russell, nor can you go to them," he laughed, in a much more sinister voice. "Only the winner of this duel will leave the Seal…"

He chuckled again, his voice sounding like a madman…

"…but the loser will never leave. For now, whoever loses this duel loses his soul!"

Russell stared at him.

"Buddy…" he said, almost laughing, "I've seen healthier minds bouncing around padded cells! You're delirious!"

"You'll be a believer soon," said Fang with a shrug. "But try to deny what's about to happen to my Monster…"

Enraged Battle Ox's eyes glowed with an evil light, and the symbol appeared on his forehead…

And his Attack Score rose to 2,200!

"So long as the Seal is in effect, every Monster I summon turns to a creature of darkness, and gains a 500-point bonus to its Attack Score," laughed Fang. "And it's still my turn…

"Enraged Battle Ox, attack his Queen's Knight!"

The Beast-Warrior charged with his axe, and Queen's Knight screamed as she was struck. She shattered.

**(R: 7,300) -------------------- (F: 5,400)**

"All right, my move," said Russell, drawing.

He looked at the Spell Card.

"I don't know where you got such a broken card," he said, "but it goes bye-bye now. I play Heavy Storm!"

He played the card.

Fang grinned and crossed his arms as a fierce wind erupted over the field…

The Storm started to quell…

"What?" gasped Russell in disbelief. "It wasn't destroyed… That's impossible…"

"You're learning, cutie!" laughed Cleo. "See, the Seal is a little more durable than most Spell Cards. You can't destroy it with Heavy Storm. In fact, you can't destroy it with any card that _you're_ likely to have."

Russell turned a card on his Disk.

"I'll move King's Knight to Defense Mode," he said, as King's Knight knelt, "and end my turn."

"Why didn't he move Jack's Knight to Defense Mode?" asked Trisha.

"Because he's smart," answered Jason. "Fang has Enraged Battle Ox on the field, and that Monster gives all of Fang's Beasts, Winged Beasts, and Beast-Warriors a trampling effect. Russell is going to lose Life Points if Jack's Knight is destroyed regardless, but he'll lose less if he's in Attack Mode."

"My draw…" said Fang.

He drew. He put a card down.

"I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode."

The powerful Beast-Warrior appeared, holding aloft his mighty axe. The Seal appeared on his forehead as well. (1,900/1,200) –) (2,400/1,200)

"That's a blasphemy!" shouted Jason. "A slime like you doesn't deserve to use one of Kaiba's signature Monsters!"

"I'd like to see you try to stop me," laughed Fang. "Vorse Raider, take down King's Knight."

Vorse Raider leapt up and slashed with his axe, and King's Knight was obliterated.

"Enraged Battle Ox, destroy Jack's Knight!"

The minotaur made a swipe with his axe, and Jack's Knight was no more.

**(R: 6,200) -------------------- (F: 5,400)**

"Your move…" chuckled Fang.

Russell drew a card.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode…" he stated. "And that will be all."

A facedown Monster appeared.

Fang drew.

"I summon a second Berserk Gorilla!" he laughed.

Another Gorilla appeared! And the Seal branded to its forehead as well! (2,000/1,000) –) (2,500/1,000)

"Attack his facedown Monster…" shouted Fang.

Berserk Gorilla shot forth his berserk breath.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian appeared on the card and fended off the attack!

"Clever, clever," chuckled Fang. "But thanks to my Enraged Battle Ox, it barely makes a difference!"

"He's right…" gulped Jason. "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian might survive, but Russell's Life Points will still take a big hit…"

Enraged Battle Ox and Vorse Raider slashed at Obnoxious Celtic Guardian! He gasped.

"Ironic, huh?" chuckled Fang. "His asset is now a liability. And next round, I'll just do that again, and you're finished."

**(R: 2,700) -------------------- (F: 5,400)**

_He's right…_ thought Russell. _What was I thinking? Putting him in Attack Mode would have been better…_

_I'd better draw something good…_

_If there is a Heart of the Cards, I need it now…_

He drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Charity," he said, playing a card. "In order to play this card, I must remove one Light Monster in my Graveyard from play…"

Queen's Knight slipped out of his discard slot.

"In return for that," he continued, "I can draw three cards…"

He drew three. He looked at them.

"I move Obnoxious Celtic Guardian into Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian moved up to attack. Fang raised an eyebrow.

"And now I play a special Equip," he stated. "Excalibur!"

Enchanting music started to play, and a boulder with a sword embedded in it appeared in the middle of the field.

The Warrior sheathed his sword, and walked up to it…

"According to legend," stated Russell, "the noblest of Warriors can free King Arthur's powerful enchanted sword from the stone. Let's see if Obnoxious Celtic Guardian qualifies…"

The elf Warrior gripped the hilt with both hands and placed his foot on the stone. He pulled…

…and he pulled it free!

"Guess so," said Russell, triumphantly. "And the Monster that holds Excalibur has its Attack Score doubled."

(2,800/1,200)

"Go!" shouted Russell. "Smash that Enraged Battle Ox!"

Excalibur glowed, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian leapt forth, splitting the Beast-Warrior down the middle.

**(R: 2,700) -------------------- (F: 4,800)**

"Of course," noted Russell, "Excalibur is destroyed if I draw a card from my deck for any reason. However, since I'm allowed to skip my Draw Phase when this card is on the field, that isn't a problem.

"My turn is over. And since your Berserk Gorilla has no choice but to attack…"

"You are a feisty one," laughed Fang, drawing a card. "I'll avoid losing Life Points by moving it to Defense Mode, which destroys it…"

He turned the card. Berserk Gorilla knelt in Defense, and then exploded into shards.

"…and I'll move Vorse Raider into Defense as well…"

Vorse Raider knelt in Defense.

"Your move…" he said.

"Fine," said Russell, placing a card on his Disk. "I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode for insurance…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"…and then I'll attack with Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

The Warrior cut down Vorse Raider.

"Seems you're out of Monsters," said Russell.

"Not for long," said Fang.

He drew.

"I'll place a card facedown," he stated.

A facedown card appeared.

"And now I'll summon… Nekogal, in Attack Mode!"

He placed a card down, and a cute, cat-like woman wearing a green bikini appeared. Her eyes glowed, and the Seal formed on her forehead. (1,100/900) –) (1,600/900)

"Meow…" she purred.

"A cat?" asked Russell. "That was the best you could come up with?"

"This cat has claws!" replied Fang. "That's my turn…"

"Then I'll start mine," said Russell, "skipping my Draw Phase again."

"I activate Dust Tornado!" shouted Fang.

His Trap Card lifted, and the tornado raged towards Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. Excalibur shattered.

"Uh…" muttered Russell, looking at his remaining cards. "I'll move my Guardian to Defense Mode…"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian knelt in Defense.

"He's got him on the run now," chuckled Cleo.

"Too bad," sighed Cassius. "I had plans to take down Russell myself. Ah, well…"

Fang drew a card.

"Nekogal, destroy his elf," he shouted.

Nekogal swiped with her claws, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian shattered.

"That's all for me this turn," he chuckled.

Russell growled and drew a card.

"I summon Command Knight in Defense Mode," he stated.

A flame erupted on his side of the field, and Command Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900)

"And I'm afraid you can't attack her so long as I have at least one other Monster on my side of the field," said Russell.

"Fine," said Fang, drawing a card.

"I summon Tiger Axe, in Attack Mode."

A large, humanoid Tiger, carrying a battle axe appeared. (1,300/1,100) –) (1,800/1,100)

"Attack his facedown Monster!" shouted Fang.

Tiger Axe lunged forward…

Big Shield Gardna appeared on the card, and the Beast-Warrior was thrown backwards! (100/2,600) –) (500/2,600)

"Looks like his defense was too strong for your Tiger," mocked Russell, as Gardna stood up in Attack Mode.

"Maybe so," chuckled Fang. "But now, what will protect him from Nekogal?"

Nekogal pounced, and Gardna was torn in half!

"Next, I'll play Mystik Wok," he said, playing a Spell Card, "and sacrifice my Tiger Axe to do so…"

Tiger Axe vanished.

**(R: 1,600) -------------------- (F: 5,800)**

"I'm worried, Jason…" muttered Trisha. "You don't suppose that what Fang said is really…"

"I'm certain that he's just a lunatic, Trisha," assured Jason. "And I'm also sure that Russell can come back."

"I dunno…" said Trisha.

She pressed her hand against the invisible wall.

"This barrier sure seems real…"

Russell drew a card.

"I sacrifice Command Knight," he exclaimed.

Command Knight vanished.

"To summon… Freed the Matchless General!"

A sound like a rallying cry was heard, and the powerful General appeared, holding aloft his mighty sword! (2,300/1,700)

"Time to declaw that cat," shouted Russell. "Blade of the battle-scarred!"

Freed swung his blade, and Nekogal screamed! She was blown away.

**(R: 1,600) -------------------- (F: 5,100)**

Freed scowled and turned towards Russell.

"Yeah, I know…" muttered Russell. "These dirty freaks are barely worth dulling a good sword on. But it seems we don't have much of a choice here…"

"I'll set one card facedown," he stated, "and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared.

"All right," said Fang, drawing. "You're really starting to get my goat…"

He looked at the card.

"I play Graceful Charity."

He played the card, and the graceful angel appeared before him.

He drew three cards.

"Well, I didn't draw the best, but they're good enough…" he chuckled, discarding two.

"First, I'll play Soul Release," he stated, "and remove five Monsters in my own Graveyard from play…"

He played the card.

"Next," he said, playing another card, "I'll play Spell Reproduction. Now I can discard two more Spell Cards to play Soul Release again. And I'll remove the other three Monsters in my Graveyard."

He discarded two cards, and played the card.

"What's the point?" asked Russell, now wondering if this guy had flipped his lid.

"Would you like to see what my last card is?" laughed Fang. "I know this is going to seem like overkill, but… too bad…"

He played a card.

"I play… Dimension Fusion! I may have to pay 2,000 Life Points, but now I can bring back all the Monsters I just removed from play. Every last one of them…"

A spiraling vortex appeared above him…

"Don't be silly," said Russell. "You can only bring back…"

He never finished that sentence.

Monsters started flying out of the vortex. First came both Berserk Gorillas, then a Mad Dog of Darkness, then Vorse Raider…

Then Tiger Axe, Nekogal, Enraged Battle Ox, and Hitotsu-Me-Giant emerged, and landed behind the first set.

All eight Monsters' eyes glowed with evil fire, and the Seal branded on their foreheads, as their Attack Scores went up by 500.

"No way!" shouted Jason. "That's _eight_ Monsters!"

"That's impossible!" yelled Trisha. "A duelist can't have more than five Monsters on the field at once!"

Sebastian snickered.

"Maybe you haven't realized this by now," he said, "but the Seal changes the rules – a lot. It doubles the number of Monsters the user is allowed to have. Fang could have _ten_ of them at a time if he wanted to."

"Yes," chuckled Fang, "and I'm afraid that you'd have to take down the ones in the front row before you could get to the ones in the back… Not that you'll have a chance.

"Even a soldier as experienced as Freed would realize that a general knows when he's outgunned, and that's certainly the case now…"

"You're forgetting that I can also bring back any Monsters that I've removed from play!" shouted Russell.

Queen's Knight appeared next to Freed, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,500/1,600)

"Like it will matter!" laughed Fang. "Enraged Battle Ox, destroy Queen's Knight!"

Enraged Battle Ox leapt forward, and cut Queen's Knight down.

"You're through!" he shouted. "Berserk Gorilla, attack Freed!"

Flames appeared in Berserk Gorilla's mouth.

"I activate… Reinforcements!" shouted Russell as his Trap Card lifted. "This adds 500 points to Freed's Attack Score for the rest of the round!"

Freed rose to 2,800 Attack! The Berserk Gorilla shot its blazing breath, and the Matchless General swatted it aside with one backhand! The Gorilla fell over and burst!

"Lucky…" muttered Fang.

"UNlucky for your other Gorilla," stated Russell, "because you summoned it in Attack Mode, and it has to attack!"

The other Gorilla attacked, and the same thing happened. It was destroyed.

"My Matchless General hasn't met his match yet…" muttered Russell.

**(R: 1,000) -------------------- (F: 2,500)**

"You bought yourself one turn, nothing more…" said Fang.

_It's only a matter of time before I draw one of my kill-cards,_ he thought, _Behemoth the King of All Animals! Once I draw it, I'll not only have a Monster with 3,200 Attack Points, but I'll be able to bring those two Gorillas back to my hand!_

"This Seal of Orichalcos must be the most broken card I've ever seen!" exclaimed Jason. "Why haven't I ever seen it on any Forbidden List? It _can't_ be legal!"

Trisha was silent. She was even more worried now…

"Boy," said Cleo, "this guy just doesn't know when he's outmatched!"

"Well, the boss wanted an exciting duel, and he's certainly got one," said Cassius, with a shrug.

_Boss?_ thought Russell. _These clowns are only hired help! But what's the point of this?_

He slowly drew a card.

"I'll play my own Graceful Charity," he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the angel appeared.

He drew three cards…

He grinned…

He discarded two…

"This ends now, Fang!" he said, showing him a card.

It was Monster Reborn.

"Oh, sure!" laughed Fang. "Summon a Monster from your Graveyard! I assure you, it's gonna be a round trip!"

Russell played the card, and the holy ankh appeared…

"I summon… Hero Kid!" he shouted.

A small creature appeared with a cheer, and did a somersault!

It was a child dressed in a spacesuit with colored shades, and a dome-like glass helmet over his head. (300/600)

"HUH?" exclaimed Fang. "HE wasn't in your Graveyard!"

"Was he?" asked Russell.

Fang paused.

"Oh yeah… Graceful Charity, right?" he asked.

"Right," said Russell. "And when Hero Kid is Special Summoned, like right now, I can Special Summon every other one that I have in my deck. So come on out guys!"

Two more Hero Kids appeared, and they somersaulted into view too.

"Well, big deal…" muttered Fang. "They're worthless. Even my weakest Monster can beat them without breaking a sweat…"

"True, as far as soldiers go, they're merely cadets," agreed Russell. "But an army would be nothing without recruits. They'll lead the way for one of my mightiest Warriors…"

He held a card up…

Lightning flashed outside…

"I sacrifice my three Hero Kids…" he exclaimed.

The three children vanished…

"To summon… **_Gilford the Lightning_**!"

Lightning struck in front of him, and a powerful Warrior in magnificent, golden armor and a helmet, with a huge sword on his back appeared. (2,800/1,400)

"YA!" shouted Fang. "Is that really the legendary Gilford the Lightning?"

"Yes!" replied Russell. "And your broken Field Card may let you have more than five Monsters, but Gilford's effect will destroy every one of them!"

Gilford drew his sword…

A series of lightning bolts struck Fang's side of the field, and six bloodcurdling screams went up, as the six Monsters were blasted into nothing!

"Let this be a lesson, Fang," accused Russell. "Cheaters only cheat themselves! Gilford, attack! Lightning blade!"

Gilford the Lightning charged forward, and smote the punk with his weapon! Fang was propelled against the wall of the Seal, and fell to his knees.

"At ease…" muttered Russell.

**(R: 1,000) -------------------- (F: 0)**

"Well," said Cassius with a shrug, "it was his own fault…"

"I lost…" moaned Fang.

And then… something happened.

The strange arena glowed, and the pentagram started to shrink and glow with an uncanny light!. It passed through Russell's body… and then started to contract around Fang!

He screamed… and then collapsed.

Russell turned to the three thieves.

"All right you guys!" he shouted. "You have some explaining to do!"

"Sorry, Russell," said Cassius, "but you'll just have to wait. Anyway, thank you so much for getting rid of Fang… The truth is, we never liked him much anyway… He was the most stupid duelist we had."

He wrapped the end of his whip around the scissors.

"And for being such good sports, you can have this back," he added.

He lashed the whip forward, and the scissors landed at Russell's feet.

Then the three of them ran down the catwalk laughing.

"We'll never catch them…" sighed Jason. "I don't even know how to get up there…"

Russell turned to Fang. He was lying on the floor with his cards scattered around.

"Listen buddy," he said, prodding him with his foot. "We want some answers now."

Fang didn't respond.

"Hello?" said Russell.

No response.

"Hey, come on, so you lost," said Russell. "Don't be so hard on yourself…"

"Guys…" said Jason, picking something up off the floor.

They looked at it and gazed in fear…

It was the Seal of Orichalcos card, but it had changed…

Now Fang's image, with the pentagram resembling bars of some sort, was on the card.

The three friends looked at it in silence for a minute or two…

"I have a bad feeling about this…" muttered Jason.

_Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 9:03PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**POT OF CHARITY (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A ceramic vase with a gentle face.

**Card Description:** Remove one Light-Attribute Monster in your Graveyard from play. Draw three cards from your deck.

_Note: "Pot of Charity" was created by King Dragun for his fanfic "Yu-Gi-Oh: Sister of Anansi". All creative credit goes to him._

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**0**

**0**

**EXCALIBUR (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A shining sword of pure silver.

**Card Description:** Double the ATK of the Monster Equipped with this card. You may skip your Draw Phase when this card is Equipped to one of your Monsters. If you draw a card via any means, this card is destroyed.

_Note: "Excalibur" was used by Yami in the anime episode "Reliving the Past". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**0**

**0**

**THE SEAL OF ORICHALCOS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Field/Orichalcos  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description:** This card harnesses the power of Leviathan to create the following effects:

- The loser of a duel in which this card is used shall forfeit his soul.

- This card prevents access and egress to and from the arena in which the duel is occurring until a winner is decided.

- The user of this card is infused with dark power, and all Monsters summoned by the one who uses this card have their Attribute changed to Dark, and have their ATK increased by 500.

- The user of this card can have a maximum of ten Monsters on the field at once, or play a maximum of ten Spell and/or Trap Cards at once, rather than the limit of five for each.

- Under most conditions, this card cannot be destroyed by any card or other force that does not also use the power of Orichalcos. However, the Seal can be negated by the Three Legendary Dragons. The Orichalcos is powerless against Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos.

_Note: This is the most complete description of "The Seal of Orichalcos" that I was able to find. The card first appeared in the anime episode "A New Evil", and was used by various villains in "Waking the Dragons"._

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**0**

_**There's no denying it anymore… The unholy power of the Orichalcos has returned after a century, and unfortunately, the Three Legendary Dragons are nowhere to be seen – yet.**_

**_Coming up next, while research is done, school will resume, and the first user character will appear! It's a chapter called "Double Coston". Why is it called "Double Coston"? It isn't a tag team duel! You'll just have to see!_**


	6. Double Coston

_**When I was a new student, one of the hardest parts of this school was dueling and knowing that the upperclassmen were watching me. I knew I had a lot to prove, and that their respect for my skills would be essential in the future.**_

_**It didn't occur to me that I would be on the other side of such a situation one day.**_

_**See, now I'm one of the upperclassmen, with a lot of experience. And Russell, Trisha, and I are watching two Freshmen go head-to-head in a conflict that they've likely been looking forward to since they were accepted to this school. I'd don't know why these two kids of all people want to duel each other, whether it's out of a rivalry or respect.**_

_**But they've likely seen the three of us watching by now, and I have to wonder…**_

…_**are we making them just as nervous as I was way back then?**_

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**CHAPTER FIVE**

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**Double Coston**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Thursday, September 9th, 2106, 11:30 PM_

Some hours later, the three students were back in Chancellor Artemis's office, while she and Mayor Barna were listening to what happened. The Chancellor was slowly sipping coffee…

Not many people drank coffee this late, but Artemis was sadly addicted to it. When someone brought that up, she countered with the excuse that there were a lot of worse things that she could be addicted to.

"So, he called it the Seal of Orichalcos?" asked Artemis.

"Yeah," said Russell. "We're pretty sure it was an illegal card, and given what happened at the end…"

Artemis and Barna looked at each other.

"Uhm, kids," she sighed, "I wish I could tell you what this means, but I only know bits and pieces myself. But listen carefully…

"First, you are not to tell any other students about this… for now…

"Second, I'm increasing the promised extra credit to two hundred points… each…

"Third, since you've been through a lot, I'm excusing you from morning classes tomorrow. Why don't you all sleep in?"

"Is there something we should…" asked Jason.

"I have research to do," interrupted the Chancellor. "Dismissed."

The three students left.

Artemis looked at Barna again.

"This is dire indeed," said the mayor. "The Orichalcos was a secret that the Trinity swore to keep hidden, and not much information exists on it…"

"I'll find that information," answered Artemis. "I am the Chancellor of this school, after all…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the same instant, Cassius, Sebastian, Cleo, and another man were riding in an elevator in one of the buildings in the richest part of Manhattan.

They got out on a penthouse floor and into a swank apartment, where a man in an evening jacket and shaggy-white hair was pouring brandy into a glass.

The four bowed.

"Mr. Fortunado," said Cassius. "Good news and bad news."

"Bad news first," replied the man.

"Well, Fang lost," answered Cassius.

"Heh, heh, that's not necessarily bad, Cassius," said Fortunado with a grin. "When a flunky villain defeats a hero in an early scene, it makes for an unbelievable scene. And personally, I didn't believe Fang could have beaten Wheeler's sister…"

"Well, the good news is, the Seal worked like a charm," added Sebastian.

"Good," replied Fortunado.

He sipped the brandy.

"The King of Games may have believed that Leviathan had perished in the final battle, but enough of its essence clung to life over the past century to slowly regain at least a pseudo-life. Whether that will be enough to truly revive it again, I don't know…

"And for now, I don't care, so long as its magic can be channeled."

He turned to the fourth man.

"I trust you got everything on film, Tulsley?"

"Yeah, boss," said the man, holding up a video camera. "All ready for editing."

"I'm counting on you and the others, Tulsley," warned Fortunado, setting out some more glasses. "With a film like this, a lot of the scenes have to be gotten on the first take."

"So what's the next plan?" asked Cleo.

"An introduction to my sub-plot," said Fortunado, smiling, "with some help from my latest employee…"

He smirked and turned behind him.

A shadowy figure appeared…

"Say boss…" said Cleo. "I didn't even know that Wheeler even _had_ a sister…"

"Eh…" said Fortunado. "She was a pacifist… Went to medical school when she grew up and became a cardiologist… Much preferred to heal rather than hurt. Even in the rare times she did duel, her Monsters were all cutesy-cute creatures… Not the type of duelist anyone had to worry about…

"Course, she had little to worry about… Anybody who wanted to mess with her would have to get past her big brother!"

They all laughed.

"Wouldn't want to go there…" laughed Cassius.

The dark figure behind them simply stared, and crossed his arms…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Eventually, Jason, Russell, and Francesca drifted in to sleep, in the peaceful quiet of the private rooms that were, in their opinion, the greatest benefit to being Juniors.

At around two in the morning, in the midst of the deepest slumber, they dreamed…

Each of them dreamed they were on the dark streets of New York, with the other two by his or her side – but no other signs of life were around. The city seemed forlorn and deserted. A sky of dark clouds was overhead.

The looked at each other, but somehow, they knew that talking was not allowed right now.

The three of them looked up into the sky, and strange shapes started to appear in the clouds… strange faces…

Finally, a booming voice spoke in a commanding tone; it spoke a haunting verse:

_**When cursed magic blights the land,**_

_**And Evil holds aloft its hand,**_

_**The Brothers will emerge once more,**_

_**And choose the ones to fight the war.**_

_**And when the Three can prove their worth,**_

_**They'll find the One who'll save the Earth.**_

At that, they woke up in a start.

The three of them stared into the darkness for a while.

Then, hardly knowing what they were doing, they turned on a light, found the nearest thing to write on, and quickly wrote down the mysterious poem.

They turned the light off again, and sleep quickly overtook them again.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Russell liked being able to sleep in, but eventually he got hungry. At ten the next morning, he started for the PX to get a snack...

…only to be grabbed by Jason and Trisha.

"Russell!" shouted Trisha. "You doing anything important?"

"Well…" started Russell.

"Never mind," interrupted Jason. "There's a duel about to start at the Arena that you do NOT want to miss."

Curiosity got the best of Russell. So he ignored the rumblings in his stomach, and followed them as they ran to the building that housed the Arena.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When they got there, a bunch of students – mostly Freshmen – were sitting watching two figures on the main floor. Both of them were wearing red blazers, and Russell guessed that they were both Freshmen too.

One was a girl with a youthful face, honey-blonde hair tied in a ponytail, and green eyes flecked with gold. She wore tinted-blue glasses.

The other one was a boy with the same honey-blonde hair (cut short), and the same color eyes.

The two duelists were in the process of shuffling each other's decks…

"So who are these guys?" asked Russell.

"Her name is Nadia Tyrelle," answered Trisha, "and his is Randy Tyrelle."

Russell gave her look.

"Uh, any relation?" he asked.

"Fraternal twins," answered Jason.

Russell looked at them with disbelief.

"Okay, which one of them submitted the duel request form?" he asked in surprise.

"Both of them," answered Jason. "On the first day class started. I think they've wanted to duel each other for a _long_ time."

"Your standard Cain and Abel match-up," sighed Trisha. "I have to wonder whether brother or sister will emerge victorious…"

Nadia and Randy stood apart from each other, and loaded their decks.

"Hey Randy!" remarked Nadia. "Ready for a more public humiliation this time?"

"Bring it on, sis!" answered Randy.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the school library, Artemis went up to the main librarian.

"Marcus," she said, "I need access to the Z-Files."

The librarian looked surprised.

"You mean the files that no-one except someone with authorization from the Council are supposed to even know about?" he asked.

"Yeah… _those_ files," she replied. "And you know very well that I do."

He looked at her strangely.

He took a key from around his neck, and fit it into a special keyhole under his desk.

Artemis walked behind the desk, where a trapdoor had opened, revealing a stairway going down into a cellar.

"Not one word to anyone," she warned, descending into the secret vault.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"All right!" exclaimed Randy, drawing his first card. "As they say, it's time to duel!"

**(Nadia: 8,000)--------------------(Randy: 8,000)**

"And I'm going to throw down this guy in Defense Mode!" he exclaimed, placing a card on his Disk. "Elemental Hero Clayman!"

A bulky superhero made of clay appeared, and crouched in Defense. (800/2,000)

"Let's just see if you can get past that," he dared.

"I can sure try," said Nadia, drawing. "I hope all your Monsters don't have feet of clay."

She looked at her cards.

"I play… Graceful Charity," she exclaimed.

She played the card, and the lovely angel appeared over her Disk. Her feathers fell on her deck.

She drew three cards, and then she quickly discarded two of them.

"Okay," she continued. "I'll place a card facedown…"

She played a card, and it appeared.

"And I'll summon Fire Princess in Attack Mode."

A beautiful-but-stern woman in a fiery red dress holding a staff appeared. (1,300/1,500)

"That will be my turn," she said.

"They're both off to a good start," said Jason. "That facedown card is likely Solemn Wishes…"

Randy drew a card.

"Sorry, sis," he said, "but your Princess is going down. I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman, in Attack Mode!"

He put another card down, and a sparking hero in streamlined armor and a helmet appeared! He struck a heroic pose. (1,600/1,400)

"Sparkman…" he started. "Attack…"

"I activate Gravity Bind!" shouted Nadia.

Her Trap Card lifted, and a wave of energy started to ripple over the field.

"Sorry Randy," she said, "but now any Monster with four stars or more can't attack. Of course, that means she can't attack either…"

She motioned to Fire Princess.

"But with what I've got planned, it will hardly matter."

"Okay, I guess it's your turn then…" sighed Randy.

"Before I draw a card," said Nadia, "I should explain to you the combo I just set up. Fire Princess will blast away 500 of your Life Points every time mine go up…

"AND, one of the cards I discarded with Graceful Charity was a useful Monster called Marie the Fallen One. Every one of my Standby Phases that she's in my Graveyard, I gain 200 Life Points.

"So, I just have to draw…"

She drew a card.

"…and you get burned."

Her Life Points went up by 200 points.

Fire Princess noticed the change, and aimed her staff. She shot a blast of flame at Randy, and he cringed.

"Next, I'll summon one of my favorite Monsters!" she said, placing a card down. "White Magician Pikeru in Attack Mode."

A cute, child Spellcaster in a white gown with a hat shaped like a sheep appeared, holding a scepter. (1,200/0)

"Next round," warned Nadia, "I'll increase my Life Points twice, which means you get blasted twice.

"It's your move."

**(N: 8,200) -------------------- (R: 7,500)**

"Well, Nadia's certainly in control," muttered Russell.

"Yeah," said Jason. "She seems to be using Gain and Drain strategy…"

Randy drew a card.

"Okay, sis," he said, "time to get to business… I'm Equipping Clayman with Clay Wrap!"

He played the card. Clayman stood up; he mumbled as a transparent coating covered him.

"Now I'll fuse my two Heroes together, with Polymerization!"

He played the Spell Card, and both Sparkman and Clayman swirled into a multicolored orb…

"Forming Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!"

A huge Warrior in golden armor with a visored helmet appeared where the two Heroes had been! (2,400/1,500)

"And here's where it gets interesting," chuckled Randy. "When Clay Wrap is sent to the Graveyard while Equipped to a Monster, like it just did because I used Clayman in a fusion, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card."

Gravity Bind shattered!

"And since that was a Special Summon, I'll also summon someone else…" he continued, placing another card down. "Meet Elemental Hero Burstinatrix!"

A female hero in a red bodysuit, knee-high boots, and long hair appeared with a war cry. (1,200/800)

"And I'm just getting started!" laughed Randy. "By discarding one card, like so…"

He discarded a card.

"…Thunder Giant can automatically destroy any Monster who's Attack Score is less than his!"

Thunder Giant shot a volley of lightning bolts at Fire Princess! She screamed and shattered into pixels!

"And that was just his special effect!" continued Randy. "Thunder Giant, attack Pikeru! Thunder punch!"

Thunder giant flew forward and socked Pikeru, blasting her into pixels!

"Burstinatrix, attack directly! Burstfire attack!"

Burstinatrix flew into the air, and shot a stream of flame at Nadia! She cringed…

"And I'll call that a turn…" he chuckled.

**(N: 5,800) -------------------- (R: 7,500)**

"Well, it seems Randy is no slouch either," commented Russell.

"Yeah…" replied Trisha. "And he seems to be using Jaden Yuki's signature Monsters… Hmmm…"

She took the pouch off her belt where she kept her spare cards and started to look through them.

_I wonder…_ she thought, looking at one.

Nadia caught her breath, and drew a card…

"I play Premature Burial, paying 800 Life Points to bring back Pikeru…" she stated, playing a card.

Pikeru arose again.

"Next," she stated, "I'm playing the Spell Card Sibling Rivalry. When Pikeru is on the field, this lets me summon her dark sister, Ebon Magician Curran from my deck…"

She played the card, and another young girl, this one dressed in a black dress and a floppy-eared hood, carrying a switch, appeared next to Pikeru. (1,200/0)

The two sisters gave cold glares to each other.

"You think I'm afraid of bunny-girl?" asked Randy with a laugh. "Curran will be gone long before you use her draining effect."

"You think so?" asked Nadia. "Well let me tell you something… Both Pikeru and Curran were fated from birth for greater things, and if they pass certain tests, they can grow and become stronger…"

She played a card.

"I'm Equipping Curran with Trial of the Princess." she exclaimed. "This Equip first increases her Attack score by 800."

Curran rose to 2,000 Attack.

"Hmph!" muttered Pikeru, crossing her arms.

"Next time, Pikeru, I promise," said Nadia.

"Now, to pass the test," she continued, "Curran has to challenge and defeat a Monster of five stars or more," explained Nadia. "And there's nothing in the rules that says she can't have help. I play Gift of the Martyr. I'll sacrifice Pikeru…"

She played a card. Pikeru gave another cold stare, and then shattered.

"…and in exchange, Curran gets Pikeru's Attack Score added to hers for one round!"

Curran rose to 3,200 Attack!

"Curran, attack the Thunder Giant!" shouted Nadia. "Ebon blast!"

Curran yelped with glee, and leapt up into the air. She shot forth a blast of energy, and Thunder Giant shattered!

"The test is passed!" laughed Nadia. "So now, Ebon Magician Curran becomes Princess Curran."

Curran glowed, and started to change…

She grew, and within seconds, was transformed from a child to a teenager, wearing a formal dress that suggested royalty, along with a fancy headdress. She carried a fancy scepter. (2,000/0)

"That's my turn," said Nadia.

**(N: 5,200) -------------------- (R: 6,700)**

Randy drew. He frowned.

"Well, sorry, Burst," he said, "but you're moving into Defense Mode."

He turned the card, and Burstinatrix crouched in Defense Mode.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the dim, dusty vault, Chancellor Artemis took an envelope out of a drawer, held shut with a wax seal.

**_By order of Yugi Mouto, this information to be viewed only if The Seal of Orichalcos reappears,_** said a label on the cover.

Artemis broke the wax seal, and removed a very old DVD.

She placed it into a player and turned it on.

Yugi Mouto's face, appearing as he did when he was in his early twenties, appeared on it.

"Greetings," he said, gravely. "Since you're playing this disk, I'm assuming that you or someone you know has participated in a duel where the evil card called The Seal of Orichalcos was used.

"If the victim was victorious, whether or not it was you, that person is to be commended. If he was defeated, his friends and family have my deepest condolences."

Yugi sighed.

"Kaiba, Joey, and I tried our hardest to keep the horrible incident secret to keep the world from knowing of the Armageddon that almost happened. We thought the evil was gone forever. Apparently, it isn't.

"So listen carefully. I can give you all the information you need to know so that innocent souls won't be lost to that unholy power…

"The Seal of Orichalcos is not simply a broken card… It is pure evil."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"By the way, Randy," said Nadia, drawing, "now that Curran is a princess, her draining power is doubled! So every time I draw, you lose 600 Life Points for every Monster on your side of the field."

Curran's scepter glowed, and Randy cringed.

"Now I'll summon… Cure Mermaid, in Attack Mode," laughed Nadia.

A beautiful mermaid in a pink blouse appeared. She smiled sweetly. (1,500/800)

"Cure Mermaid," she ordered, "put out Burstinatrix's fire with bubble blast!"

Cure Mermaid smiled sweetly. She blew a kiss to Burstinatrix, and a stream of bubbles shot from her lips! Burstinatrix winced, and then shattered into pixels.

"Curran, attack directly!" shouted Nadia. "Royal ebon blast!"

Curran aimed her scepter, and fired a beam of dark energy at Randy! He was propelled backwards!

**(N: 5,400) -------------------- (R: 4,100)**

"Heh, heh," chuckled Randy, getting up. "Not bad…"

He drew a card…

"I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

He played a card, and a caped and cowled Hero with hoses on his arms attached to tanks on his back appeared. He pointed and struck a pose. (800/1,200)

"And now I'll Equip him with this," he continued, playing a card. _"Bubble Blaster!"_

Bubbleman got down on one knee, and a huge, bazooka-like weapon appeared on his shoulder. He grasped the handle.

"This raises his Attack by 800 points!" laughed Randy, as Bubbleman's Attack went up to 1,600. "Try _these_ bubbles on for size! Go! Attack Cure Mermaid with bombarding bubble barrage!"

Bubbleman shot a blast of watery globs at Cure Mermaid! She screamed and exploded!

**(N: 5,300) -------------------- (R: 4,100)**

"And that's my turn," said Randy with a smirk.

Nadia drew, and Curran cast her draining hex on Randy again!

"Curran!" she shouted. "Attack Bubbleman!"

Curran fired her dark spell…

Bubbleman shielded himself with the Bubble Blaster, and it shattered.

"Forgot to mention," said Randy. "When Bubbleman is attacked when he has Bubble Blaster, it bursts instead of him."

"Well what will protect him now?" asked Nadia. "I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared behind Curran.

**(N: 5,500) -------------------- (R: 3,500)**

"This is intense!" exclaimed Trisha. "I can hardly wait to see what comes next!"

"Indeed," muttered Jason. "Both of them are good. We'll soon see who's better…"

"Okay," said Randy, drawing, "I'm gonna play my Pot of Greed!"

He played the card.

"Now I can draw two more cards…"

He drew two.

"And it looks like I drew Bubbleman's favorite Spell Card… Bubble Shuffle!"

"Bubble Shuffle?" asked Nadia.

"Yeah, it's a two-step process," explained Randy, playing it. "First, Bubbleman and one of your Monsters moves into Defense Mode…"

Bubbleman and Curran knelt in Defense.

"…and then I can sacrifice Bubbleman for any Elemental Hero that I have in my hand. And I have a great one!"

Bubbleman faded away…

"Come forth… Elemental Hero Bladedge!"

A powerful-looking hero in golden armor with a winged jetpack and bladed gauntlets appeared! (2,600/1,800)

"And because of Bladedge's trampling effect," added Randy, "you're about to take a lot of damage! Bladedge, attack Curran with slice 'n dice attack!"

Bladedge's jetpack ignited, and he flew towards the princess…

"I activate… Shield of Faith!" shouted Nadia.

Her Trap Card lifted, showing the image of a Giant Orc crouching behind a shield. Bladedge bounced off of Curran!

"Huh?" asked Randy.

"I knew that both Curran and Pikeru had one big Achilles heel," said Nadia with a sweet smile. "A nonexistent Defense Score. So I added Shield of Faith to my deck. If you attack a Monster in Defense Mode who has zero Defense, it increases the Monster's Defense to 3,000 for the rest of the round."

"Crud," sighed Randy. "Well, go ahead…"

**(N: 5,500) -------------------- (R: 3,100)**

Nadia drew, and Curran cast her spell again. Randy cringed again.

"I should thank you for summoning that guy, Randy," she said, "because now Curran has the chance to pass the second test of her life. I'm Equipping her with this… Coronation!"

She played the card, and Curran rose to 2,700 Attack.

"To complete this test, Curran has to challenge and defeat a Monster of _seven_ stars or more," stated Nadia. "So I'll shift her back into Attack Mode…"

Curran stood back up.

"And Curran, attack Bladedge!"

Curran cast her dark spell, and Bladedge was vanquished.

"And now," said Nadia, as Curran started to change, "Curran can finally claim her birthright, and evolve into Dark Queen Curran!"

When the change halted, Curran was now a full-grown (and rather sexy) adult, in a beautiful gown, and a golden crown on her head. Her eyes were orbs of pure darkness. (2,600/2,100)

**(N: 5,700) -------------------- (R: 2,400)**

"Oo-kay…" muttered Randy. "That is rather impressive…"

He slowly drew a card.

"Well, I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode for now," he sighed. "And that will be it…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

Nadia drew. Randy braced himself…

But Curran didn't cast the spell this time.

"No draining effect?" he asked.

"Not anymore," replied Nadia, "but now, whenever she destroys a Monster, the Attack Points of that Monster are taken out of your Life Points!

"Curran, attack his Monster!"

Curran cast a powerful dark spell… Dark Catapulter appeared on the card, and was blown away.

"Your move," dared Nadia.

**(N: 5,700) -------------------- (R: 1,400)**

"Nadia's got this duel cold," said Russell. "She can't lose."

"I've been in worse situations," said Trisha. "I wouldn't count Randy out yet…"

Randy drew a card.

"Okay!" he exclaimed. "First I place a Monster in Defense Mode…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Then, a card facedown," he continued.

He set the card, and the facedown card appeared.

"And finally, I'll activate my last card… Mirage of Nightmare."

He played the card, and it appeared.

"Well then," said Nadia, "I guess that's all you can do…"

She drew a card.

"Hold up, sis!" stated Randy. "My Mirage Card now let's me draw until I have four cards."

He drew four cards.

"And now, so I won't have to discard any, I'll activate Emergency Provisions."

His facedown card lifted, and a large mouth appeared and swallowed the Mirage card.

"By sending my own card to the Graveyard, I gain 1,000 Life Points."

"He's clever," muttered Jason. "He's not only using Jaden's strategy, he managed to pull off one of his signature combos."

"Remarkable," said Nadia. "Curran, attack his facedown Monster."

Curran blasted her dark spell at the facedown card…

A robotic dog appeared on the card, and shattered.

"Thank you!" laughed Randy. "Wroughtweiler only had 800 Attack Points, so the damage you did was minimal. And when he's destroyed in battle, I get to retrieve one Elemental Hero and one Polymerization card from my Graveyard."

Two cards slipped out of his discard slot.

Nadia looked at him.

"I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn," she said.

A facedown card appeared.

**(N: 6,100) -------------------- (R: 1,600)**

Randy drew a card.

"Okay, Nadia," he chuckled. "I'm playing this Spell Card…"

He played the card.

"Reinforcement of the Army. Good for any deck that uses Warriors, because it lets me add one to my hand from my deck that has four stars or less…"

He took his deck and looked through it.

"And I think Elemental Hero Avian will fit the bill."

He put the deck back.

"Now, you know how a lot of superhero battles take place in dark factories?" he continued. "Well, I've got a great card called Dark Factory of Mass Production."

He played the card.

"Sure, it looks creepy," he said, "but it lets me retrieve two Normal Monsters from the Graveyard to my hand, so I'll retrieve Clayman and Burstinatrix.

"And now, I'm going to use Polymerization again, to fuse together Burstinatrix with Avian!"

Burstinatrix appeared, and then a tall hero with wings appeared next to her. Again, they swirled into colored light…

…forming a tall creature dressed in red and green, with one wing growing from the left side of his back, and a fierce Dragon in place of his right arm!

"Presenting… Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!" he shouted.

(2,100/1,200)

"He can't beat Curran," remarked Nadia.

"I'll get to that," answered Randy. "But again, since he was a Special Summon, I'll also summon the guy I got from Wroughtweiler, Elemental Hero Sparkman!"

Sparkman appeared again! (1,600/1,400)

Randy flicked his Field Slot open.

"And now I play…" he said dramatically, "Skyscraper!"

The Arena shook… With no subtlety at all, the buildings of a dark city arose around the two duelists!

Curran looked around in confusion…

Then she and her master noticed that the Flame Wingman was perched on the spire of the tallest building.

"When Skyscraper is active," explained Randy, "all Elemental Heroes gain 1,000 Attack Points when they make an attack against a Monster who has more Attack Points than they do.

"Flame Wingman, attack Curran with skydive scorcher!"

Flame Wingman soared off the spire and somersaulted in mid-air. Like a meteor crashing to earth, the superhero erupted in flame, his Attack rose to 3,100, and he flew into Dark Queen Curran! She screamed and shattered!

"And thanks to his effect," added Randy, "you now lose Life Points equal to your slain Monster's Attack Score!"

Nadia screamed as Flame Wingman pointed with his dragon-arm and shot flames at her!

"Of yeah?" she grunted. "Well I had a Trap ready! Reveal, Option Hunter!"

Her Trap lifted, revealing the image of an alien resembling a cross between a bug and a crab, flying among the clouds.

"Now I _gain_ Life Points equal to my destroyed Monster's Attack Score," she shot back. "Nifty, huh?"

**(N: 5,600) -------------------- (R: 1,600)**

"Yeah?" laughed Randy. "Well, my Battle Phase isn't over, and I have this card… De-Fusion!"

He played the card. Flame Wingman split back into Avian and Burstinatrix. (1,000/1,000), (1,200/800)

"And that means both of them can attack!" laughed Randy. "Avian, quill cascade!"

Avian pointed, and shot a swarm of razor-sharp feathers into Nadia.

"Burstinatrix, magma comet!" he shouted.

A ball of flame appeared in Burstinatrix's hand and she hurled it. Nadia fell to her knees.

"And let's not forget Sparkman! Shining surge flash!"

Sparkman shot forth a blast of electricity, and Nadia truly screamed. She fell down on her stomach.

**(N: 1,800) -------------------- (R: 1,600)**

"See?" said Trisha. "Randy may well have turned this around."

"Indeed. She would have lost if not for Option Hunter," agreed Jason. "If Nadia can continue at all, she'll have to summon something good if she wants to win – and unfortunately, not many Monsters are too strong in a Gain and Drain deck…"

"Sis?" asked Randy, getting worried. "Can you continue?"

Nadia slowly got up.

"Yeah…" she muttered.

"Then I'll end my turn," replied Randy.

Nadia adjusted her glasses and drew a card.

She played a card.

"I play… Monster Reborn!" she exclaimed. "And the Monster I'm bringing back is the one I discarded on my first turn… Marie the Fallen One."

The holy ankh appeared, and a female Fiend with black skin and black feathered wings, dressed in a peasant's outfit appeared, crouching as if prepared to pounce. (1,700/1,200)

"Heh, you almost had me there," muttered Randy. "If not for my Emergency Provisions, I'd have lost if you attacked Avian…"

"_She's_ not going to attack," said Nadia with a smirk. "You like fusing Monsters together, huh?

"Next I'll summon… The Forgiving Maiden!"

She played a card, and a homely woman in religious robes appeared in a praying position. (850/2,000)

"And now I'll play my own Polymerization," she said, playing a card, "to form a woman who was born in 1412, was touched by religious visions in 1424, fought in the Hundred Years War in 1429, was burned as a heretic in 1431, was beautified in 1909, and canonized in 1920 as a Patron Saint of France… the most powerful creature in my deck… St. Joan!"

The Fiend and the Fairy merged together, and a flash of light permeated the dark city…

…and a tall, radiant woman, dressed in silver armor and carrying a two-handed sword stepped out of the light. (2,800/2,000)

"St. Joan!" commanded Nadia, "attack Elemental Hero Avian with your holy sword!"

Angelic wings sprouted from St. Joan's back and she flew towards the Elemental Hero! She struck him with her sword, and he shattered.

"And that… is that," said Nadia, giving a thumbs up.

**(N: 2,000) -------------------- (R: 0)**

The dark city and the Monsters vanished, and Randy hung his head.

"Hey sis," he said, "sweet duel. Can't wait for a rematch."

As they were saying this, Jason, Trisha, and Russell got up, Trisha going in the opposite direction from her two friends.

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"Hey, Randy!" shouted Trisha, as Randy started to leave the arena.

"Huh?" asked Randy. "You don't want to duel me do you?"

"Don't take the yellow blazer the wrong way, Randy," chuckled Trisha. "I don't beat up on the lowerclassmen. I noticed that your deck used a lot of Jaden Yuki's cards."

"Yeah, well…" muttered Randy. "He was a great guy, but that wasn't why I designed a Hero Deck… You're gonna think I'm crazy… but…"

"Try me," said Trisha.

"Well, Nadia and me…" he said, "our parents are great duelists, and they gave each of us a box of cards for Christmas…

"In my set were Avian, Burstinatrix, Clayman, and Sparkman. The original Elemental Heroes. I didn't think much of them at first…

"But then, they started… uhm… talking to me…"

"Talking to you?" asked Trisha.

"Yeah," said Randy, nervously. "Weird, huh? And they were so friendly. I decided to build a deck with Elemental Heroes, and with each new Hero I added, a new one started to talk to me…

"Although I do have a problem…"

He took a card out of his Fusion Deck.

"I have a great Fusion Monster that not even Jaden knew about, but I don't have the Hero I need to summon him… I can use King of the Swamp, but…"

A light went on in Trisha's head. She reached for her side deck and took out the card she was looking at.

"Is this the guy?" she asked.

Randy's eyes almost popped out of his head.

"WOW!" he shouted. "I've been looking for him for the longest… Trade you for it?"

He paused.

"Well… trade you for anything except one of my own Heroes? I can't give them away…"

"Sure," said Trish. "I'll trade it for your Dark Catapulter."

Randy paused. He took the Dark Catapulter out of his deck.

"Well…" he started, reluctantly.

"Look," said Trisha, "I know Jaden used it, but it's hard to use right. It works better in a Machine Deck like mine. I promise, I can use it better than you ever could.

"I'll take good care of it."

Randy paused again.

He slowly handed over the Dark Catapulter. Trisha gave him her card.

"So, they talk to you?" chuckled Trisha. "Well, now you have someone else to talk to. Good luck, Randy."

She turned and left.

"You think she believed you?" said a woman's voice behind Randy.

He turned, and saw Burstinatrix there. Most folks would be surprised in the least, but Randy was so used to it occurring that he didn't even flinch.

"Probably not," replied Randy, "but at least she didn't call me crazy."

"Well," replied Burstinatrix, "at long last, the forgotten member of our team is in your deck, and that Machine was only holding us back anyway… I'm sure you'll do him proud."

"I'll try my hardest," said Randy, looking at the card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the same time, Nadia was still in the Arena, packing her Duel Disk into a duffle bag.

"Hey," said Jason. "Nadia was it? Great duel!"

"Thanks," she said with a giggle. "I always like getting the better of my brother…"

"So why did you decide to put together a Gain and Drain deck?" asked Russell.

"Well," sighed Nadia, "at first, dueling wasn't my thing at all…

"The school was at first my dad's idea. He was a professional duelist… But I wasn't so keen on the idea of spending four years of my life learning a card game. My true dream is to be a television chef…"

"Really?" asked Jason with a smirk.

"But when I got a box of cards for Christmas, I found both Curran and Pikeru," she continued. "They were just so adorable. I put together a deck and found that I was rather good at it…

"I figure that if I become better and I become a professional briefly, I can win some major tournaments and use the prize money to fulfill my real dream, and become a _great_ TV chef."

"That's the spirit," said Russell. "Always hold on to your dreams. You know, I heard if Joey Wheeler hadn't pursued his own dreams, he'd have been nothing more than the street thug he was before he met Yugi."

"Thanks," said Nadia. "All I can think of now is, what's next?"

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In the secret vault, Artemis had filled several pages with notes.

"I've told you all that I know," sighed Yugi's voice. "You now know of our experiences with the wicked force that is the Orichalcos…

"The best advice I give now, is to hope. Hope that a solution will appear, as it did for us. Because in a situation like this, literally anything is possible."

The screen went blank.

_Raising an alarm would likely cause panic,_ thought Artemis. _Doing nothing would likely lead to disaster…_

What do I do?

_Friday, September 10th, 2106, 11:05 AM_

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**CLAY WRAP (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Elemental Hero Clayman with his skin texture resembling wet clay.

Card Description: This card can only be Equipped to "Elemental Hero Clayman". When a Monster is sent to the Graveyard while Equipped with this card, destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field.

_Note: "Clay Wrap" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "A Spirit Summoned". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SIBLING RIVALRY (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A shocked White Magician Pikeru looking in a mirror to see Ebon Magician Curran looking back at her.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have one "White Magician Pikeru" or one "Ebon Magician Curran" (but not both) face up on your side of the field. Special Summon one "White Magician Pikeru" (if you have "Ebon Magician Curran" on your side of the field) or one "Ebon Magician Curran" (if you have "White Magician Pikeru" on your side of the field) from your hand or deck.

_Note: This card first appeared in "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Thousand Year Door"._

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**SHIELD OF FAITH (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Giant Orc crouching behind a huge wooden shield and fending off an attack by Marauding Captain.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack against one of your Monsters in Defense Position who has a DEF of 0. Increase the target Monster's DEF to 3,000 until the End Phase of the turn.

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**CORONATION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** White Magician Pikeru and Ebon Magician Curran staring at each other in front of an altar holding a golden crown.

**Card Description:** This card can only be Equipped to "Princess Pikeru" or "Princess Curran". Increase the Equipped Monster's ATK by 700. If the Equipped Monster destroys a Monster of seven stars or more as a result of battle, you can offer the Equipped Monster and this card as a Tribute to Special Summon one "White Queen Pikeru" (if this card was Equipped to "Princess Pikeru") or one "Dark Queen Curran" (if this card was Equipped to "Princess Curran") from your hand or deck.

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**DARK QUEEN CURRAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,600  
**DEF: **2,100

**Card Description:** Having endured several trials, Ebon Magician Curran is not a child anymore. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Coronation". When this Monster destroys an opposing Monster, deduct the destroyed Monster's ATK from the owner's Life Points.

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**Randy's Hero Deck:**

_Jaden Yuki may have started at the bottom at the original Duel Academy, but he didn't stay there forever. Eventually, he rose through the ranks, graduated with full honors, and became one of the greatest duelists in the world. Eventually, folks called him the Second King of Games, a destiny that Yugi perhaps predicted when he gave him that enchanted Winged Kuriboh card._

_As a result, a lot of duelists have sought to emulate Jaden, using an Elemental Hero Deck, but mostly without success. Jaden's Heart was strong as Yugi's, his luck as strong as Joey's, and his skill and strategy comparable to Kaiba's._

_Randy put together an Elemental Hero Deck for one unique reason – the Heroes seem drawn to him in the form of Duel Spirits (although he doesn't call them by that term). Whenever he added a new Hero to his deck, it was a certainty that the spiritual equivalent would show up soon. Apparently, this only works with Monsters with the words "Elemental Hero" in their names. He has tried the "trick" with other Monsters, but without success. That's why he was willing to trade Dark Catapulter, as no Spirit of that Monster has ever befriended him._

_As far as strategy goes, Randy seeks to fuse his Warriors together as soon as possible, seeing as most Heroes are rather weak. He has a variety of Fusion Monsters, including, as stated, one that Jaden did not know about, which he can now use "properly" thanks to Trisha's trade. He doesn't yet have the powerful Shining Flare Wingman (the "king" of the Elemental Heroes, for all intents and purposes), though he is still looking for one._

_In addition, Randy has many strategies that Jaden didn't use. He has a few copies of King of the Swamp to bring out Polymerization fast, and Reinforcement of the Army to bring out the right Hero when he needs it. Since he has planned carefully, he can succeed well where others have failed._

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**Nadia's Gain and Drain Deck:**

_Although Nadia was a reluctant duelist from the start, dueling tended to run in her blood, and when she got her gift of cards for Christmas, she discovered White Magician Pikeru and Ebon Magician Curran. Pikeru and Curran are the Yin and the Yang, fierce rivals, but they have more in common than they think. Though they may fight eternally outside the duel, they can work well side-by-side in the same deck._

_Nadia's strategy consists of raising her own Life Points and bringing her opponent's down at the same time. Monsters like Fire Princess play a large part in this strategy, as do Traps like Solemn Wishes, and her two stars Pikeru and Curran. She also has two copies each of UFO Turtle, Mystic Tomato, and Shining Angel to act as searchers. Since her Monsters mostly aren't the strongest Attack-wise, she also has several lockdown cards like Level Limit Area B and Gravity Bind. She also has ways to get rid of these cards when she brings her true stars out…_

_Nadia has three copies of Trial of the Princess, and one copy of Coronation, which can be used to evolve Pikeru and Curran to more powerful forms. White Queen Pikeru (who will appear later) and Dark Queen Curran are hard to summon (after all, they are NOMIs who are summoned through use of Monsters who are themselves NOMIs), but the end result is worth it. _

_Despite her dream of being a TV chef, Nadia does not have Mystik Wok in her deck. She has enough healing cards already._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Fortunado's diabolic "subplot" begins, and caught in the middle is our second user character! Who could it be? Plus, a fantastic blast… from the anime past! It's all in a chapter called "Patrician of Darkness", coming up next!**_


	7. Patrician of Darkness

_**Call me Ansel. Please don't ask me if I'm a basketball player, because I've heard that silly joke a thousand times. I'm just a student, a duelist, and a music-lover. Though it is true that disco died over a century ago, such classics appeal to me.**_

_**I didn't think I'd be dueling tonight. I just wanted to go out and get some fast food. But it seems some creepshow wants a piece of me now…**_

_**Well, better men than this weirdo have taken me on. He's just lit my fire…**_

…_**so let's dance.**_

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**CHAPTER SIX**

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**Patrician of Darkness**

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_Friday, September 10th, 2106, 5:15 PM_

Dinner in the Ra dining hall that evening was roast beef and mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, the beef wasn't the best. Rosa the chef was going to have a word with the Chancellor about the grade of food they had just gotten.

Russell, however, could have eaten anything that was edible. As his two friends sat trying their best to cut the tough meat, he sat going over his cards.

"Eanie, meanie, minie, moe, catch a Monster by the toe…" he muttered. "If he stinks… then let him go…"

He sighed.

"What's the matter Russ?" asked Jason.

"The big problem when you want to put a new card in your deck is deciding what to take out," replied Russell. "A deck only has limited room…"

"I hear you…" muttered Trisha, going to her side deck. "For a while I almost considered putting this guy in my deck…"

She showed him a Cyber Commander card.

"What good is that guy?" asked Jason, looking at it. "He's weak… and he not weak _enough_ to use Machine Duplication."

"Well, he's a… good luck card," answered Trisha. "See, Joey Wheeler's best friend Tristan Taylor wasn't any good as a duelist, but this card was his favorite. Something about the image on the card… a tough-as-nails soldier with a diehard attitude…"

She put it back in her side deck.

"But I decided that luck was for guys like the real Joey, and not for me."

A student wandered in. The three friends took notice. This was the guy who would stand out anywhere.

He was very tall and wiry. He wore shiny white pants, and platform shoes that were about six inches tall, boosting his already considerable height even further. He also wore a long black scarf that hung down his back. His hair was black, and was a good-sized pompadour.

He passed by a student who was coming by with a tray.

"Hey buddy," chuckled the student, "how's the weather up there?"

The tall student frowned.

"Drafty…" he growled.

He passed by.

"Uh, Louis," called over Jason to the student who had made the joke. "Come over here, will you?"

"What's up?" asked Louis, putting his tray down.

"A word of advice," warned Jason. "Don't get on Ansel's bad side, because he makes a bad enemy…"

Trisha nodded.

"He's not the most pleasant person," she said. "He looks down on everyone, both literally and figuratively, but he has a lot of influence. His family, the Spraguses, are incredibly rich, and they're well known. They just love throwing their money around. They've donated to the school on more than a few occasions."

Jason nodded.

"They pushed Ansel into dueling at an early age, since it's a profitable and respectable profession. Even before he started coming here, he entered quite a few tournaments… He usually won…"

"Yeah…" interrupted Russell. "But no one is sure whether it's due entirely to his own skill or due partially to his parents' influence."

"Are you folks talking about me?" asked a voice.

They looked up, and saw Ansel looking at them.

"No, Ansel," protested Russell, "just rearranging my deck…"

Ansel scoffed.

"Well, the food here tonight stinks," he said, hoisting his knapsack over his shoulder. "I'm going to go eat off-campus…"

He turned to leave.

"Uh, Ansel?" said Jason, getting up. "That may not be a good idea… There are… some weird things happening around here, and…"

"Puh-lease!" answered Ansel. "I can take care of myself!"

The three students watched as he left.

"Maybe we'd better…" said Trisha.

They got up and started to follow him.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado looked out the balcony of his penthouse apartment.

A shadowy figure stood behind him.

"Everything is ready," said a sinister voice. "The first of your operatives is set to go…"

"You sure this will work?" asked Fortunado. "I was kind of suspicious of this from the start."

"It worked like a charm," said the shadowy figure. "And I can assure you, the plan will be a success…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ansel walked out of a hamburger joint a few miles from campus, sipping the remains of a shake.

"Blech!" he grunted, tossing it away. "I ordered strawberry, not smelly sneaker!"

He had changed out of the yellow blazer – that thing irritated him. His casual clothes were much more to his liking.

His shirt now consisted of a neck v-line cut down to mid-chest, and had a flared bottom and flared sleeves.

Disco may have been dead for a long time, but so was Latin, and that didn't stop schools from teaching it.

_Well,_ he thought. _The night is young… It's Friday night. Maybe there's something else for this party animal to do on a night like this…_

He looked up at the full moon.

_And it is a lovely night…_

Then a cloud suddenly blew in, and eclipsed the moon…

_Strange…_ he thought.

He looked around. Odd. Normally, this part of the city was bustling, but it was empty now…

An evil laugh sounded behind him…

"All right, who's there?" he said, turning around.

He turned face to face to see the person who had snuck up on him… And the man he saw was certainly worthy of notice. He was just as tall as Ansel was, but much broader. He was dressed entirely in black – a black overcoat, trousers, and a strange skullcap. The letters P and K were printed on his coat.

And his eyes… There was something wrong with his eyes…

"Wow," said Ansel. "And they say _my_ clothes are loud!"

"What have we here?" said the stranger, not noticing the remark. "A young duelist trapped eternally in the 1970's? Well, I guess you'll do…"

"I'll do? Where did you escape from anyway?" asked Ansel.

The stranger chuckled evilly.

"That's a secret, duelist," he answered. "But I'm here to duel you. You may have heard of me… I am called Panik…"

"Sorry, never heard of him," responded Ansel. "And I have better things to do than mix it up with some loony with a bad hairdo. More like a hair-don't if you ask me…"

He turned to leave…

…only to see the strange figure back in front of him.

"I'm afraid you'll find getting away from me rather impossible," chuckled Panik. "I have all night… And I warn you, the deeper the darkness gets, the stronger my skills become…"

_This guy is nuts…_ thought Ansel.

"All right, fine," he muttered. "If I must resort to a duel to get rid of you, I guess I simply must…"

He took his Disk out of his backpack and slipped it on his arm.

Panik grinned…

His left arm glowed, and the strange Duel Disk that Fang had used appeared on it…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At that moment, Jason, Trisha, and Russell saw them.

"Oh no!" gasped Trisha. "He's about to start a duel… and that guy is using that creepy Disk that you went up against, Russell."

"We have to put a stop to this…" said Russell, as they started to run up.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Unfortunately, Panik saw them.

_I thought this might be a problem,_ he thought. _Well, I can keep them from interfering…_

He placed a Spell Card in his Disk.

A skull appeared in the air above the three students, a spooky laugh echoed above them, and a cage of dark swords surrounded them!

_My Swords of Concealing Light will keep this fool from seeing or hearing them while I defeat him,_ he chuckled to himself.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"What's going on?" shouted Trisha, pounding on the restraints. "ANSEL!"

"No good," sighed Jason. "Some sort of spell. We can't get to him, and he can't hear us…"

He looked closely at Ansel's opponent.

"You know, that guy looks familiar…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Disks activated…

**(Ansel: 8,000)--------------------(Panik: 8,000)**

"All right!" shouted Ansel, making his first draw. "Here we go!"

He spun around on one foot, and struck a pose.

"Whoa-oh-oh, I'm on fire!" he sang.

"Uh… well…" muttered Panik. "He's clearly the most energetic duelist I've ever faced…"

Ansel took two cards from his hand.

"Look out!" he exclaimed.

"I place one card facedown on the field…"

He played the card, and a facedown card appeared.

"And next, I'll summon this gal in Attack Mode… Sonic Maid."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a beautiful woman in a dress appeared, holding a scythe shaped like a musical note. (1,200/900)

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Panik. "You're actually playing Ithat/I?"

"I am…" replied Ansel. "Is that a problem?"

"Please…" laughed Panik. "That Monster is nothing but a fan card… No one actually uses her in a duel!"

Sonic Maid gave him a dirty look.

"Can you make your move so we can get done sometime before Duel Monsters becomes obsolete?" asked Ansel.

"Very well," chuckled Panik, drawing a card. "I'll also place a card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared in front of him.

"And now I'll summon a real Monster… Skull Knight #2!"

A fiendish knight in armor with a bare skull for a face, carrying a scimitar appeared. (1,000/1,000)

"What?" asked Ansel. "That isn't even as strong as my Monster."

"He'll soon be stronger," chuckled Panik, opening his Field Slot. "I play…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"NO!" screamed Jason. "He's going to use that horrible Field Card!"

"Ansel…" gasped Trisha.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I play…" exclaimed Panik.

He fit a card into the slot.

"Mystic Plasma Zone!"

An uncanny darkness started to exude from where he was standing, covering the entire field in a dark fog.

Sonic Maid shuddered in fear.

"Calm down…" whispered Ansel.

Panik grinned, and his eyes glowed.

"They say that before the world began, there was only primal darkness," he said. "Pure, living darkness that ruled before the coming of light. It was darker than the blackest midnight… darker than…"

"Save it!" scoffed Ansel. "You actually think I'm afraid of the dark? I got over that when I was ten."

"I isn't the dark you should be afraid of," laughed Panik. "It's the things that lurk in it, ready to strike! And in this aura of absolute darkness, all Dark Attribute Monsters gain 500 Attack Points in exchange for 400 Defense Points. Of course, I'm not the kind of guy who defends most of the time!"

Skull Knight #2 changed to (1,500/600)

"Skull Knight, attack his Maid!" shouted Panik.

The Fiend raised his scimitar, and flew forward with an evil grin.

"Hold it right there, Panik!" shouted Ansel. "You walked right into my Trap!"

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate… C-Minor!"

"C-Minor?" said Panik, startled. "What does that do?"

"As the name suggests, it's a Trap for "minor" Monsters, as in ones with no effects and who are three stars or less," said Ansel with a grin. "Since Sonic Maid was in Attack Mode, and you declared an attack, her Attack Score is doubled for one round."

Sonic Maid rose to 2,400 Attack.

"Counter attack!" shouted Ansel. "C-note slash!"

Sonic Maid twirled her scythe, and sliced the Fiend in two!

"Ergh!" shouted Panik.

**(A: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 7,100)**

"My move now," said Ansel with a grin, as Sonic Maid returned to her normal Attack Score.

He drew.

_Perfect,_ he thought.

"Time to bring out one of my stars," he stated. "I'll change this solo to a duet by summoning another lovely lady… the Beautiful Headhuntress."

He placed a card down, and a young woman in an exotic hairstyle dressed in a kimono, carrying a large cleaver appeared. (1,600/800)

"And she is beautiful, isn't she?" he asked.

"But I'm not done. I'm playing Polymerization, to fuse my two ladies together!"

He played the card, and both Warriors swirled into a vortex of light…

"Presenting… Warrior of Tradition!"

A new Warrior appeared. She looked like Beautiful Headhuntress, but wore a red kimono, an even more exotic hairstyle, and had a larger cleaver. (1,900/1,700)

"If you think Warrior of Tradition looks pretty sharp, that's because she is!" said Ansel with a grin. "Especially because you have no Monsters to defend you!

"Warrior of Tradition, attack that creepshow directly! Kabuki slash!"

Warrior of Tradition leapt up into the air and brought her weapon down on Panik! He grunted as he staggered back.

**(A: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 5,200)**

"Humph," said Ansel. "You still think you can scare me? I've had scarier birthday parties!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"And to think we were worried about Ansel!" laughed Russell. "He's handling this guy like an expert."

"And you suggested he wouldn't have won those tournaments without his folks' influence," added Jason.

"I was just stating a rumor," protested Russell.

"Let's not count our chickens yet guys," said Trisha. "This weirdo likely has a lot more Monsters than that…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Panik's eyes glowed with a silvery light.

"Not bad…" he snickered. "But I've broken better duelists than you!"

He drew a card.

"I activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted," he exclaimed, as his facedown card lifted. "And with only one Monster in my Graveyard, you likely know who's coming back…"

Skull Knight #2 crawled out of the ground… (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/600)

"And now…" laughed Panik. "I'll sacrifice my Skull Knight… to summon one of my favorites…"

Skull Knight vanished.

"I call forth King of Yamimakai!"

A huge, hulking creature appeared. It was blocky and muscular, with huge claws, shark-like teeth, and no eyes. (2,000/1,530) –) (2,500/1,130)

"Heh, heh…" said Panik with a smirk. "This beast was born of darkness itself, so whatever created it saw no need to give it eyes."

The Fiend drooled…

"Gross…" said Ansel.

"And by the way," continued Panik, "you should know that when Skull Knight #2 is sacrificed to summon a Fiend-Type Monster, I'm allowed to Special Summon another Skull Knight #2 from my deck!"

Another Skull Knight #2 appeared. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/600)

"Not good…" muttered Ansel.

"King of Yamimakai…" ordered Panik.

The Fiend growled…

"…obliterate Warrior of Tradition with electro-shock attack!"

Lightning appeared in the demon's hands, and it shot forth a barrage of electric bolts! Warrior of Tradition screamed and shattered into pixels.

"Skull Knight, direct attack!" shouted Panik.

Skull Knight flew forward, and slashed at Ansel with his scimitar.

Ansel groaned…

**(A: 5,900) -------------------- (P: 5,200)**

_That really hurt…_ he muttered. _It's almost as if that was a real sword that hit me…_

_But that's impossible…_

"All right," he said, holding his chest. "So maybe you aren't a total loser…"

He drew a card.

"I'm gonna play my Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card. "Now I get to draw two cards…"

He drew two.

"And now I'll play… Re-Fusion," he continued. "This card lets me revive a Fusion Monster from my Graveyard, so long as I pay 800 Life Points and Equip it with this card."

He played the card, and Warrior of Tradition reappeared. (1,900/1,700)

"Fool!" shouted Panik. "She'll just die again!"

"Will she?" asked Ansel. "I'm also Equipping her with Fusion Weapon."

He played another card.

"This Spell Card can only be Equipped to Fusion Monsters of six stars or less, but it gives them 1,500 Attack and Defense Points, and that's one groovy boost, if you know what I mean."

Warrior of Tradition's cleaver vanished, and a metal, trident-like weapon appeared on her right hand. She looked at it with delight. Her stats changed to (3,400/3,200).

"Well, not so groovy for your King of Yamimakai," he said. "Warrior of Tradition, take out that big Fiend. Trident blast!"

Warrior of Tradition shot an energy bolt from her weapon, and King of Yamimakai was blasted to pieces!

Panik growled.

**(A: 5,100) -------------------- (P: 4,300)**

"My draw…" growled Panik.

He drew a card.

"I'll move Skull Knight #2 to Defense Mode, and place another Monster in Defense Mode…" he said.

Skull Knight knelt and covered himself with his shield, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"And that will end my turn," he said.

Ansel drew a card.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode too…" he said.

A facedown Monster appeared next to Warrior of Tradition.

"Warrior, kill the Skull Knight!"

Warrior of Tradition blasted her trident, and the Fiend was vaporized.

"Fine… my Life Points stay the same…" growled Panik.

He drew a card.

_This guy is getting on my nerves,_ he thought. _But eventually the true strength of my deck will be unleashed…_

He fit a card into a slot and a facedown card appeared.

He waved his hand to signal the end of his turn.

Ansel drew a card.

_All right,_ he thought. _With this gal, it's only a matter of time before another of my stars shows up…_

"I'll set yet another Monster facedown," he said, setting the card.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And then I'll attack yours with Warrior of Tradition!"

Warrior of Tradition fired a blast…

A spooky grim reaper carrying a scythe appeared on the card and was blown away.

"Fool!" laughed Panik. "By destroying Emissary of the Afterlife, you've activated both my Trap, and its special effect…"

His Trap lifted.

"First, the Trap Option Hunter. Now I gain Life Points equal to that Monster's original Attack Score, which is 1,600."

**(A: 5,100) -------------------- (P: 6,800)**

"Also, when that Monster goes to the Graveyard, both players can pull a Normal Monster of three stars or less from their decks…"

He took a card from his deck.

"And I choose Ancient Brain."

"Very well…" chuckled Ansel, taking his own deck. "I'll pick a gal named Lady of Faith."

"It's my move now…" said Panik.

He drew a card.

"Heh, heh, heh," he chuckled.

"I just drew Mystical Space Typhoon," he laughed, fitting it into a slot. "Now I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card… Like your Re-Fusion!"

The cyclone blew across the field, and Re-Fusion shattered. Warrior of Tradition screamed and fell to her knees before she shattered as well.

"Next, I'll summon The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams…" he chuckled. "And it's certain to give you nightmares!"

He played a card, and a small bed with a sleeper on it appeared…

A hideous ghost with a sword and shield floated out of the bed and howled! (1,300/1,800) –) (1,800/1,200)

"Attack the facedown Monster on the left!" shouted Panik. "Nightmare sword!"

The Ghost moaned, and struck the facedown card. A woman who looked similar to Sonic Maid, except dressed in a darker gown, appeared before she was struck down.

"Fine," muttered Ansel. "You may have destroyed Hibikime, but my deck is loaded with powerful Monsters ready to take you down."

He drew a card.

"I play the Spell Card… Fusion Sage," he said, playing the card. "Now I can take one Polymerization card from my deck."

He got what he wanted from his deck, reshuffled, and then replaced it.

"Next, I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Witch of the Black Forest."

A lady with dark hair in a long, black robe appeared. (1,100/1,200)

"And now I'll play the Polymerization I just got to fuse her with the Monster you so generously let me have… Lady of Faith."

A woman in holy clothing and a headdress with her hands clasped in prayer appeared next to the Witch… (1,100/800)

They faded into a blur of Light and Darkness…

"And together they create… Drum roll please…"

A flash of light pierced the darkness.

"The rip-roaring Musician King!"

A tall figure appeared where they had been. He was a guitarist with a wild hairstyle, dressed in slacks and no shirt, holding an electric guitar. (1,750/1,500)

"That's weak!" laughed Panik.

"You just worry about the two facedown cards I'm putting down, and then we'll see who's weak," said Ansel, placing two cards into slots.

Two facedown cards appeared.

Panik snickered...

"Do you really think you'll fool me with the same trick twice?" he asked. "I'm not stupid, Ansel."

"Maybe not," answered Ansel, "but being intelligent doesn't necessarily make you sane, ugly…"

Panik snarled.

"And speaking of ugly, have you looked in a reflective surface lately? I'll bet when you were born, the doctor slapped your mother!"

Panik was now _very_ angry. He drew a card.

"You're a gutsy one, Ansel," he growled. "The only other person who had the gall to insult me was a much better duelist than you…"

He looked at the card.

_Eh…_ he thought. _This Monster is powerful, but he likely has a Trap waiting… Then again, there's nothing that says I have to attack with it…_

He switched cards on his Disk.

"I sacrifice my Ghost to summon The Beast of Talwar!" he exclaimed.

The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams shattered, and an intimidating form appeared. It was a muscular Fiend with green skin and short wings, holding two wicked blades. (2,400/2,150) –) (2,900/1,750)

"And I think I'll end my turn there…" he muttered.

"Playing conservatively, eh?" chuckled Ansel, making a draw. "Well, your Fiend is going down…

"I activate my Trap Card, Metalmorph."

His Trap Card lifted.

"It's a rare card," said Ansel, "which 'morphs' a Monster with metal. And I'll Equip it to Musician King."

Musician King's skin became metallic and shiny.

"And this lets me sacrifice him to summon an even stronger Spellcaster Monster from my deck…"

Energy surrounded Musician King, and he started to change.

"Meet Heavy Metal King!"

The creature that appeared resembled Musician King in outline, but his costume was much different – consisting of black leather, studded with spikes and chains, with a great deal of black and white face paint on his face. (2,050/1,700)

"HA, HA!" laughed Panik. "He's not nearly strong enough!"

"Oh?" asked Ansel. "Unlike his lesser counterpart, Heavy Metal King is a Dark Monster, so due to your own Field Card, he gets stronger."

(2,550/1,300)

"That's…" started Panik.

"Still not enough?" interrupted Ansel. "Well, I also have this…"

His other facedown lifted.

"Rush Recklessly. This gives him 700 more Attack Points for one turn."

Heavy Metal King's Attack rose to 3,250.

"Attack!" shouted Ansel. "Requiem blast!"

Heavy Metal King played a powerful note on his guitar… Beast of Talwar screamed and covered his ears before shattering.

**(A: 5,100) -------------------- (P: 6,450)**

"Oh, and Heavy Metal King has a special ability," said Ansel. "When he destroys a Monster, half of that Monster's base Attack is added to his Attack Score."

Heavy Metal King's Attack went down to 2,550, and then went up to 3,750.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"That is one powerful Monster…" muttered Russell.

"Well, pay attention," answered Trisha.

"How come?" asked Russell.

"Don't forget, our first exam is in a couple of weeks, and for all we know, one of us might be paired against him."

Jason rubbed his chin.

_Heavy Metal King is a strong Monster, yes,_ he thought. _But I know he has a weakness. Let's just hope that Ansel's opponent doesn't know it._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So you've managed to summon a powerful Monster," snarled Panik. "You'll still lose in the end."

He drew a card.

"I place one Monster in Defense Mode, and that will end my turn," he stated.

Ansel drew.

"Heavy Metal King, take out his mystery Monster," he ordered.

Heavy Metal King blasted his song on his guitar…

A silly-looking Monster appeared on the card before being blasted to pulp.

"Mystic Tomato?" said Ansel, surprised, as Heavy Metal King's Attack rose to 4,450.

Panik smiled a smile that Ansel didn't like.

"Tomatoes are strange fruits, Ansel," he said, removing his deck, "and don't believe people who tell you they're vegetables. Everyone loves tomatoes… They're good for pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salad, and a lot of other things…

"But tomatoes have a darker side… One of the tomato plant's close relatives is the belladonna plant, which isn't as good to eat. This plant is so toxic, that it is nicknamed the deadly nightshade…

"And the Monster you just destroyed takes after its sinister relative, allowing me to now summon a Dark Monster from my deck, so long as it has 1,500 Attack Points or less.

"And I choose Tainted Wisdom!"

He placed a card down. A sinister-looking brain appeared in front of him. (1,250/800) –) (1,750/200)

Ansel looked at him.

"Make your move…" he growled.

Panik drew a card.

"Since you're so fond of Fusion Monsters," he said, "I'll play one of my own."

He played a card, and Polymerization appeared on the field.

"I'll fuse Tainted Wisdom with the Ancient Brain I got from my Emissary!"

Ancient Brain appeared on the field, and the two Fiends merged…

"If you thought Skull Knight #2 was a handful," chuckled Panik, "wait until you see the original Skull Knight!"

A hideous form rose up in front of Panik. It was a creature in armor, with a breastplate shaped like a skull, and a horned helmet. He also had a shield shaped like a skull, and a wicked sword. (2,650/2,250) – (3,150/1,850)

Skull Knight and Heavy Metal King stared at each other for a minute…

"Skull Knight!" shouted Panik, "silence the Heavy Metal King with skull sword swipe!"

Skull Knight flew forward, and with one slash of his sword, struck down the musician! The Heavy Metal King was blasted into shards.

"I hate heavy metal…" muttered Panik.

**(A: 4,500) --------------------(P: 6,450)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I don't get it…" muttered Russell. "Ansel's Monster had over a thousand more Attack Points than that thing…"

"No he didn't," answered Jason. "Heavy Metal King has a weakness, and this guy did his homework.

"See, Heavy Metal King may gain Attack Points with each Monster he strikes down, but those bonuses only apply to when he's actually attacking. Any other time, like when the controller's opponent attacks, he loses that bonus. When Skull Knight attacked him, his Attack Score was only 2,550.

"And now Ansel is in trouble… That Monster was a NOMI, so he can't bring it back, and his opponent has something very strong on the field."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I'm not going to quit, pal!" shouted Ansel. "It'll be a cold day in Nashville when a Spragus looses to some square!"

He drew, and then placed a card on his Disk.

"Spirit of the Harp in Defense Mode."

Beautiful music started playing over the field, and a lovely woman in a golden robe appeared, seated at a harp. (800/2,000)

"Heh, heh," chuckled Panik. "You're hitting all the wrong notes!"

He drew a card.

"I summon the wicked Witch's Apprentice in Attack Mode."

He placed a card down, and a young woman in a witch's robe and hat, with feathered wings on her back, carrying a broomstick appeared.

"Now, in addition to the benefits of Mystic Plasma Zone," laughed Panik, "this Spellcaster will raise the Attack Score of all Dark Monsters on the field, including her own, by another 500."

(550/500) –) (1,550/100)

"Skull Knight, destroy his harpist!"

Spirit of the Harp screamed as the Knight made a savage slash, and she was obliterated.

"Witch's Apprentice, attack directly! Hexagram curse!"

Witch's Apprentice started to chant, and strange symbols appeared around her…

A magical circle appeared, and shot forward, striking Ansel!

_ARGH! AH!_ screamed Ansel inside his mind. _That really stings!_

_What kind of demented duel is this?_

He caught some deep breaths…

**(A: 2,950) -------------------- (P: 6,450)**

"Play whatever you like!" mocked Panik. "You'll never summon anything strong enough to defeat Skull Knight!"

Ansel drew a card.

"Well, I can buy myself some time…" he answered. "Time to shed some light on this darkness…"

He played a card.

"I play… Swords of Revealing Light!"

Panik gasped as the cage of Swords crashed down on him and his two Monsters!

"ARGH!" shouted Panik. "I _loathe_ that card!"

"Tough darts," chuckled Ansel. "Now I have three turns to find a way out of this, and when they're done, we'll see who's dancing in the dark!

"To complete my turn, I'll summon a Monster in Defense Mode. I summon… Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands."

A weird creature appeared on the field. Ten-thousand might have been exaggerating, but he sure had a LOT of hands. (1,400/1,000) –) (1,000/1,000)

"And now he'll lend _me_ a hand," said Ansel, taking his deck. "Because he lets me search my deck for any Ritual Spell or Monster Card. And I've got a good one in mind…"

He got what he wanted and then shuffled his deck.

"And I'll turn it over to you…"

Panik drew a card.

_Blasted Swords,_ thought Panik, drawing a card. _I have to protect myself for now…_

"I summon Versago the Destroyer in Defense Mode," he stated, playing a card.

A ghostly Fiend dressed in green wrappings with large, violet wings appeared. (1,100/900) –) (2,100/500)

"That all?" chuckled Ansel. "Your Field Card has a weakness – your Monsters now have great Attack, but they have pathetic Defense…"

He drew a card.

_Bingo,_ he thought.

"I play a powerful Spell Card," he said. "Pot of Avarice."

A holographic projection of a goofy jar inlaid with jewels an a lolling tongue appeared.

Five cards slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now I can take five Monsters of any kind from my Graveyard, and reshuffle them into my deck…"

He shuffled the five cards into his deck.

"…and then draw two cards…"

He put the deck back, and drew two.

"Now I play… Heavy Storm!" he shouted.

He played the card, and a fierce wind blew through the whole arena! The Swords shattered, and the inky darkness of the Mystic Plasma Zone literally blew away!

All three of Panik's Monsters lost 500 Attack Points.

"That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen!" laughed Panik. "You destroyed my Field Card, but you destroyed the only thing keeping my Monsters at bay."

"Oh really?" asked Ansel, playing a card. "Well, how about this… I play Snatch Steal."

He played the card, and two ghostly hands reached out of it and grabbed Skull Knight!

"Eek…" muttered Panik.

"And now I'll play this Ritual Card," continued Ansel. "Commencement Dance."

He played the card, and a lovely dancer with blades on her wrists appeared and started to dance around Skull Knight.

"Now I have to sacrifice at least six stars worth of Monsters, and your Skull Knight is more than enough…"

The Spellcaster vanished, and the dancer started to change…

"Now the curtain will truly rise… Presenting the star of my show, Performance of Sword!"

The dancer transformed into a tall belly-dancer dressed in a bikini top and skirt, holding two long rapiers. (1,950/1,850)

"Ain't she a beauty?" asked Ansel. "And I'll give her even more moves with this… The Equip Card, Ritual Weapon."

He played a card. Performance of Sword's rapiers vanished, and were replaced by two much fancier blades.

"This Equip is just like Fusion Weapon, only it works on Ritual Monsters," he said. "In case you need reminding, it brings her Attack and Defense up by 1,500 apiece."

Her stats went up to (3,450/3,350).

"I'll switch Maju into Attack Mode too…" chuckled Ansel.

Panik just stared at him as Manju moved into Attack Mode.

"Performance of Sword, wipe out his Witch's Apprentice with Dance of Death!"

The Warrior started dancing and capering about… Witch's Apprentice dropped her broom and covered her head in fear before she was struck and blown into a million pieces.

"Manju, destroy Versago," shouted Ansel. "Thousand-fist pummel."

The strange Fairy flew towards Versago the destroyer and punched it with all of its hands, blowing it into shards.

"No Monsters left, pal," chuckled Ansel. "I'd say you're in big trouble…"

**(A: 2,950) -------------------- (P: 4,050)**

Panik smirked.

He drew a card.

"I'm in trouble, Ansel?" he asked. "Actually, I've already had a solution to this problem in my hand for quite a while…"

He played a card.

"I play Eternal Rest!"

Performance of Sword gasped!

Ghostly spirits flew from the Spell Card and started to fly around her…

"This Spell Card destroys all Monsters armed with Equip Spells, so all I can say to your dancer is, rest in peace!"

Performance of Sword screamed, and was consumed by the spirits.

"Next I'll play Revival of the Wicked," he said, playing a card. "This Equip lets me Special Summon a Fiend-Type Monster of five stars or less from my Graveyard, so I'll bring back King of Yamimakai."

King of Yamimakai arose again. (2,000/1,350)

"Destroy his Manju!" ordered Panik.

The demon shot forth his thunderbolts, and Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands was blown away.

**(A: 2,350) -------------------- (P: 4,050)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"He can revive any Fiend of five stars or less and that's it?" asked Trisha. "That seems unfair!"

"Well, if memory serves me correctly," said Jason, "The resurrected Fiend is destroyed if the user does not discard one card during each of his Standby Phases. But he has two cards remaining in his hand, which might give him at least two turns…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"My draw!" shouted Ansel.

He drew and looked at the card.

"One Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all…" he said.

Panik drew a card. Then he discarded one.

"I summon my third Skull Knight #2," he said with a laugh.

A third of the lesser Knights appeared. (1,000/1,000)

"King of Yamimakai, attack the facedown Monster."

The Fiend shot forth its lightning.

Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and was blown away.

"Yoink!" chuckled Ansel. "Now I get to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard."

A card fell out of his discard slot and he took it.

"Too bad you can't play it," laughed Panik. "Skull Knight, attack directly!"

The Fiend flew forward and slashed across Ansel's chest. He screamed...

**(A: 1,350) -------------------- (P: 4,050)**

"I end my turn…" said Panik with a smile. "Soon, you'll be finished…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"These direct attacks seem to be hurting him a lot," said Russell. "I wonder why?"

"Maybe his Disk is set too high," suggested Trisha.

"I hope so," said Jason, "because if it isn't…"

He paused.

"What?" asked Trisha.

"Well," said Jason, "they say that when an attack hurts that much, it…"

He paused again.

"…I'll tell you later."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ansel looked at his deck, and at the two cards in his hand.

_I just need one card,_ he thought. _If I draw the card I need, I might beat this guy…_

He drew a card.

"I play the card I got back from Magician of Faith," he exclaimed. "Polymerization! And this time, I'll fuse together two more glam girls… First, Hibikime."

A Warrior in a green dress holding a weapon similar to Sonic Maid's appeared. (1,450/1,000)

"And joining her in this duet… Queen's Double."

A smaller female Warrior in a violet robe with braided hair appeared. (350/300)

The two Monsters merged together in a swirl of light…

"Presenting… Empress Judge!"

A tall, stately woman in a judicial robe, holding a sword in one hand and a set of scales in the other appeared! (2,100/1,700)

"Empress Judge, attack the Skull Knight!" shouted Ansel. "Sword of judgment!"

Empress Judge rushed towards Skull Knight, and it was cut down!

Panik cringed

**(A: 1,350) -------------------- (P: 3,050)**

"That's my turn, spooky," chuckled Ansel. "Now you can either discard the only card you'll have to let that thing defend you, or you can choose not to, and leave yourself wide open."

Panik's hand shook as he drew a card.

_Worthless…_ he thought.

He discarded it, and then turned the card on his Disk. King of Yamimakai crouched in Defense Mode.

"Thought you might," chuckled Ansel, drawing a card.

_Trap Card,_ he thought.

"I'll place a card facedown…" he stated.

A facedown card appeared.

"…and then I'll attack with Empress Judge!"

Empress Judge slashed with her blade, and King of Yamimakai was vanquished.

"Well, your move, fellah," he said. "You'd best hope that your next draw is a Monster, or the curtain is going down… for you."

"I draw one card…" muttered Panik.

He made a slight grin as he looked at it.

_I just drew my Night Assailant!_ he thought. _I'll be able to eradicate his Empress Judge!_

"I place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode…" he said, placing it on his Disk.

The facedown Monster appeared.

"Will you now?" chuckled Ansel. "I activate… Shadow of Eyes!"

Panik gasped as the Trap Card lifted. The shadowy assassin was flipped up and into Attack Mode! (200/500)

"A Night Assailant, huh?" asked Ansel. "What Fiend Deck would be complete without one?

"Well, since you have no more cards to play, I'll take my turn…"

He drew a card.

"And now, the closing number," he said, playing it. "I play an Equip called… Fulfillment of the Contract."

The card appeared.

"For a small admission fee of 800 Life Points," he continued, "this lets me bring one Ritual Monster back from the grave, so Performance of Sword is coming back for an encore."

The dancer rose again, flashing her blades. (1,950/1,850)

"Performance of Sword, take out that Night Assailant. Dance of Death!"

Performance of Sword danced towards the Fiend and gracefully struck it with her sword, blowing it to atoms.

"All right!" shouted Ansel. "Empress Judge, give this guy a queen-sized crowning! Attack directly!"

Panik screamed as the Warrior charged and struck with her sword. He fell to his knees.

**(A: 550) -------------------- (P: 0)**

And then the unexpected happened. Shadowy shapes started to rise, and he just vanished.

"Well…" muttered Ansel.

He took a comb from his pocket and started to comb his hair.

The Swords of Concealing Light faded.

"Ansel!" shouted Trisha.

"Well, hi guys," laughed Ansel. "How long were you watching?"

They were pleased he was in a good mood. It must have been from winning.

"Since the start," said Jason. "Who was that guy?"

"Some nutjob," chuckled Ansel. "He said his name was Panik. Totally square, right?"

"Panik?" asked Jason.

He searched his mind.

Then he compared the duelist he had just seen to someone else he had seen… On a DVD…

"Now I remember where I saw that guy before…" he said in a low voice.

"Huh?" asked Russell. "Where?"

Jason didn't reply for a minute.

"That guy looked pretty good," he said, "for someone who would have had to be about one-hundred and thirty years old…"

_Friday, September 10th, 2106, 8:20 PM_

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**C-MINOR (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A musical scale with multicolored notes.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack against one of your Attack Position Normal Monsters that has three stars or less. Double the ATK of the Monster being attacked until the end phase of the round.

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**REVIVAL OF THE WICKED (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Dark Ruler Ha Des in a dark cemetery with fiendish spirits flying from the graves.

**Card Description:** Special Summon one FIEND-Type Monster of five stars or less from your Graveyard in face-up Attack Position and Equip it with this card. If this card is destroyed, remove the Equipped Monster from play. If you do not discard one card during each of your Standby Phases, this card is destroyed.

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**HEAVY METAL KING (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,050  
**DEF: **1,700

**Card Description:** This sinister creature combines music with black magic to strike down enemies. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster can only be Special Summoned from your hand or deck to your side of the field by offering one "Musician King" equipped with "Metalmorph" as a Tribute. When this Monster destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, increase the ATK of this Monster by half the base ATK of the destroyed Monster. If this Monster is attacked by an opposing Monster, it is not considered to have these bonuses.

_Note: "Heavy Metal King" was used by Johnny Stepps in the anime episode "Steppin' Out". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Ansel's Recreation Deck:**

_**Ansel is a big fan of outdated music and dance styles… Some would say dead styles. Of course, a lot of people would say that you can't be rich without being eccentric. His dueling strategy mirrors his likes – a deck based on music and dancing.**_

_**Although Ansel calls it a "Recreation Deck", it is truly a Fusion and Ritual Deck. He has four major players that are his main offensive force, three of which are Fusions, and one which is a Ritual: Musician King, Empress Judge, Warrior of Tradition, and Performance of Sword. The Monsters in his deck are almost entirely the fusion material Monsters, as well as three Manjus to make the Ritual easier. Heavy Metal King is a fifth player that only shows his face rarely, as he isn't the easiest Monster to bring out. (And the rare card Metalmorph is a useful Trap to use on any Monster, not just Musician King.)**_

_**All four of the major players are six stars or less, so they can all benefit from Fusion Weapon, or in Performance of Sword's case, Ritual Weapon. In addition, Ansel has two copies each of Re-Fusion and Fulfillment of the Contract, as well as Spell Economics, which lets him use them for free. **_

_**Other spaces in his deck are interchangeable with his side deck. Traps such as Shadow of Eyes are used as the mood fits him. **_

_**At times when he knows he faces a serious opponent (he was not expecting one in this instance) Ansel has a second deck centered around a much more powerful dancer – Alexis Rhode's signature Monster, Cyber Blader. This second deck was actually the key to Ansel winning most of his major tournaments, but he doesn't use it for casual play. The fact is, Ansel has a soft spot for such a magnificent dancer, and whenever she is defeated during a duel, he is depressed for a long time. As a result, the Cyber Girl Deck is reserved for when he knows he needs someone powerful. (Ansel may have arrogance, but he has a lot of respect for his cards.)**_

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**0**

_**Well, that was interesting…**_

_**Was Panik an imposter? Or was he somehow reborn through the foul magic of the Orichalcos?**_

_**The question will go unanswered… For now.**_

_**Coming up next…**_

**_The weekend is upon the school, and with it comes a new user character, and Russell tries to help a student who may be in over his head. The chapter is called "Big Wave, Small Wave", and it's coming up next._**


	8. Big Wave Small Wave

_**My name is James. All the good names were taken. **_

_**My folks claim I could talk when I was eight months old. I could read at first grade level when I was two. I could read Milton when I was five.**_

_**I've always been a bit on the brainy side, but unfortunately, I never had a body as strong as my mind. I've been called so many names in my life – geek, nerd, shrimp…**_

_**I've always felt I had a lot to prove, and that's why I'm here…**_

_**And that's why I designed my dueling strategy the way I did.**_

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**CHAPTER SEVEN**

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**Big Wave Small Wave**

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_Saturday, September 11th, 2106, 10:15 AM_

Classes weren't held on Saturdays, other than a few voluntary electives (those who believed in Exodia Gold said that they met on Saturdays in a secret location), and that gave the three teens time to research the strange duel they had witnessed.

They were in the library, surrounded by books and papers.

"It was so strange," muttered Trisha. "Who was that guy?"

"I'll tell you who he was…" said Jason, bringing a book to the table.

He started to skim through it.

"In Maximillion Pegasus's original Duelist Kingdom tournament, forty contestants were invited, which meant eighty star chips were given out total at the start… but there could only be four finalists, meaning that they'd have forty chips between them when the finals started.

"So he needed a way to collect the other forty and weed out a few contestants…

"Pegasus hired a bunch of dueling mercenaries… Eliminators, he called them. These duelists used dirty tricks to defeat the duelists and disqualify them. They were more or less dueling assassins.

"Panik was the worst of the lot… He was sadistic and cruel. See, these guys knew secrets about the dueling arenas that most people didn't… Like built-in manacles and flamethrowers that he used to scare and intimidate victims."

He opened the book.

"And Panik used a nearly unbeatable strategy. His deck had three copies of this thing…"

A picture of Castle of Dark Illusions was on the page.

"This Monster's effect has been changed since it was first designed. Back then, it had a different effect than the Zombie-boosting ability it has now. It originally cast a shroud of inky darkness that hid all of his Monsters from view, protecting them from any possible attack.

"Even worse, Panik only 'hunted' at night, and due to the environmental effects of the dueling stations on Duelist Kingdom, playing at night gave an arena a permanent and indestructible Yami field."

"And his Monsters were all Fiends…" muttered Trisha. "Fiends gain power in the Yami field."

"Giving Castle of Dark Illusions an almost unbeatable Defense, and his Monsters a very powerful offense," agreed Jason. "Even worse, the Castle prevented the arenas' usual field effects from working, so unless his opponent used Fiends or Spellcasters, he was at a disadvantage."

"But how could he be back?" asked Russell. "Duelist Kingdom was over a hundred years ago."

"Even stranger," sighed Jason, "his duel with Yugi would have been his last, apparently. Yugi vaporized him… A Millennium Item-style death sentence for his cruelty."

"Maybe the guy we saw was an imposter," suggested Russell.

"I don't know," replied Jason. "Remember the guy saying he 'loathed' the Swords of Revealing Light? Well, that's the exact card Yugi used to defeat him. It's too much of a coincidence…"

"Are you suggesting he was a ghost?" asked Trisha.

Jason paused.

"Panik was an evil man, and a sadist, but he was no magician," answered Jason. "So who else but a ghost would be able to create a Shadow Game?"

"Shadow Game?" exclaimed Trisha and Russell at once.

"Ansel was really hurting when those direct attacks hit him," muttered Jason. "It leads me to believe that those images weren't the result of any Disk-created hologram…

"They were real…"

"Lovely," muttered Trisha. "First weirdoes with crazy cards, then duelists who might be ghosts. What next?"

"HEY! Give those back!" shouted a voice. "Those aren't mine!"

The three teens turned around.

A bulky student wearing an Obelisk blazer was holding two books out of reach of a Slifer who was incredibly short.

"You want these so bad?" laughed the Obelisk. "You can have them if you can reach them!"

The poor Slifer tried to reach for them, but he was way too short. Two other Obelisks nearby snickered.

The Slifer was a geeky kid, skinny with glasses and black hair. He wore battered sneakers and jeans and a white t-shirt under his blazer.

Russell sighed.

He walked up to the confrontation.

"Reginald!" he shouted. "Leave the poor kid alone!"

The Obelisk looked at him with a sneer.

"It's Reggie, Russell!" growled the Obelisk. "And this is none of your business!"

"You haven't changed, Reginald," chuckled Russell. "Still picking those who are weaker than you… I thought you had learned your lesson."

Reggie dropped the books.

Russell turned to the Slifer.

"Don't mind Reginald," chuckled Russell. "He's still mad because I humiliated him in a duel last year."

"That was because of a lucky draw on your part, Russell," sneered Reggie. "And let him fight his own battles."

"Sure!" laughed Russell. "You're only twice his size, twice his weight, and three years ahead of him!"

"Wait…" said the Slifer.

He paused.

"I'm not a coward, pal," said the Slifer. "If you think I'm easy pickings, why don't you prove it…"

Reggie chuckled.

"You want to duel me?" he asked. "Why not? I'll meet you after lunch at The Fountain. And my titans will squash you flat."

He started to turn to leave…

But then he turned around.

"Russell!" he snapped. "Don't you _dare_ tell him anything about how my deck works!"

He and his friends were gone in the next minute.

"Thanks," said the kid, picking up his books. "My name's James, by the way…"

"Aren't you a little young to be here?" asked Trisha.

"Well, before coming here, I skipped a lot of grades," answered James.

He sat at the table.

"My parents always expected a lot out of me, so they sent me to a lot of strict schools," he explained. "I've studied mythology, art, math, social studies, literature and science… Duel Monsters seemed the most logical next step."

"Look James," said Russell, "Reginald plays rough. You should know…"

"Stop that thought!" interrupted James.

He sighed.

"If I'm ever going to master dueling, I have to win on my own," he said. "So I really have no right to know his strategy. So please don't tell me."

Russell looked at him. He truly had the heart of a duelist.

And as much as he hated it, there was truth in that – telling him how Reggie's deck worked would give James an unfair advantage. It would be almost cheating.

"Okay James," sighed Russell, "but why don't we treat you to lunch in the Ra dining hall, and we'll support you for this."

"Thanks!" he exclaimed. "I just need to go find another book…"

As James went to the card catalogue, Jason spoke up.

"Just out of curiosity," asked Jason. "What IS Reggie's strategy?"

Russell paused.

"Goblins…" he answered.

"Goblins?" asked Trisha, surprised.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Lunch was better than last night's dinner. It wasn't every day that one of the cafeterias served chili cheeseburgers.

James was going over his deck.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, looking at a card, "but I really can't use you in my deck anymore… I need to make room for another Kozaky…"

"Kozaky?" asked Trisha. "Who's that?"

James grinned.

"You'll see…" he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Fountain, as it was called, was an elaborate work of art situated at the center of campus.

The statue in the center of the large basin was dominated by a large image of The Legendary Fisherman. Two Mermaid Knights were below him, and the base was supported by four statues of Water Omotics, spilling water from their jars.

Reggie was waiting by The Fountain with his two friends behind him as James walked up with Russell behind him, and Jason and Trisha behind him.

"Well, their names might be James and Reginald," said Russell, looking at Reggie, "but they might as well be David and Goliath."

"Glad you could make it, short stuff," chuckled Reggie. "Thought for a minute you'd chicken out. How about we make this interesting… Loser has to folk over his rarest card, ala Battle City!"

"Reggie!" said one of his friends, pulling him aside.

"That's not a good idea…" he whispered. "You know playing with antes is against the rules… You could get detention…"

"You let me worry about that, Will!" snapped Reggie.

"You're on!" answered James.

"Okay James," cautioned Russell. "Don't let him or his scary Monsters intimidate you. Just trust yourself, and tell yourself you can win…"

"All right!" laughed Reggie. "Let's do this…"

The Disks activated.

They both drew their first hands.

**(James: 8,000)--------------------(Reggie: 8,000)**

"My creatures will crush you…" laughed Reginald. "But anyway, I'll let you go first…"

"Well thanks…" said James, drawing a card.

"Be careful James!" cautioned Russell. "Going first isn't always a good thing. He'll be able to see part of your strategy…"

James nervously looked over his cards.

"Okay…" muttered James. "Let's see here…"

He nervously looked over the cards.

"I play a Spell Card," he said. "A Continuous one called Heart of the Underdog…"

He played the card, and a card bearing the image of a young man in rugged clothing appeared.

"What does that do?" asked Reggie.

"You'll see when I start my next turn," replied James. "Now I'm going to summon a Monster in Attack Mode. A little guy called Skull Servant…"

He placed a card down, and a small skeleton clad in a ragged, purple robe appeared. (300/200)

"And that will be my turn…" he said, nervously.

"What is he doing?" asked Trisha, startled. "Playing that really weak Monster in Attack Mode with nothing to protect it…"

"You call _that_ a Monster?" laughed Reggie, drawing. "I'll show you a Monster… I summon Giant Orc in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and a huge, ugly ogre with a bald head, fangs, and carrying a huge femur as a club appeared. (2,200/0)

"You think that scares me?" said James with a smirk. "That guy may be strong, but I happen to know that when he attacks, he has to shift into Defense Mode, and his Defense Score is a big, fat zero."

"Look who knows so much," said Reggie, sarcastically. "True, you'd destroy him easily if he attacked. But then, there's no rule that says I _have_ to attack now, so I'll just end my turn."

"Now what's he up to?" asked Jason.

"Reginald used this strategy on me too…" muttered Russell, getting worried. "I know exactly what he's up to…"

And he was _really_ worried. A blow from that thing could knock James out cold…

"Well," said James. "Now I'll show you what Heart of the Underdog can do. See, during my Draw Phase, if I draw a Normal Monster, I can draw again if I show the card to you, and then again, and again, so long as I keep drawing Normal Monsters…"

He drew a card.

"I drew… Kozaky!" he exclaimed.

He drew again.

"Now I drew… Dancing Elf."

He drew again.

"I drew… Mokey Mokey."

He drew a fourth time.

He looked at the Trap Card.

"Well, it seems I can't draw again…" he said with a shrug.

"I'll place two cards facedown, and end my turn," he said.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Fine," said Reggie, "first I draw…"

He drew a card. He gave it a look.

"…then I attack! Giant Orc, bone basher!"

Giant Orc lunged forward and smashed the Skull Servant to smithereens! James shielded himself.

**(J: 6,100)--------------------(R: 8,000)**

Giant Orc stumbled backward, dropping his club and landing on his behind in a daze.

"Well now he has to move into Defense," chuckled James. "Not that he has any. And I summon Ruklamba the Spirit King!"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a strange Fiend appeared. It looked like a humanoid crocodile with beady eyes and long, wet, black hair. (1,000/2,000)

"It's still my turn…" started Reggie.

"True, but due to Ruklamba's effect," explained James, "I can Special Summon it immediately if I lose 1,000 or more Life Points from a single attack.

"By the way, this guy is my rarest card, in case you still want to play with that ante…"

"Clever," chuckled Reggie. "You _wanted_ me to destroy that Skull Servant, didn't you? Well I can be clever too…"

He fit a card into a slot.

"_Say hello to my little friend_," he said, in a bad impression of Al Pachino, "or rather Giant Orc's little friend, Second Goblin."

A tiny Fiend with a bald head and an eyepatch carrying a towel appeared. (100/100)

It hopped on Giant Orc's shoulders and mopped the ogre's brow with the towel…

"What's going on?" asked James.

"Second Goblin is a Union Monster," replied Reggie. "It's a Monster that you use like an Equip Spell Card. And it works great with Giant Orc, because once per round, it can return my Orc from the defensive to the offensive."

Giant Orc grabbed his club, and stood up again.

"The only offensive thing is his body odor…" muttered James.

"My draw," he said, drawing. "And Heart of the Underdog works again, because I drew Goblin Calligrapher, letting me draw again."

He drew.

"Mmm, not the right card," he said. "And since Heart of the Underdog has served its purpose, I'll play Emergency Provisions to get rid of it… And gain 1,000 Life Points."

He played a card, and a huge mouth appeared, swallowing the Spell Card.

"Next I'll activate Ruklamba's other special ability," he continued. "By sacrificing it, I get to summon as many Monsters as I want, so long as the sum of their Attack Scores doesn't exceed 2,000."

Ruklamba vanished.

"So first, I'll summon Mokey Mokey."

A little, square Fairy with stubby arms, tiny wings, and a question mark on its head appeared. (300/100)

"Then, Dancing Elf."

A small, female pixie with dragonfly wings appeared. (300/200)

"Goblin Calligrapher."

A little Fiend with purple skin, a horn on his forehead, and a pen behind his ear appeared. (400/400)

"Kozaky."

A creepy mad scientist in a lab coat with reflective glasses appeared. (400/400)

"And finally… Gigobyte."

A cute-looking little lizard man appeared, with tiny claws and teeth. (350/200)

"That will be all for now…" he said.

**(J: 7,100)--------------------(R: 8,000)**

"Oh, I get it…" muttered Jason.

"What?" asked Trisha.

"James's strategy," he replied. "Professionals call it 'Human Wave'… Those with less respect for it call it 'Weenie Rush'. He's using very weak Monsters with no effects and likely has a lot of cards to take advantage of them."

"How cute," mocked Reggie, drawing. "I'll take down all your minor-league Monsters one at a time! I summon Goblin Elite Attack Force!"

A squad of four goblins wearing armor and holding spears appeared. (2,200/1,500)

"These guys have the same weakness as Giant Orc," he said, "but unlike him, they have a respectable Defense Score."

"Giant Orc, attack his… what did he call it? Oh right, Mokey Mokey!"

Giant Orc lunged forward and smashed Mokey Mokey to bits.

"Nice try," said James, "but you activated both of my Traps…"

His two facedown cards lifted.

"The first is Spirit Barrier. This prevents me from losing Life Points as long as I have at least one Monster on the field, and as you can see, I have four more."

Thunder started to roll…

"Next, Human-Wave Tactics. So long as this card is active, whenever a one-star or two-star Normal Monster is destroyed, I can summon a new one from my deck at the end of the round."

Giant Orc toppled over into Defense Mode again.

Reggie glared at him.

"Goblin Elite Attack Force, attack Dancing Elf!"

The four goblins rushed Dancing Elf, and she was blown away.

The goblins started panting in exhaustion, and knelt in Defense Mode.

"And now Second Goblin moves Giant Orc back into Attack Mode…" he continued.

The little Fiend rubbed its host's forehead with the towel, and Giant Orc arose again.

"Great," said James. "And thanks to Human-Wave Tactics, I can now summon a second Mokey Mokey and a second Dancing Elf from my deck."

Two more Monsters appeared to replace the destroyed ones.

"Fine," muttered Reggie. "I'll just start over again."

"Now I'll reshuffle," said James, reshuffling. "Then I'll draw…"

He looked at the card.

"And I just drew my favorite Spell Card!" he laughed. "The Law of the Normal!"

Thunder rolled again…

"What does that do?" asked Reggie.

"This Spell Card can only be played when I have five one-star or two-star Normal Monsters on my side of the field," replied James, playing it.

His Monsters started to glow with intense light.

"And first, all cards on the field except Monsters that fit that category are destroyed."

A great wave of orange energy blasted forth! All of Reggie's Monsters shattered to bits, as did James's two Trap Cards.

James smirked.

"And we also both have to discard all the cards in our hands…" he continued.

Reggie gulped.

They discarded their hands.

"Talk about a powerful card…" muttered Trisha.

"And since you're defenseless…" chuckled James. "Kozaky, Goblin Calligrapher, Dancing Elf, Skull Servant, Mokey Mokey, ATTACK!"

The next few seconds were chaos! Kozaky and Gigobyte raked at Reggie with their claws, Dancing Elf landed a flying kick, Mokey Mokey fired a beam of light from his eyes, and Goblin Calligrapher's pen grew to the size of a sword, and he slashed with it!

**(J: 7,100) -------------------- (R: 6,250)**

"Hey, there's a duel going on!" shouted someone.

Two Ras ran up to see what was happening as Reggie caught his breath.

"My draw…" he muttered.

He drew a card.

"Hey, not bad…" he chuckled. "I hope you like candy…"

"Candy?" asked James.

Reggie played a Spell Card.

"As in _bars_! I play Nightmare's Steelcage!"

The ground around James and his Monsters erupted in fire, and a dome-shaped metal cage studded with spikes surrounded them!

"Now you can't attack me until two of your turns are over!" laughed Reggie.

"By the same token, _you_ can't attack _me_," replied James.

"Well, since I have nothing to attack you with, I see no problem," answered Reggie with a shrug.

"Well in that case, I'll move now…" said James.

He drew one card.

_I'll save this,_ he thought.

"I'll pass for this turn," he said.

Reggie drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed…" he stated.

He played the card.

"And I'm sure I don't need to tell you what that does…" he added, as he drew two cards.

_All right!_ he thought, looking at them.

"I first place a card facedown," he said, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

"And then I activate Mirage of Nightmare."

He played the card, and it appeared.

"Clever…" sighed Jason. "Ten bucks says that the facedown card is Emergency Provisions."

"No it isn't," answered Russell, shaking his head. "Reginald has another way to get rid of Mirage…"

"My turn now…" said James.

He drew a card.

"And Mirage of Nightmare activates!" laughed Reggie. "Now I can draw until I have four cards!"

He drew four.

"And next I'll activate my facedown card… It's a Quickplay called Goblin Trader."

"Huh?" asked James. "What the…"

The card lifted, revealing a picture of Goblin of Greed selling Pots of Greed at a merchant's stand.

"To play this card, I have to pay 1,000 Life Points," explained Reggie, "then _you_ gain 1,000 Life Points…"

The scores adjusted.

"And in return, I can send any number of cards I have on the field to the Graveyard, and then draw two cards for each. So I'll send Mirage of Nightmare to the grave…"

The card vanished.

"And draw two cards," he said, drawing. "I may have given you a lead, but now I have a full hand, while you only have two cards."

**(J: 8,100)-------------------- (R: 5,250)**

_And with the cards I have, another strategy is forming…_ he thought.

James looked at the card he had drawn.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

The facedown card appeared, and the Nightmare's Steelcage dissolved, fading like sugar in the rain.

"Then I'll move," laughed Reggie, drawing a seventh card. "First I'm going to summon two special Monsters called Half Goblins…"

"You can't summon two Monsters at once!" protested James.

"Yes I can," answered Reggie. "If I discard a Warrior-Type Monster, I can summon a Half Goblin as a Special Summon. So I'll discard Blindly Loyal Goblin and Goblin Attack Force, and summon both of these guys, in Defense Mode."

He discarded the two cards, and two short goblins in leather armor with helmets appeared, kneeling in Defense. (500/500)

"And now I'll summon… Goblin King!"

He played the card, and a small imp with green skin in a royal robe and a small crown appeared. (0/0)

"Huh?" asked James.

"Goblin King gains 1,000 Attack and Defense Points for every Fiend on the field aside from itself," explained Reggie. "Oh, and by the way, that includes your Kozaky and Goblin Calligrapher, so thanks so much, you fool!"

Goblin King grew to giant size, and roared! (4,000/4,000)

"I activate Gravity Bind!" shouted James, as his Trap Card lifted.

A wave of energy covered the field.

"Now, all Monsters of four stars or higher can't attack!"

Reggie laughed out loud.

"Izzat so?" he snickered. "I've got news for you… Goblin King is a one-star Monster!"

"Eek…" gasped James.

"Goblin King, attack his Mokey Mokey!" shouted Reggie.

Goblin King leapt up, and flattened the small Fairy with a mighty fist!

**(J: 4,400) -------------------- (R: 5,250)**

"Just so you don't get any ideas," continued Reggie, fitting his last two cards into slots, "I'm Equipping both my Half Goblins with Heart of Clear Water."

Two crystal amulets appeared around the Half Goblins' necks.

"This Equip can only be Equipped to Monsters with less than 1,300 Attack Points, but it makes them almost indestructible."

"We'll see about that…" said James.

He drew a card.

"And by the way James," chuckled Reggie, "Goblin King has another ability… You can't attack him so long as I have at least one other Fiend on my side of the field, which means that even if you found a way to make your weaklings strong enough, he's just as untouchable as my Half Goblins."

"That's some powerful strategy…" muttered Trisha. "It's like a lock!"

"Well, give Reggie some credit," answered Jason. "He does have a big head, but he made it to Obelisk, after all."

James looked at his card.

"I play the Spell Card, Pot of Charity," he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the golden version of the more familiar Pot of Greed appeared.

"Now I can make three draws, so long as I first remove a Light Attribute Monster in my Graveyard from play…"

One of his Mokey Mokeys slid out of his discard slot. He made three draws.

_Yes!_ he thought. _Now I can pull off one of my favorite combos._

"I Equip Goblin Calligrapher with Opti-Camouflage Armor," he said, playing the card.

A shimmering light surrounded the Calligrapher.

"This Equip can only be Equipped on a one-star Monster, and it lets such a Monster attack directly.

"Goblin Calligrapher… attack."

Goblin Calligrapher flew over Reggie's goblins and stabbed him with his pen. Reggie didn't seem to care.

**(J: 4,400) -------------------- (R: 4,850)**

"What on earth are you up to?" asked Reggie.

"You'll see," chuckled James. "I'll place two cards facedown, and end my turn…"

Two facedown cards appeared.

By now, quite a crowd had formed, and Reggie was getting nervous.

_I didn't expect this duel to draw so much attention…_ he thought. _And if someone turns me in…_

"Uh, James…" he said softly. "You know, that Ruklamba isn't really a card I could ever use, so uh… I'm willing to call off that deal…"

"Fine with me," said James, laughing softly. "So just move…"

"I draw one card…" said Reggie.

He made a draw.

"I activate my facedown card!" shouted James. "The Trap Card… Collected Power!"

The Trap lifted.

"Collected Power?" asked James. "What does that do?"

"Don't you even pay attention in class?" asked Russell. "Yugi himself used this Trap."

_Although,_ he thought, _I don't know why James is using it._

"Here's how it works," said James. "When Collected Power is triggered, all Equip Cards on the field are Equipped to one Monster of my choice. And I chose Goblin King."

The two amulets on the Half Goblins floated off and alighted around the puzzled Goblin King's neck. Then the shimmering light floated off of Goblin Calligrapher and surrounded Goblin King instead.

"Of course, since Goblin King is far stronger than 1,300 Attack-wise, that means those two Heart of Clear Water cards are destroyed," said James.

The amulets and the cards shattered.

"However," he continued, "the Opti-Camouflage Armor is a perfect fit."

"What are you up to?" asked Reggie, surprised. "Now my King can attack you directly! And he has 4,000 Attack Points!"

"Would you like to know what my other Trap is?" chuckled James.

His other facedown card lifted.

"Really Eternal Rest. Now, all Monsters on the field Equipped with Equip Spell Cards die."

A swarm of ghostly spirits flew out of the card! Goblin King screamed as they pounced on it, and it shattered!

Trisha laughed.

"James!" she shouted. "When you take Dueling Strategy, submit that as your combo project!"

"I'm glad he didn't decide to duel me…" chuckled Russell.

"Oh, you're a clever one…" growled Reggie, angrily.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

He fit it into a slot.

"I'll get rid of your annoying Trap with Mystical Space Typhoon!" he shouted.

A whirlwind shot from the Spell Card, and Gravity Bind shattered.

"Next I'll switch both my Half Goblins to Attack Mode," he stated, turning his cards.

The two small Fiends got up and drew daggers.

"And now I'll have them attack your Kozaky and Goblin Calligrapher."

The two Half Goblins charged, and stabbed the two opposing Fiends. Kozaky and Goblin Calligrapher shattered.

**(J: 4,200) -------------------- (R: 4,850)**

"My turn is over…" he said.

James drew.

He smiled as he looked at the card.

"As a wise man once said," he chuckled, "master your anger, or anger will be your master. You should have kept those guys in Defense Mode…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Brain Control!"

His Life Points fell by 800. The hideous brain appeared, and its two ghostly arms reached out and grabbed one of the Half Goblins, pulling it over to James's side.

"And now I'll use it to attack the other Half Goblin," he exclaimed.

The two Half Goblins ran towards each other with daggers held high…

They burst in an explosion!

"And now, I'll attack with Gigobyte and Dancing Elf," he laughed.

The two little Monsters charged.

"Ow, ow, DAMN!" shouted Reggie, as he was kicked and clawed.

"And that will do it for now…" said James.

**(J: 3,400) -------------------- (R: 4,250)**

"Who'd have thought a duel between an Obelisk and a first-year Slifer would be this close?" asked Trisha.

"Stranger things have happened," answered Jason. "After all, when Yugi dueled Kaiba for the first time, almost everyone thought that the odds against Kaiba losing even one Life Point were about five hundred to one.

"And, I might add, when Yugi assembled Exodia to win, it was the first time anyone had ever done so. Pegasus had meant for Exodia to be a sort of experiment, like the ultimate 'Easter Egg' of Duel Monsters… Likely, he never believed anyone would truly manage to summon him... Any duelist who was lucky enough to find one of the pieces other than the head, which was the rarest piece, might have heard rumors of an automatic win strategy, but the four limbs were simply odd-looking one-star Normal Monsters with enigmatic flavor text. Only those who found a head realized what Exodia was about until Yugi actually did it."

"My move!" shouted Reggie.

He drew.

He smirked as he looked at the card.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled.

He closed his eyes.

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

"I… think he got a good card…" muttered Trisha.

"You met my Goblin King," laughed Reggie, evilly, "now prepare yourself for the dreaded Goblin _Queen_! To summon the creature I'm holding, I'll remove my two Half Goblins and my Second Goblin from play…"

Three cards slipped out of his discard slot…

"What is he doing?" gasped Trisha.

"Wait…" muttered Jason. "There's only one Monster that can be summoned like this… A rare Fiend of incredible evil power…"

A black flame appeared in front of Reggie…

"Behold… **_Dark Necrofear!_**" he cackled.

A sinister form appeared. It was a female figure with a bald head and pointed ears, dressed in a metal brazier and knee-high boots. It clutched a demonic infant in her arms…

It opened its eyes, and they stared at James with evil light!

(2,200/2,800)

"What on earth?" shouted Russell. "_That_ wasn't in your deck when you dueled me, Reginald!"

"Yes it was," corrected Reggie, "but yougot lucky… It had hit the bottom of my deck…

"I remember the duel where you humiliated me, Russell, I remember the last round. I had 2,400 Life Points, you had 2,000.

"I had my Giant Orc Equipped with Second Goblin, Goblin Elite Attack Force, one Half Goblin, and Goblin King… my side was stacked…

"But you had the most frustrating opposition! Two Marauding Captains and an Axe Raider! I was helpless to touch you!

"And then you made the luckiest draw ever… Gilford the Lightning! By sacrificing your three Monsters to summon him, you vaporized all my Monsters and went in for the kill…

"But think now, Russell… If I had been luckier and had managed to draw this Monster before you had drawn Gilford, wouldn't that duel have ended very differently?

"Well, if wishes were fishes, they say… Dark Necrofear, wipe out his Dancing Elf with doom gaze!"

Dark Necrofear's deadly eyes opened wide, and it blasted a ray of blackness at Dancing Elf, eradicating her in a great explosion!

**(J: 1,500) -------------------- (R: 4,250)**

"Your move…" chuckled Reggie.

James started to sweat as he drew.

"I'll move Gigobyte… to Defense Mode…" he stated.

Gigobyte shielded himself.

"That's all I can do," he said.

Reggie drew a card.

_Dust Tornado… Might come in handy…_

"I'll place one card facedown," he stated.

A facedown card appeared.

"Dark Necrofear, take out that lizard!" he shouted.

Dark Necrofear's evil eyes blew Gigobyte away.

"You're next…" warned Reggie.

James paused before he drew.

He drew a card.

He showed him the card…

Pot of Greed.

He played the card, and brought the total in his hand up to four.

He made a slight grin.

"I summon my third Mokey Mokey…" he stated.

Yet another of the little Fairies appeared. (300/100)

"Defending with that pathetic marshmallow won't do you much good," chuckled Reggie.

"Take a closer look," said James. "I summoned him in Attack Mode."

"Huh?" asked Reggie. "You really think it can defeat Dark Necrofear?"

"Yes he can," answered James, "because I also have a Spell Card…"

He played the card…

"Triangle Power," he continued. "This Spell increases the Attack Strength of all one-star Normal Monsters on my side of the field by 2,000."

Mokey Mokey got excited, and his Attack Score increased to 2,300!

"Mokey Mokey, attack Dark Necrofear!" shouted James. "Infinite anger burst!"

"MOKEY MOKEY!" shouted the little Fairy. Beams of intense light shot from his eyes, and Dark Necrofear was vaporized!

Reggie grinned.

"Fine by me…" he said.

A strange look came over Mokey Mokey's face…

And then he floated over to Reggie's side. His eyes glowed with an evil red light.

"When Dark Necrofear is destroyed, it possesses one of your Monsters!" laughed Reggie.

"You think I didn't know that?" asked James. "I was expecting it!"

"Huh?" asked Reggie.

"Triangle Power has a side effect," answered James. "When I end my turn, Mokey Mokey will be destroyed, and Dark Necrofear will be gone for good."

Reggie's eyes opened wide…

"Okay Reginald," he said, "I'm ending my turn now."

Mokey Mokey shattered into pixels.

**(J: 1,500) -------------------- (R: 4,150)**

"Uh, yeah…" muttered Reggie, drawing. "Well don't get too comfy! All I need to do is draw the right Monster, and one direct attack will finish you off!"

He looked at the card he had drawn.

A bad draw… Mystic Plasma Zone would not even be useful as a bluff.

"I have to pass…" he said, nervously.

James drew a card.

"I summon another Goblin Calligrapher…" he stated.

Another Goblin Calligrapher appeared. (400/400)

"And now I'll play the card I just drew to summon my first one… Monster Reborn."

He played the card, and the original Calligrapher appeared.

"And finally the last card in my hand… Another Triangle Power."

Reggie gasped as the energy Triangle surrounded the two Fiends, and their Attack shot up to 2,400 apiece.

"Hey, wait a minute!" gasped Reggie.

"Both of you, attack!" yelled James.

The two supercharged Fiends lunged at Reggie and stabbed him with their pens. He toppled over.

**(J: 1,500) -------------------- (R: 0)**

"I win," he said.

As Reggie got up, everyone started laughing at him.

"No!" he said, looking towards James. "Just keep your little beasts away from me!"

He turned tail and ran.

"Well," said Russell, "I said this would be a battle between David and Goliath, but I didn't know how right I'd be…"

James started shuffling his deck again as Russell came up to him.

"Wow," muttered James. "He turned out to be nothing more than a big coward…"

Russell put his hand on James's shoulder.

"Most bullies are, James," he confirmed. "Most bullies are."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the lush penthouse, Fortunado mixed a Bloody Mary.

He turned his head slightly as a shadowy figure appeared behind him.

"Well," muttered Fortunado, "Panik was a big, fat, failure…"

"Do not worry, my liege," said a sinister voice, "he was among the weakest of the minions I could use; after all, most of his experience came from a time when Battle City rules hadn't been designed, and Duel Disks hadn't been invented.

"There's a lot more where he came from. I already have plans for someone else soon."

"Well, take your time," said Fortunado. "It's time to start working on the main plot again, and I have the Three Swordsmen looking for someone who should serve our purposes nicely…"

At that moment his cell phone rang. He answered it.

"Speak," he said.

"Boss?" said Cassius's voice. "Good news, and good news. We found the guy, and he's more than willing."

"Excellent," said Fortunado. "Bring him here for a little briefing. If all goes right, we can shoot the next scene on Monday…"

_Saturday, September 11th, 2106, 1:30 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**RUKLAMBA THE SPIRIT KING (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description:** This strange creature is said to rule over evil spirits. If you lose 1,000 Life Points or more from one attack, you can Special Summon this Monster from your hand. Offer this Monster as a Tribute to Special Summon Monsters whose Attack Scores add up to 2,000 or less.

_Note: "Ruklamba the Spirit King" was used by Gansley in the anime episode "Isolated in Cyber Space". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**HALF GOBLIN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **500  
**DEF: **500

**Card Description: **These nasty imps are the footsoldiers of the Goblin King. Discard one WARRIOR-Type Monster from your hand to Special Summon this Monster from your hand.

_Note: "Half Goblin" was used by Briar and Beauregard in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Duel Giant". All creative credit goes to the creators of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GOBLIN TRADER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Goblin of Greed at a merchant's stand selling Pots of Greed.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points. Your opponent gains 1,000 Life Points. Send any number of cards on your side of the field to the Graveyard. Draw two cards for every card you sent to the Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**James's Human-Wave Deck**

_James has been a small, geeky kid all his life, and rather than try to fight it, he has made the most of it. Thus, when designing a deck, he settled on a Human-Wave strategy, focusing on Monsters that were seemingly just as weak as he was. (He detests the term "Weenie Rush".)_

_Almost all of his Monsters are one-star and have no effect. Ruklamba is an exception, but this clever eight-star Monster can fill up his side of the field with his true weapons quickly. _

_His arsenal of Spells and Traps naturally take advantage of Monsters with his unique brand. The Spells include Triangle Power, Opti-Camouflage Armor, Heart of the Underdog, Level Limit Area B, and Enchanting Fitting Room. As for Traps, he has Gravity Bind, Spirit Barrier, and the powerful Human-Wave Tactics, which can replace his Monsters quickly. His powerful Spell Card, The Law of the Normal, is always risky to use, but it can devastate an opponent if he uses it at the right time. James plays a lot of Traps, but his deck is one where Spells can make up for it if his Traps are shut down. At one duel, his opponent summoned Jinzo, but James destroyed it with a combination of Triangle Power and Kozaky._

_James also created a unique strategy with two Traps in order to get rid of powerful Monsters: Collected Power and Really Eternal Rest. This combo first moves all Equips on the field to one Monster, and then destroys it, destroying both the Monster and any annoying Equips._

_James has proven in many instances that bigger does not always mean better._

**0**

**0**

**0**

"_**What fools these mortals be!"**_

**_If I said that, you'd likely be prepared for me to quote more Shakespeare, but coming up next, Trisha befriends a student with a serious attitude problem…_**

**_What does it have to do with The Bard? Stay tuned for "Reasoning", coming up next, and you'll find out!_**


	9. Reasoning

_**My name is Malvolio. **_

_**You might think it's a strange name; in case you don't know, it was the name of the villain in Shakespeare's comedy "Twelfth Night", a play I've memorized. Everyone in my family has had a thing for the Bard…**_

…_**and for dueling.**_

_**A lot of weight has fallen on my shoulders, and I don't like it. Being part of a legacy might seem good to some people, but it's really a pain. **_

_**I've tried hard to keep my fellow students away…**_

_**But I knew my act wouldn't fool everyone…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Reasoning**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Saturday, September 11th, 2106, 4:50 PM_

That evening, the Ra students made their way to the dining hall. Trisha was followed by two of her close friends, June and Amy.

Amy sighed.

"Chicken cutlets…" she muttered. "I think this school has a cookbook entitled _1001 Ways to Prepare Chicken._ Those cutlets are fattening…"

"It isn't the chicken that's fattening," answered June, "it's that thick sauce they put on it."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the three girls crossed the cafeteria with their trays (Jason and Russell were on the other side), Trisha noticed someone.

He was sitting by himself, as he always was, a half-eaten plate of chicken and yams and a dish of chocolate pudding to his right, and a Duel Disk to his left. A few cards were in front of him.

He was a very delicate young man… It looked like a strong wind could snap him into pieces and scatter the pieces. His limbs were long and lanky, and his torso was flexible. He had short, blonde hair, and pale grey eyes. His hair was combed up with the edges trimmed.

Both his blazer and pants were a size too large, making him look unkempt.

He noticed Trisha looking at him.

He held in his hands two Monster Cards: Command Knight, and Dream Clown. He held the two cards so they were facing each other.

He raised the Command Knight card.

"Save, thee, friend, and thy music!" he said in a high voice. "Dost thou live by your tabor?"

He lowered the card and lifted the Dream Clown card.

"No, sir," he said in another voice, "I live by the church."

He lifted the other card.

"Art thou a churchman?" he said in the high voice.

He lifted the Clown again.

"No such matter, sir," he said in the second voice. "I do live by the church for I do live at my house, and my house doth stand by the church."

Trisha went up to him.

"Uh, Malvolio?" she asked. "Would you like to join us?"

"Mmm…" muttered the youth in his high voice. "The sky is very blue today, is it not?"

"Come on, Trisha, leave the lunatic alone…" said June.

At the table with Jason and Russell, Trisha continued to look at Malvolio.

"Why are you so interested in him?" asked Amy. "Don't you know that he's nuts?"

"Yeah," replied June. "They say his parents sent him here to get rid of him."

"I'm worried about that guy…" said Jason. "He hasn't done anything bad yet, but insanity can often lead to violence. I'm afraid Malvolio is going to really snap one of these days, and hurt someone… or himself."

Trisha took the last bite of her chicken.

"I don't know," she said, chewing. "There's something strange about him being strange…"

They looked at her.

"Uhm, that didn't come out right…"

She picked up her pudding.

"Anybody want this?" she asked. "I'm full."

She hefted her backpack over her shoulder and went up to Malvolio's table.

Malvolio was looking at another Monster Card – the Machine called Patroid. He placed it on the table and started making siren sounds.

"Malvolio," said Trisha, "I want a few words with you…"

Malvolio's eyes narrowed.

"I fear I must decline, dear lady…" he said, in a faux British accent.

"Well I _fear_ I must insist!" said Trisha.

She grabbed his arm.

"Well, in that case…" he said.

He grabbed his Duel Disk from the table, but then made no more resistance.

"Russ," said Jason. "I have a feeling that Trisha might make him snap sooner than he should."

"All right," sighed Russell. "Let's follow from a safe distance."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the center of the Ra complex was a large promenade. You reached it via a stairway going down. In the center was a large pool in the shape of the image of the Spell Card, Spring of Rebirth. Students would often toss coins into this spring when they had an important duel in their schedule… a little luck never hurt.

Malvolio sat on the edge of the Spring, and looked up into the evening sky.

"Ah, what mysteries lie among the beauty of the infinite stars of the cosmos?" he said in his high voice.

"Can you cool it, Malvolio?" asked Trisha. "I'm starting to think you want people to think you're crazy…"

"Well, maybe I am a tad… off…" he replied.

"Are you really?" asked Trisha.

Malvolio giggled, and took a card out of his pocket.

"They say I'm nuts…" he chuckled. "They say I've gone crackers… Well, maybe it is true that I am a little… batty…"

He tossed her the card, and Trisha caught it.

It was Dark Bat.

"…blame it on the bats in my belfry!"

"Well, I don't buy it, Malvolio," she answered.

Malvolio looked at her.

"You've been acting crazy since we were both Freshmen," she said, "well, I don't believe it. If you were nuts, you wouldn't have lasted long here.

"I know what happened at the end of last year… Dr. Artemis personally congratulated you for acing all your exams, and you were third on the honor roll.

"You want to tell me what the deal is?"

Malvolio looked at her in silence for a long time.

"You can tell me," assured Trisha. "I'll keep it a secret."

Another long silence.

"You want the short version or the long version?" he finally said.

His voice was different. One octave lower and far more lucid.

"I want the most complete version," answered Trisha.

Malvolio paused. He took a piece of chewing gum out of his pocket and popped it in his mouth.

"It hasn't been easy for me, Trisha," he said, as he slowly chewed. "My family line goes back a _long_ time. My parents were duelists. My grandparents were duelists. My grandfather's father… Well, you get the idea.

"My great, great grandfather, Demetrius Lark…"

"Demetrius?" asked Trisha. "Is everyone in your family named after characters in Shakespeare?"

"It's a family tradition, Trisha," he answered. "All male children have been.

"Anyway, Demetrius was a duelist who took the Americas by storm one hundred years ago. He was undefeated, winning every possible title in North, South, and Central America…

"But to his regret, he never got to challenge a member of the Trinity.

"Anyway, the dueling tradition was passed down to sons and daughters, and they all carried on his legacy. My father Bassiano was the champion of Canada before his untimely death four years ago dumped it all on me…"

He let out a long sigh…

"You don't know what a pain it was, Trisha," he moaned. "It seemed that everyone wanted to duel me just to win and prove he was better than a Lark. That's the reason for the façade. I just want to keep people away from me…"

"So you pretend to be nuts so that gloryhounds won't bother you?" asked Trisha.

"I know it's hard to understand…" he replied.

"It is…" said Trisha, "but I know what can help…"

She took her Duel Disk out of her pack.

"Great," muttered Malvolio. "Now you're challenging me too."

"Yes, but I don't have anything to prove," said Trisha. "A lot about a person can come out in a duel. Consider it a… gentleman's challenge, and we'll see if we can figure anything out."

Malvolio looked at her.

"A gentleman's challenge?" he asked.

He picked up his own Disk.

"I can live with that…"

He reached under his oversized blazer and took a deck out of a holster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason and Russell looked over the railing, down at the Spring of Rebirth.

"Huh," said Jason. "It looks like Trisha is going to duel him."

"Should we stop this?" asked Russell.

"Not yet…" said Jason. "This could get interesting…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"All right, Mal," said Trisha. "Uhm, you mind if I call you Mal?"

"Eh, fine," answered Malvolio.

"Okay!" said Trisha, as her Disk activated. "Game start!"

**(Trisha: 8,000)--------------------(Malvolio: 8,000)**

Malvolio drew his first card.

"My first card will be…" he said.

He played a Spell Card.

"…Graceful Charity."

The beautiful angel appeared, and her feathers fell on his deck. He drew three cards.

"And, since I'm such a nice guy," he continued, "I'll show you one of the cards I'm discarding…"

He turned a card towards Trisha.

"He's a Warrior called Chain Thrasher."

"And you're telling me, because?" asked Trisha.

"Just remember that for later," said Malvolio, discarding it and another card.

"Next, I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared.

Trisha drew a card.

She smirked.

_On my first draw!_ she thought.

"I summon my favorite Monster!" she said, throwing a card down. "The incredible Nanobreaker!"

A shimmering light appeared on her side of the field, and the Monster formed. It was a woman dressed in futuristic, silvery armor, holding a large sword. She had glowing silver eyes, and long black hair. (1,600/1,800)

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"That's it!" exclaimed Jason. "Her special Monster!"

"How come?" asked Russell.

"Take a close look."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"And why is she your favorite?" asked Malvolio.

"Well… just look at her," answered Trisha. "See anything familiar?"

Malvolio gave the Machine a look…

And then it came to him. Nanobreaker was a dead ringer for Trisha herself. Trisha didn't have the armor and was less metallic, but the resemblance was uncanny.

_All right,_ thought Trisha. _That facedown Monster might have a nasty flip-effect or a high Defense…_

_But it might be a bluff…_

"Nanobreaker, attack with Nano-blade!"

Nanobreaker flew forward…

A weird creature appeared on the card. It looked like a face with a big nose, and a feathered headdress. Below it were two hands holding an axe.

Nanobreaker slashed with her sword, and it was sliced in half.

"Heh, heh," said Malvolio. "That was a Hane-Hane. And when it's flipped…"

Nanobreaker vanished.

"…one Monster on the field is returned to the owner's hand."

Trisha stared in disbelief.

"Oo-kay…" she said. "I guess I have to end my turn there…"

Malvolio drew a card.

"I summon another Chain Thrasher," he said, placing a card down, "in Attack Mode."

A young Warrior in a leather coat and trousers, holding a spiked chain appeared. (1,000/600)

"Well, uh… that's not so bad…" muttered Trisha. "Unless he has a…"

"…special ability?" answered Malvolio. "Yes. In addition to his normal attack, Chain Thrasher has an additional attack for every other Chain Thrasher in my Graveyard."

"And you put one there with Graceful Charity…" gasped Trisha.

"Exactly," said Malvolio, "so he can attack twice. Chain Thrasher, attack directly with chain rend!"

Chain Thrasher swung his chain, and then lashed at Trisha with it!

"Again!" ordered Malvolio.

Chain Thrasher twirled his weapon. Trisha groaned as she was whipped a second time.

She held her torso...

**(T: 6,000)--------------------(M: 8,000)**

"I'll end with a facedown card," said Malvolio, placing a card into a slot.

A facedown card appeared behind Chain Thrasher.

"My move…" muttered Trisha.

_I'm starting to understand why this guy's family was so sought after…_ she thought as she drew.

She looked at the Spell Card.

_Not bad…_

"I play the Spell Card, Magnet Circle LV 2," she said, playing it.

A metallic circle appeared in front of her, and a magnetic crane started to lower.

"Uh, cool name," said Malvolio, "but what does it do?"

"This Spell lets me Special Summon a Machine from my hand," she explained, "so long as its star level is no greater than two. So I'll summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car, in Defense Mode."

The large freight card with the fiendish face appeared. (500/500)

"Next I'll play… Machine Duplication."

She played the card, and two more Bokoichis appeared.

"And next, I'll sacrifice two of them, to summon Perfect Machine King!"

Two Freightening Cars vanished, and the huge robot appeared! (2,700/1,500) – (3,200/1,500)

"Not bad…" said Malvolio.

"Perfect Machine King," ordered Francesca, "attack Chain Thrasher with mega-missile assault!"

Two hatches opened on the Machine's shoulders, and a volley of missiles blasted forth. Chain Thrasher shielded himself before he was eradicated.

**(T: 6,000) -------------------- (M: 5,800)**

"Well…" said Malvolio. "I'll admit you are better than a lot of the egotistical fools who came looking for members of my family."

"I aced the exams last year too," answered Trisha.

Malvolio smirked.

He drew a card.

"I activate my facedown card…" he stated.

A Trap Card lifted…

Call of the Haunted.

"I'll use it to bring back my old friend Chain Thrasher," he added.

Chain Thrasher reappeared.

"But, I'm sending him right back to the Graveyard," he continued, "because I'm sacrificing him…"

Chain Thrasher vanished.

Then Malvolio placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Next, another facedown card," he said, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

"And it's your move…"

Trisha drew a card.

_He sacrificed a Monster for one that he put facedown in Defense Mode,_ she thought. _There aren't many Monsters that you summon like that. But Perfect Machine King should handle it…_

"I'll summon Nanobreaker again," she said.

Nanobreaker reappeared. (1,600/1,800)

"And now that I have two other Machines on the field," she continued, "my King gets stronger."

Perfect Machine King glowed. (3,700/1,500)

"Attack his facedown Monster!" she ordered.

Perfect Machine King fired his missiles…

"I activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Malvolio.

His Trap Card lifted, and the missiles were stopped by an invisible barrier.

"My Trap protects my Monster and ends this battle right now…" said Malvolio.

"Then it's your turn…" answered Trisha.

"Well," said Malvolio, drawing, "you might wonder why I used Negate Attack when there are so many better Traps that can protect a Monster. Well, see, to activate the effect of this Monster, I had to flip it myself…"

The card flipped into Attack Mode…

And a huge, stone statue appeared! It looked like the Great Sphinx of Gaza, as it was presumed to have looked when it was new. (1,700/2,400)

"That's Guardian Sphinx!" gasped Trisha.

"Oh, you've heard of it," answered Malvolio. "Then you know that now _all_ of your Monsters go back to your hand."

Perfect Machine King, Nanobreaker, and Bokoichi vanished.

"Guardian Sphinx, attack directly!" he shouted. "Monolith smash!"

Guardian Sphinx rose up and clapped its stone paws together…

Unfortunately for Trisha, she was between them.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Trisha is getting clobbered!" gasped Russell. "We have to stop this!"

"Why?" asked Jason. "I don't see any rules being broken."

"Well, yeah, but…" muttered Russell.

"We're duelists, Russell, it comes with the job description," said Jason. "I think Trisha would rather fight it out than have us end it forcefully for no legitimate reason."

"I guess…" answered Russell.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(T: 4,300) -------------------- (M: 5,800)**

Trisha held her head and staggered to keep her footing.

"Any questions?" asked Malvolio.

"One…" said Trisha, panting. "I noticed you seem to like Monsters that send mine back to my hand… is this a trend?"

Malvolio smirked.

"It's called a Bounce Strategy, Trisha," he said. "The Bounce has been the Malvolio family's trademark strategy since Demetrius. The current version of my family's deck, which is mine, was perfected by my great uncle Iago. His greatest success was using it to defeat a duelist who used the Five God Dragon…"

He smirked.

"The guy was shocked when his 5,000 Attack Point abomination was thrown off the field by a Penguin Soldier!

"To end, I'll activate Guardian Sphinx's other effect, which returns it to facedown Defense Mode."

Guardian Sphinx vanished, and was replaced by a facedown card.

Trisha looked at him for a few seconds.

Demetrius Lark may never have challenged any of the Trinity, but she realized he may have stood a fighting chance against them. Cards that used bounce effects were very potent…

She could just image the look on Kaiba's face if someone had bounced his Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon…

_If I attack his Sphinx, he can't use its effect,_ she thought, _but with 2,400 Defense Points, I'd lose Life Points slowly… There's got to be a way out of this…_

She drew a card…

She grinned.

"I play Soul Release," she exclaimed, playing a card. "I'll use it on my own Graveyard, removing my two Bokoichis from play."

The two cards fell out of her discard slot.

"And just why did you do that?" asked Malvolio.

"So I could play a powerful Spell Card," she said, playing another card. "I play… Advanced Robotics!"

A card appeared, showing the image of a grim-faced, giant mecha standing amid buildings.

"Advanced Robotics is a powerful card, but only if you draw it early in a duel," explained Trisha. "See, it can only be played when I have no Monsters in my Graveyard. That's why I used Soul Release.

"Now, by discarding two Spell and/or Trap Cards…"

She discarded two cards.

"…I can summon a high-level Machine with no sacrifices required. So I'll summon Perfect Machine King again."

She threw a card down on her Disk, and Perfect Machine King arose. (2,700/1,500)

"All right!" she shouted. "Attack his Guardian Sphinx!"

Perfect Machine King blasted his missiles. Guardian Sphinx appeared, and was blasted into shards of rock!

Malvolio cringed.

"Not bad…" he said. "My move now…"

He drew a card.

"I play my Pot of Greed," he stated, playing a card. "Now I'll draw twice…"

He made two draws.

"All right…" he stated, playing another card. "I'll unearth Premature Burial, to bring a Monster back from the grave…"

His Life Points fell by 800, and Hane-Hane reappeared. (450/600)

"Next I'll sacrifice my Hane-Hane for another Monster," he said.

Hane-Hane vanished.

"But once again, I'll keep you guessing."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That ends my turn."

**(T: 4,300)--------------------(M: 5,000)**

_That's clearly another Guardian Sphinx,_ thought Trisha, _but now he has no Traps to protect it…_

She drew a card.

"Here comes Nanobreaker again," she said, playing a card.

Her look-alike reappeared again. (1,600/1,800)

Perfect Machine King grew to 3,200 Attack.

"Perfect Machine King, take it out!" she shouted.

Perfect Machine King shot his missiles forward…

…and the Monster that appeared was NOT Guardian Sphinx. It looked sort of like Hane-Hane, only bigger, with a fancier headdress, holding two axes in its hands.

It was blown up.

"Heh, heh," said Malvolio. "That was Hane-Hane's older brother, Hade-Hane. His flip-effect is stronger, because he can bounce up to _three_ Monsters back to the owners' hands."

Perfect Machine King and Nanobreaker vanished.

"Not again…" muttered Trisha.

"My turn?" asked Malvolio.

"Uh huh…" muttered Trisha.

"I must say, this is fun!" said Malvolio, as he drew a card. "I had forgotten how enjoyable casual dueling can be!"

He fit two cards into slots.

"I place two cards facedown now," he said.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Next, I'll summon a Warrior that Joey Wheeler used at one time… Go, Hayabusa Knight!"

A Warrior in shining armor appeared, holding a rapier. His head was like that of a hawk. (1,000/700)

"I must say, this guy always confused me," said Malvolio. "He has the head of a bird, and yet he's an Earth Monster? Wouldn't Wind be more appropriate?"

"Maybe…" said Trisha nervously. She wasn't looking forward to what was coming next.

"He certainly _moves_ like the wind," added Malvolio. "Because he can attack twice. Hayabusa Knight, peregrine saber slash!"

The Knight flew forward…

Trisha cringed as he made two swipes across her torso.

She clutched her chest in pain.

**(T: 2,300) -------------------- (M: 5,000)**

"All right, my move…" muttered Trisha.

She drew a card.

She looked at the Trap Card.

"I'll set a card facedown," she stated.

A facedown card appeared.

"And I'll summon Nanobreaker yet again."

She played the card, and Nanobreaker appeared again. She didn't look very happy this time. (1,600/1,800)

"Attack Hayabusa Knight!" she shouted.

Nanobreaker raised her sword…

"I activate my facedown card," declared Malvolio.

A Trap Card lifted.

"Ordeal of a Traveler."

With a rumbling sound, another Sphinx rose behind him.

"Here's how it works, Trisha," he said. "Before your Nanobreaker can reach my Knight, you have to choose a card in my hand, and guess whether it's a Monster, Spell, or Trap. If you guess right, your Monster can attack. If you guess wrong, she'll be returned to your hand again."

"Uh…" muttered Trisha. "Okay…"

"Shouldn't be too hard, Trisha," he said. "I only have two cards in my hand…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"This is trouble," muttered Russell.

"Tell me about it," answered Jason. "Ordeal of a Traveler is a nasty Trap Card. You have only a one-in-three chance if your opponent uses it right, so the odds are against you…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Come on, Trisha…" said Malvolio. "The longer you take, the harder it's going to be…"

"All right, all right!" said Trisha. "I believe that… the card on the left is… a Monster Card."

Malvolio looked at the card.

He closed his eyes and flipped it around.

It was Armed Samurai Ben Kai.

"Well…" he sighed, "you got it…"

"And now your Hayabusa Knight is gonna get it!" exclaimed Trisha.

Nanobreaker swung her sword, and Hayabusa Knight fell backwards before shattering.

**(T: 2,300) -------------------- (M: 4,400)**

"Don't celebrate just yet, Trisha," warned Malvolio. "Nanobreaker avoided one Trap only to fall victim to the other… I hoped I wouldn't have had to use this…"

His other Trap lifted.

"I activate… Begone, Knave!"

An iron doorway appeared next to the Sphinx, and a knight with a halberd appeared in front of it.

He stretched out his hand, and Nanobreaker vanished.

"Huh?" said Trisha.

"Begone, Knave! is a very underrated and underused Trap," explained Malvolio. "When either one of us takes battle damage, the Monster responsible is returned to our hands."

"And by the way, Trisha," he added, "both Ordeal of a Traveler and Begone, Knave! are Continuous Traps which will activate whenever you attack.

"And now, it's my move…"

He drew a card.

"Since you saw this card, I'll summon him… Armed Samurai Ben Kai in Attack Mode."

A Warrior dressed in oriental clothing with a practical arsenal of weapons on his back appeared. (500/800)

"And now I'll Equip him with Axe of Despair," he continued.

An ugly-looking axe appeared in Ben Kai's hand, and his Attack Score went up to 1,500.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"NO!" gasped Russell. "This will take Trisha down to only 800!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Attack!" ordered Malvolio.

Ben Kai rushed at Trisha.

"I activate Sakuretsu Armor!" shouted Trisha.

Her Trap Card lifted, and a shimmering wall of force surrounded her. Ben Kai was blown to pieces.

"You aren't the only one who can set Traps…" she said with a grin.

"Well…" said Malvolio. "That's my turn…"

Trisha looked at the field.

_He has one card in his hand, but I don't know what it is,_ she thought. _And even if a Monster gets past Ordeal of a Traveler, it won't get past Begone, Knave! There has to be another way…_

She drew a card.

_Hey, it's the card I got from Randy! Well, why not?_

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon Dark Catapulter in Defense Mode," she said.

A large, bulky robot made of black steel with a dragon-like head appeared. (1,000/1,500)

"Next I'll Equip it with 7 Completed," she said, playing a card, "which increases its Defense by 700."

The number seven appeared on the Machine's chest, and its Defense rose to 2,200.

"And that's my turn," she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"A new one?" asked Russell.

"Yes," replied Jason. "One with a powerful effect if used right. Trisha is using a clever strategy."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Malvolio drew a card.

"I summon my third Chain Thrasher in Defense Mode," he said.

He put a card down, and another Chain Thrasher appeared, kneeling in Defense. (1,000/600)

"And that's my turn," he said.

_Oh, boy…_ thought Trisha, nervously. _He's obviously planning to get rid of his Begone, Knave! card and then clear my field again… Then that guy will be able to attack me three times!_

She nervously drew a card.

"I summon Battle Footballer in Defense Mode," she said.

The android wearing a football jersey and helmet appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,000/2,100)

"And I'll end my turn," she said. "So it's your move."

Malvolio drew.

"Actually, I choose to end my turn without making any move," he said.

"Good!" said Trisha, drawing. "Now you can see what Dark Catapulter can do."

"Huh?" asked Malvolio.

"See," explained Trisha, "For every one of my Standby Phases that it remains in Defense Mode, it stores one burst of energy. So it stored two. So now, I can remove two cards in my Graveyard from play to fire them, and destroy two Spell or Trap Cards.

"So, I'll remove Soul Release and Advanced Robotics from play…"

The two Spell Cards fell out of her discard slot.

"And now…"

Dark Catapulter gripped the ground tight, and the two catapults on its back cranked backwards…

And then they shot two blasts of energy forward! The Sphinx was blown up, along with the Ordeal of a Traveler card, and then the doorway and the knight were blown into pixels, along with the Begone, Knave! card.

"Crud…" said Malvolio.

"And now I'll sacrifice Dark Catapulter and Battle Footballer…" said Trisha.

The two Machines vanished.

"…to summon Perfect Machine King again!"

Perfect Machine King arose once more. (2,700/1,500)

"Attack Chain Thrasher!" shouted Trisha.

Perfect Machine King blasted forth his missiles, and Chain Thrasher was blown to pieces.

"Heh, heh, heh…" laughed Malvolio. "HA, HA, HA, HA!"

"What's so funny?" asked Trisha.

"This is great!" laughed Malvolio. "Finally, a real challenge. This is what a duel should be about!"

He drew a card.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode for my turn, and that will be all," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

_Uh oh…_ thought Trisha. _That's definitely another flip-effect Monster… Well, sorry, Mal, but I'm not falling for it this time…_

She drew a card.

"I'm going to pass for this turn," she said.

"Suit yourself," said Malvolio, drawing a card.

He added the card to his hand.

"I'll also pass…"

_Huh?_ thought Trisha. _Why didn't he flip it himself?_

_So, it is safe to attack it!_

She drew a card.

"I summon Nanobreaker yet again," she said, playing a card.

Nanobreaker appeared once more. (1,600/1,800)

"Perfect Machine King, take out his facedown Monster!" she shouted. "Mega missile assault!"

The barrage of missiles shot forward…

A rocky, wild-haired man wearing a martial arts _gi_ appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

And then Perfect Machine King vanished!

Trisha's eyes opened wide!

"That was my Legendary Jujitsu Master," chuckled Malvolio. "He's not really a bounce Monster, he's a 'spin' Monster. When he's attacked while in Defense Mode, the Monster who attacked him isn't sent back to your hand, he's sent to the top of your deck!"

"Ingenious…" said Trisha. "But maybe it was worth it… Because now your side is clear! Nanobreaker, attack Malvolio directly!"

Nanobreaker flew forward and slashed at Malvolio with her sword! He gasped and fell over.

**(T: 2,300)--------------------(M: 2,800)**

"Oof…" said Malvolio, getting up. "Not bad… Well, Trisha, I guess it all depends on what I draw next…"

He drew a card.

"Well," he said, "time to bring this to a close…

"I summon Mataza the Zapper in Attack Mode."

He placed the card, and the dark ronin holding a katana appeared. (1,300/800)

"Uh, yeah…" muttered Trisha. "He can attack twice too, right?"

"Yes," said Malvolio, "and he will once I use another Axe of Despair."

He played the card. Mataza sheathed his sword, and the Axe appeared in his hand. His Attack Score shot up to 2,300.

"And now, double attack!" commanded Malvolio.

Mataza the Zapper faded into a blur, and split into two Matazas…

They rushed forward! One of them struck Nanobreaker, and she gasped before exploding…

And then the other struck at Trisha with his axe, and she was thrown backwards!

"Ooh…" she moaned.

**(T: 0)--------------------(M: 2,800)**

"Trisha!" shouted Jason, running down the stairs.

Mataza vanished.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said.

She sat up.

"And how are you, Mal?" she asked.

Malvolio smirked.

"You know," he said, "I think I feel better. Maybe it's time to stop the whole façade and take these challenges in stride. After all, I was born to be a duelist… I shouldn't fight it."

"I hope so," said Trisha.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The moon slowly moved across the night sky…

In Fortunado's penthouse, the owner was deep in thought.

He heard the door open.

He turned and saw Cassius walk in with another young man.

"Found him," said Cassius.

"Ah, yes," said Fortunado, walking up to them. "I heard you have a beef with the Academy?"

"Do I ever," said the youth.

"Well, I take it, my men have filled you in on the details?" asked Fortunado. "I must warn you that using what I'm about to give you involves a great deal of risk, which many folks don't consider…"

"Oh, I live for risk!" answered the youth.

"Very well…" said Fortunado with a grin.

He handed a card to him.

"Nice…" said the youth.

"Oh, and one other way you can improve your deck," added Fortunado, taking two cards out of his suit. These should fit your deck nicely."

He handed them to him.

"Well I've… Never heard of these…" said the youth. "Pretty powerful…"

"They were designed by a card designer for Industrial Illusions," said Fortunado. "Let me tell you the story. One day he was dueling a colleague, and that colleague walloped him badly using Jinzo. The next time he slept, he claimed he had a nightmare about Jinzo, and in that nightmare, he saw visions of a powerful Monster that had never been made. The next day, he sketched out what he saw while it was still fresh in his mind, and designed the two cards. Only five copies of this set were made, but unfortunately for him they were never greenlighted for production.

"He didn't mind… On the average, only one out of five of a designer's ideas are made into cards for distribution, so he went onto his other ideas.

"Anyway, since it's an illegal card, a normal Disk wouldn't register them…

"But your new one will…"

"Well, uh… I don't have Jinzo in my deck…" muttered the youth.

"Don't worry, it's not necessary," said Fortunado.

"Anyway, on Monday there'll be an unscheduled assembly at nine AM at the college. Go there, choose a target, and make a challenge. It doesn't matter who."

"Yes…" said the youth, "I have someone in mind already…"

_Saturday, September 11th, 2106, 7:10 PM_

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**ADVANCED ROBOTICS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A grim-faced, giant mecha standing amid buildings.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have no Monster Cards in your Graveyard and no Monsters on your side of the field. Discard two non-Monster Cards from your hand. During the turn that you play this card, you can Normal Summon a MACHINE-Type Monster with five or more stars with no Tribute(s) required.

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**Malvolio's Bounce Deck**

_Since Demetrius Lark first put together a deck, the Lark family has specialized in bounce strategy. The blueprint of the deck they have used went through several versions, before being perfected (for now) by Malvolio's great uncle Iago._

_Roughly half of Malvolio's Monsters and several of his Traps are designed to rid the field of his opponents' Monsters by sending them back to their hands. Since the Monsters he defeats are not sent to the Graveyard, an opponent must repeat the process of summoning them again, a chore if they are five-stars or more (or worse, Special Summoned only). This means a great deal of flip-effect Monsters, such as Hane-Hane, Penguin Soldier, and Guardian Sphinx, and Traps like Ordeal of a Traveler and Begone, Knave! His other Monsters are designed to strike his opponent hard and fast once they are unprotected. Usually, this means Monsters that can attack multiple times, such as Hayabusa Knight, Mataza the Zapper, Chain Thrasher, and Armed Samurai Ben Kai. These Monsters can become deadlier due to the multiple copies of Sword of Deep-Seated and Axe of Despair he has. _

_Malvolio's strategy is not without weakness. Nobleman of Crossout can cause him a lot of trouble, and his deck has little defense against opposing Spells or Traps. However, so long as he has a few of his bouncers left, he can take out almost anything._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**The threat of the Orichalcos comes back, as the story turns serious again. We'll see who that mysterious guy is, and who he targets.**_

_**Don't miss a chapter that I'm keeping such a surprise, I'm not even revealing the title! Coming soon.**_


	10. Legendary Jujitsu Master

_**Gazing out on the city, I am reminded of a quote from "Macbeth"…**_

"_**By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."**_

_**Three of my best students had an encounter with a duelist holding the forbidden power of the Orichalcos… I'd be a fool to think that it was an isolated incident. **_

_**More duels in that unholy arena will occur, and I have no idea who is behind it or where it will strike next. **_

_**But I have a pretty good idea that it's coming soon.**_

_**A war is about to start, and I fear New York might be the battleground…**_

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**CHAPTER NINE**

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**Legendary Jujitsu Master**

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_Sunday, September 12th, 2106, 11:40 PM_

They say that New York never sleeps.

Bull.

On a Sunday night, the city practically snores!

On the night before a work day, most folks were asleep or trying to, except some graveyard shift night owls who didn't have to.

Or some who simply couldn't.

In the eves of Central Park, three figures sat on benches, not doing much except feeling depressed and wallowing in self-pity. It wasn't possible for them to sleep. Or eat, or do anything that required a living body, for that matter.

Fact was, they weren't even alive anymore.

One hundred years ago, they were men. But as boys, they had suffered horrible tragedies. At the ends of their ropes, they were willing to believe anything to make the pain go away…

So they chose to believe lies told to them by a madman. And using the evil magic of the Orichalcos, they had committed several crimes against humanity.

Eventually, they were defeated by three heroes, and the madman was defeated. They recovered, thinking they could start their lives over…

…but it wasn't that simple. No matter how much they had suffered, it had not given them the right to torment others and use evil powers. Using such unholy forces would come with a price. And unlike some who used the Orichalcos, they had few people who were willing to forgive, few loved ones to turn to, and few who could lift the stain on their souls.

Several years after they thought it was over, all three of them fell ill. Despite the best attempts by doctors, they died… All three of them at the same instant.

And the next thing they knew, they were facing each other… As bodiless phantoms.

They were unable to enter any sort of afterlife; they were stranded on the moral plane. They could only go wherever some unseen force told them to go, even though they never saw whoever was giving them these orders. Twenty years ago, the command told them to go to New York City, and they had no choice but to obey. They had been here since then.

No humans could see or hear them except under certain conditions, and if there were others like them, they couldn't see them either. The only company they had was each other. They could produce a few of the belongings they had in life, such as their Duel Monsters cards, but they couldn't do much with them. The only people they could duel were each other, and it got boring after a while. They got sick of each other after awhile, but none of them was able to leave the other two for long before the unseen master pulled him back to the others.

It didn't take them long to realize that they were under some sort of a curse. Whether it was an evil spell cast by Leviathan for failing it, or a punishment cast by a holy force as penance for their crimes, they didn't know…

But they were able to enter hallowed ground, so they likely weren't evil spirits.

They did realize that curses _could_ be lifted…

…how, they didn't know. And after almost ninety years, they were still clueless as to how they could find a way to rest.

"So," said the one, who looked physically oldest. "You do realize what this means…"

They looked at him.

"What do you expect us to do about it Raphael?" asked another one. "We thought that the Orichalcos was gone… finished… kaput… history…"

"Congratulations, Valon, you can use a thesaurus," said the third.

"Alister, I never found your jokes funny," said Raphael. "And we've got to try to do something! Need I remind you that we helped start all this? Russell was incredibly lucky to win that duel… If he hadn't drawn Gilford when he did…"

Alister gave a sad look, and reached into his pocket. He took out a battered old action figure…

He must have been the only one on Earth who remembered the Dyna Dude line of toys that had been cancelled decades ago.

Whoever had put this curse on him had been nice enough to let him keep it. When he knew he was dying, he had hoped he would see his brother again… But that was denied him. His brother was likely in Heaven, separated from him just as much as he always was. This toy was the last thing he had to remember his smiling face… His laugh that had never wavered, even in the destruction of a war-zone…

Valon leaned his head in his hands.

"I miss Mai…" he moaned.

"Here we go…" groaned Alister.

"Still obsessing over Mai," grumbled Raphael. "Valon, you ever stop to think that maybe she's the reason we're in this mess?"

"What makes you say that?" asked Valon.

"Well, something about the way she screamed at you and said she hoped that even Hell wouldn't take you in," he answered. "That kind of set off a few bells."

Valon's face fell into a sulk.

"What did Wheeler have that I didn't?" he asked.

"Well, let's see," said Alister. "He was honest, honorable, trustworthy, kind, caring, dedicated…"

"Wasn't a thief…" grumbled Raphael.

"…wasn't a thief," continued Alister, "and might I add, he was a better duelist than you, because he kicked your armor-plated ass!"

"He got lucky!" snapped Valon. "I was smarter and handsomer…"

"Handsomer, questionable," said Raphael. "As for smarter, do you know what I think? I think Joey just played dumb to fool his opponents. He was _very_ intelligent."

"And about that crack about me being a thief…" added Valon.

"You stole my Guardian Treasure card to give to Mai!" snapped Raphael. "Heck, why didn't you just ask for it? It wasn't as if I was ever going to duel again."

"Well I wasn't that bad a duelist…" muttered Valon.

"Please, your Armor Monsters were a joke…" muttered Alister.

"And I suppose your Action Figure Monsters were any better?" shouted Valon. "Name one other duelist who uses a deck based on toys!"

"They're no sillier than Pegasus's dumb Toon Monsters!" protested Valon. "Dear God, I can't _believe_ I actually used his stupid cards…"

"Both your decks were stupid," grumbled Raphael.

They stared at him.

"And I suppose you think you're the world's best duelist just because you beat the Pharaoh?" asked Alister. "Maybe you did the first time, but he kicked your Guardians good the second time."

"People, let's focus!" shouted Raphael.

He paused.

"When we were the Three Swordsmen of Dartz, I was designated as the leader… We may have left that title behind, but I'm still the best one to lead this group."

"Lead us to what, oh great leader?" asked Valon. "We're ghosts… We aren't even very powerful ghosts like the ones in _Poltergeist_. We're weak! If we were Duel Monsters, Joey's Swordsman of Landstar would take us out.

"We can't even duel anymore… We can't pick up a Disk…"

"We know a few tricks…" said Raphael. "And we have to try with all our might to help anyone who these new users of the Orichalcos target.

"Consider this…

"Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos may well show their faces soon. Maybe if we aid the new Chosen Ones when they do, this curse will be lifted…

"…and then we'll finally be able to rest…"

Alister looked at the action figure in his hand.

"So where do we start?" he asked.

Raphael turned towards NYC Duel Academy…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next morning at the Ra dining hall, everyone was scrambling to get the blueberry pancakes before they were gone. Rosa tried to assure everyone that there was plenty.

As Jason, Trisha, and Russell took their trays to a table, Dr. Artemis's voice sounded over the loudspeaker.

"Attention all students," she said. "Everyone come to the main auditorium at nine AM for a mandatory assembly. I will explain why there."

"What do you suppose she wants?" asked Trisha.

Jason grimaced. When Dr. Artemis called an assembly, it was rarely good news.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The auditorium was used for the same reason most auditoriums were used for – plays, concerts, speeches, and in this case, assemblies. The students weren't looking forward to what Dr. Artemis was going to say, but when she told you to do something, you did it, no questions asked. Dr. Artemis was a person who deserved respect and got it from others willingly – she never had to run the school through intimidation (though she would if she had to).

The students started piling in, as she watched from the podium. The dorm supervisors took attendance.

"All right…" said Artemis. "Marcus?"

"All Slifer students present," said one of the Slifer supervisors.

"Ben?" she asked.

"All Ra students present," answered Old Ben.

"Dr. Franct?"

"All Obelisk students present," answered the Obelisk supervisor.

"Very well," said Artemis, speaking into a microphone. "Anyway, people, I'll be brief. Something has come up that has required a change in the curfew rules until further notice…"

There was a dead silence.

"From now on," she said, "no students are to be away from campus after nine PM on Fridays and Saturdays, and not after seven PM on other nights."

Groans came from the crowd.

"I know you likely want an explanation," she said. "But I can only say that I'm doing it for your own…"

"I _dare_ you to tell them the whole reason!" shouted a voice.

Everyone gasped.

No one ever dared interrupt Dr. Artemis…

Then someone stood up in the aisle…

"No…" whispered Trisha.

Artemis's eyes narrowed.

"Patrick…" she said. "I thought I told you that you weren't welcome here anymore…"

The young man with a boyish face, the same hair color as Trisha, and dressed in a duster and jeans started to walk up to the stage.

"Yeah, but I got homesick," he said. "Decided to pay a visit…"

"Patrick, please…" urged Trisha.

"Quiet, Trisha!" he snapped. "You told me that as far as you were concerned, I was dead, remember?"

"You want me to call security?" asked one of Artemis's aides.

Artemis looked at the strange Duel Disk on Patrick's left arm.

"No, I'd rather hear this…" she said.

Patrick walked up to her.

"So what do you want?" she asked.

"This…" said Patrick, taking off his leather glove.

And then the crowd gasped as he slapped her across the face with it!

"I believe _that_ was the way a duel challenge was issued in medieval times…" he said.

Murmurs broke out among the crowd.

"Why on earth do you want to duel me?" asked Artemis.

"Why else?" asked Patrick. "To humiliate you! Just as I was humiliated when I was expelled."

"Typical…" said Artemis. "When a student breaks the rules and is expelled, he blames the chancellor, he blames the teachers, he blames the other students, he blames everyone except the one person who's truly at fault…

"…himself…"

"This is stupid," said Jason. "Dr. Artemis has nothing to prove. She'll never accept this…"

"You're on!" said Artemis.

Everyone gasped.

"I'll meet you at the Arena in one hour," she continued. "Everyone who wants to watch is welcome."

"Not gonna miss this," said one student.

"For sure," said another.

_Oh, Patrick…_ thought Trisha. _What are you planning?_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado was sipping a Bloody Mary in his penthouse.

Suddenly, Cassius, Cleo, and Sebastian rushed in.

"Uh, sir?" said Cassius, nervously. "We got word from our spy… Patrick has just issued his challenge…"

"Oh? To who?" he asked.

"Uh… well… Dr. Artemis…" answered Cassius.

Fortunado spit out the mouthful he had just drank in shock.

"WHAT?" he shouted.

He closed his fist, and the glass shattered.

"Oh, that will require a Band-Aid…" he muttered.

As Cleo went to get the first aid kit, Fortunado slumped in his chair.

"Well," he muttered. "This calls for a slight change in this scene's script…

"Change the title from 'Villain's Fiery Quest For Vengeance'…

"…to 'Downfall of a Fool'…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Arena started to fill up.

"Jason, have you ever seen Dr. Artemis duel?" asked Russell.

"No, never," he answered. "I have no idea what her deck is like."

"I might have an idea," said Old Ben, who was sitting behind them.

"See, since she was a little girl, she's been a practitioner of the Japanese art of Jujitsu. She's a tenth degree black belt in it now. Jujitsu is a defensive martial art, where the fighter uses her opponent's attacks against him. She told me that she built a Jujitsu Deck, to symbolize her talent.

"But what that means exactly, I have no idea…"

Trisha watched with a concerned look as Patrick walked onto the Arena. Artemis was waiting, wearing a Duel Bandoleer.

"Nice Disk," said Patrick, sarcastically.

"If you had reached the top, you would have gotten one," said Artemis. "But sadly, your dishonorable ways prevented it…"

Four security guards stepped up on the corners.

"They will make sure there is no cheating on your part," she continued, "and if you think I'll let you touch my deck, you are sadly mistaken."

"Fine," said Patrick. "Then let's get on with it."

He lifted his arm, and the sinister Duel Disk activated…

"No…" gasped Trisha. "Patrick, you didn't…"

Artemis gestured, and five cards slipped out of the deck holder on her chest. She looked them over.

"Ladies first," said Patrick, with a grin.

"Then it's time to duel," said Artemis.

**(Artemis: 8,000)--------------------(Patrick: 8,000)**

Artemis gestured again, and another card flew into her hand.

"Very well," she said, placing a card on her Disk. "I'll place a Monster in Defense, and one card facedown."

A facedown Monster appeared, followed by a facedown card.

"And that will end my turn," she said.

"And here I come!" said Patrick, drawing a card.

He threw a card on his Disk.

"I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

The spindly, spherical Machine appeared, raising its arms. (1,850/800)

"Attack!" he shouted.

Mechanicalchaser flew forward…

And a huge, blocky statue shaped like a face appeared. Mechanicalchaser slammed into it and fell back. (300/2,000)

"Your Machine ran smack into Stone Statue of the Aztecs," said Artemis. "And due to its effect, you lose twice the usual Life Points you normally would have."

**(A: 8,000)--------------------(P: 7,700)**

"All right, you win round one," muttered Patrick. "I'll place a card facedown, and that will end my turn."

He fit a card into a slot, and it appeared.

"I take it his deck is just like yours?" asked Russell.

"In a few ways," said Trisha, sadly. "But he uses a few different strategies…"

Artemis drew another card.

"I play a Spell Card," she said, "and you can tell it's a Continuous one, because it has the word 'Continuous' in the name. It's called Continuous Destruction Punch."

She placed it in her Disk, and a card appeared, bearing the image of a boxer being knocked senseless by Des Kangaroo.

"And what does that do?" asked Patrick.

"Didn't you ever study?" asked Artemis. "When this card is in effect, if you attack a Monster in Defense Mode whose Defense is too high, you won't only lose Life Points, you'll lose the Monster that attacks.

"My turn is over."

"All right…" said Patrick, drawing a card. "I'm playing a Spell Card of my own. It's called Reasoning."

He played the card.

"That means…"

"I know how it works," interrupted Artemis. "Who has the Doctorate in Dueling here? I have to state one number, and then you pick up cards until you reach a Monster. If it's the star level of the number I named, you discard it. Otherwise, you Special Summon it.

"And the number I choose to state is four, seeing as the majority of Monsters in a deck are of that star level."

"Well, let's see," said Patrick, going to his deck.

He took the cards.

"Spell Card, Trap Card, Spell Card…"

He laughed!

"Joke's on you! I just drew a seven-star Monster!"

He threw it on his Disk.

"So meet the Land Ironclad TM-1… Launcher Spider!"

With a burst of flame, a mechanical spider with rocket launchers on its back appeared! (2,200/2,500)

"That has to be the most pathetic seven-star I've ever seen," said Artemis. "Don't forget, you now have to discard those three other cards…"

"Oh, really?" said Patrick, discarding them. "True, but I was prepared…"

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Disgraceful Charity."

A winged form flew out of the card…

"That's Marie the Fallen One!" exclaimed Nadia.

Marie shot a bolt of energy at Patrick's Disk, and the three cards fell back out.

"When this Trap is activated, both players get back all the cards they discarded during the round from card effects," said Patrick, adding them to his hand.

"And now, just as soon as my Spider takes care of your Statue," he said, "Mechanicalchaser is going to take care of you! Launcher Spider, attack Stone Statue of the Aztecs with shock rocket attack!"

The Machine's missile launcher opened, and a barrage of missiles blasted forward…

"I activate Castle Walls!" shouted Artemis, as her Trap Card lifted. "This increases the Defense of my Monster by 500."

"Ulp…" muttered Patrick.

The missiles fell back on themselves…

"And thanks to my Continuous Destruction Punch…" she continued.

Launcher Spider exploded!

**(A: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 7,100)**

"This is fun!" laughed Artemis. "I should really get out of that stuffy office more!"

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," said Patrick, setting a card.

A facedown card appeared.

"Artemis is dancing circles around him, and she hasn't even declared an attack yet!" exclaimed Ansel.

"She's just getting started," said Sersei. "I've heard she has an incredibly rare card… One of those Special Summon-only Monsters."

Artemis drew a card.

"I activate Dust Tornado!" shouted Patrick. "And I'll take out your Continuous Destruction Punch!"

His Trap Card lifted, and the tornado blew across the field, shattering the Spell Card.

Artemis didn't seem to care.

"I sacrifice my Stone Statue to summon the mighty Hieracosphinx in Attack Mode," she said, switching cards.

The Stone Statue vanished, and a larger statue appeared. It had the body of a lion with wings, and the head of a hawk. (2,400/1,200)

"Hieracosphinx, crush Mechanicalchaser," she ordered. "Pummeling pounce."

Hieracosphinx leapt up, and crushed the Machine.

**(A: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 6,550)**

"And my turn is hardly over," she said, taking a card from her hand. "I now summon a creature so powerful, that the only way to summon it is to sacrifice a sphinx Monster. So I sacrifice Hieracosphinx…"

Hieracosphinx vanished.

"And I summon Exxod, Master of the Guard, in Defense Mode."

An enormous creature arose in front of Artemis. It was a huge golden statue, with a face resembling a tutan mask, and a radiant disk on its back. It shielded itself in Defense Mode. (0/4,000)

"Four-thousand Defense Points?" gasped James.

"It looks like… Exodia!" gasped Malvolio.

"True," said Artemis. "This statue was indeed modeled after the great bound deity Exodia the Forbidden One. But there is a big difference… Exodia is unstoppable… Exxod, on the other hand, prides himself on being _immovable_. The perfect guardian.

"It's… your move…"

Patrick drew a card.

"Perfect…" he snickered. "With this little card, you won't only lose the duel…"

His Field Slot opened.

"…you'll lose your very soul! _I play the Seal of Orichalcos_!"

He played the card, and the lights dimmed. The cursed Seal surrounded them, and the four security guards screamed as they were thrown backwards!

Patrick cackled as the Seal appeared on his forehead.

"What's happening?" shouted Old Ben.

"It's nothing to be concerned about, people!" said Artemis. "He's playing an illegal card, but I'll finish the duel nonetheless…"

"Why don't you just tell them, doctor?" laughed Patrick. "You don't have a choice!"

"Seal or no Seal, I'll still defeat you," said Artemis. "Have you forgotten that even with that card, Exxod has a Defense more powerful than the Attack of anything you likely have in your deck?"

"If it's an illegal card," asked Nadia, "why did his Disk even register it?"

Patrick placed a card on his Disk.

"I'll defend myself with Battle Footballer," he said.

The android football player appeared, and the Seal appeared in its forehead. (1,000/2,100) –) (1,500/2,100)

"Next, I'll place a card facedown and end my turn…" he said.

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

_Just try to attack,_ he thought. _My Widespread Ruin will make you sorry…_

"The Seal doesn't make you a better duelist, Patrick," said Artemis, drawing a card. "It makes you even more pathetic… Relying on broken cards in a vain attempt to bully others… You'll only be more of a loser."

"We'll see who the loser is…" he warned.

"I place one card facedown," she said, "and I summon Grave Ohja in Defense Mode."

First, a facedown card appeared. Then a statue made of onyx with thick limbs, claws, and a head resembling a tutan mask appeared, and knelt in Defense Mode. (1,600/1,500)

_What's she doing?_ thought Patrick. _Nothing but defending?_

He drew a card.

"I summon Acrobat Monkey in Defense Mode," he stated.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a robotic monkey made of shiny metal appeared. (1,000/1,800) –) (1,500/1,800)

"Very well," said Artemis, drawing a card.

"I place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," she stated.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Now allow me to explain this setup," she said. "The facedown Monster I just set is one that I can return to facedown Defense Mode after flipping it face up. Also, Grave Ohja cannot be attacked so long as I have a facedown Monster on the field. Also, whenever I flip it face-up, Grave Ohja will drain you of 300 Life Points.

"And to make sure you don't destroy my facedown Monster, I play Messenger of Peace."

She played a Spell Card, and a pious holy man appeared.

"For the low price of only 100 Life Points per round, no Monsters with 1,500 Attack Points or more are allowed to attack. So the powerful asset you thought you had with the Seal of Orichalcos is now a liability.

"I end my turn."

Patrick drew a card.

"I sacrifice Acrobat Monkey to summon Machine King!" he shouted.

Acrobat Monkey shattered, and the huge robot appeared. Its eyes glowed with evil light as the Seal branded on its forehead. (2,200/2,000) –) (2,900/2,000)

"I'll find a way to break up your combo soon!" he threatened. "And due to your own Messenger of Peace, you can't destroy him either!"

"Can I?" said Artemis, drawing a card. "I draw. And I pay 100 Life Points to keep Messenger of Peace…

"And I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode. Reveal… Medusa Worm."

The card flipped up, and an ugly, serpentine worm made of rock appeared. (500/600)

"Now I can destroy one of your Monsters," she continued.

Medusa Worm shot a ray of energy at Machine King. It turned to stone and shattered.

"And now, Grave Ohja's effect…"

Grave Ohja's eyes glowed, and he blasted a ray of energy at Patrick. He cringed.

"And I forgot to mention," she said. "Every time I Flip-Summon an Earth Attribute Monster, Exxod will blast away 1,000 more of your Life Points."

Exxod's eyes glowed…

Then it blasted a ray of burning energy at Patrick, and he screamed!

**(A: 7,900) -------------------- (P: 5,250)**

"Now I'll activate Medusa Worm's other effect, flipping it back into facedown Defense Mode."

Medusa Worm was replaced by a facedown card.

"And I'll place another Monster in Defense Mode, ending my turn."

Another facedown Monster appeared.

"My brother's an idiot," said Trisha, shaking his head. "Well, good riddance Patrick. I never liked you much anyway…"

Patrick drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity," he stated.

He played the card, and the beautiful angel appeared in front of him. He drew three cards.

He looked them over and discarded two.

"Now, I play Heavy Storm!" he shouted, playing the card.

A storm whipped over the field. His Widespread Ruin and her Messenger of Peace shattered.

"Why didn't that card destroy his Seal card?" asked Malvolio.

"It isn't that simple…" muttered Russell.

"Now I play Brain Control," he said, playing the card. "Since I don't even know if that will work on your Guard, I'll pay 800 Life Points to use it on Grave Ohja."

The fiendish brain appeared, and its two ghostly hands grabbed Grave Ohja.

"And now I'll sacrifice it and Battle Footballer to summon Perfect Machine King!"

The two Monsters vanished, and the evolved form of Machine King appeared, glowing with evil light as the Seal branded to it. (2,700/1,700) –) (3,200/1,700)

"Perfect Machine King, take out her Medusa Worm!" he ordered. "Mega missile assault!"

Perfect Machine King blasted a barrage of missiles, and Medusa Worm was blown to pebbles!

**(A: 7,900) -------------------- (P: 4,450)**

"What do you say to that?" he asked.

"I say you're an idiot," said Artemis, drawing a card. "Brain Control would have affected Exxod just fine.

"I play Pot of Greed, which, as I'm sure even you know, allows me to draw twice."

She played the card, and then gestured over her vest. Two cards slipped out of her deck.

She looked over them.

"Next I'll move Exxod into Attack Mode…"

Exxod, Master of the Guard rose up.

"But it has zero Attack Points!" shouted Patrick.

"Not for long," said Artemis. "I play one of Joey Wheeler's favorite Spell Cards. The reverse polarity power of Shield and Sword."

She played the card.

"Now, the Attack and Defense of all Monsters on the field… switch…"

Exxod's stats became (4,000/0), while Perfect Machine King's became (1,700/3,200)

"Exxod, destroy Perfect Machine King!" she shouted. "Monolith blast!"

Exxod's eyes glowed, and it shot a burning beam of energy, vaporizing the Machine!

"I'll end by placing one card facedown," she said.

A facedown card appeared. Exxod's stats returned to normal.

**(A: 7,900)--------------------(P: 2,150)**

"Wow, Dr. Artemis can sure duel!" exclaimed Trisha.

"Yes, but that facedown card had better be something good," said Jason. "Exxod is now in Attack Mode, and its Attack is zero."

Patrick growled as he drew a card.

"I play Card of Sanctity," he said, playing a card.

"Fine," answered Artemis. "I get more cards too."

They each drew until they held six cards.

"Perfect!" stated Patrick. "First I'll place two cards facedown…"

He threw two cards into slots.

"Then I'll use… Emergency Provisions to send them to the Graveyard and gain 2,000 Life Points."

He played the card, and a huge mouth appeared and sucked in the cards.

"Next, I'll play Monster Reborn, to bring back Perfect Machine King."

He played the card, and the mighty Machine appeared on the ankh. (2,700/1,700) –) (3,200/1,700)

"And now…" he said, "well, it may be a little early for Christmas, but I'm going to play one of my favorite Spell Cards… Nutcracker Suite."

"Nutcracker Suite?" said Russell. "What does that do?"

"I've seen him play it," said Trisha. "He gets to pay Life Points, and for every 200 he pays, he gets to summon a Nutcracker Token in Defense Mode."

"And I'll spend 1,800 Life Points!" he laughed, playing the card.

First, two wooden soldiers with huge jaws, armed with wooden swords appeared to either side of Perfect Machine King. Then five more appeared behind them! They were every color of the rainbow, and they knelt on one knee. All nine of them were branded with the Seal! (0/0 x9) – (500/0 x9)

**(A: 7,900) -------------------- (P: 2,350)**

"Ten Monsters?" gasped Ansel. "This is the most broken Field Card I have ever seen!"

"And now that I have nine other Machines on the field," laughed Patrick, "primitive Machines, but Machines nonetheless, well, just look at my King…"

Perfect Machine King's Attack Score grew to 7,700!

"Go! Attack Exxod, Master of the Guard!"

Perfect Machine King's missile hatches opened…

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Artemis.

Her Trap lifted.

"It's called Shift," she stated. "Now I can reroute your attack towards my facedown Monster."

The missiles blasted forward, and Magician of Faith appeared on the card. She screamed and was incinerated.

"Now I can recover a Spell Card from my Graveyard," she continued.

A card slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it.

"Fine, it's your move…" said Patrick.

Artemis drew a card.

"I'll place one card facedown, and move Exxod back into Defense Mode," she said.

Exxod crouched in Defense, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…"

"Strange…" muttered Jason. "Wasn't that card she got back from Magician of Faith her Shield and Sword? She could have destroyed Perfect Machine King and reduced him to 50 Life Points if it was."

"I guess it wasn't…" said Russell.

Patrick drew.

"Well, I can still break your statue and do you some serious damage," he said. "I move all my Nutcrackers to Attack Mode…"

The Nutcrackers stood up and raised their swords.

"Perfect Machine King, attack!"

The Machine blasted its missiles again…

"You're a fool…" said Artemis.

Her facedown card lifted.

Mirror Force appeared, and all ten of the Machines were blown to pieces!

Patrick shuddered.

"You won't get a free shot at me!" he shouted, playing a Spell Card. "Nightmare's Steelcage!"

In an eruption of fire, an iron cage formed around Artemis and Exxod.

"I'll end my turn there…"

Artemis paused.

"I draw one card…" she muttered.

She looked at the card.

_There, the card I need to end this…_ she thought. _But I can't use it just yet…_

She added it to her hand.

"I pass for this turn…"

Patrick drew.

"I play _my_ Pot of Greed," he said.

He played the card, and drew two cards, bringing his hand size up to three.

_I have the cards I need to bring out my ultimate weapon,_ he thought. _Now all I need is a good Monster…_

"I pass as well," he said.

Artemis drew.

"As will I," she said.

The Nightmare's Steelcage crumbled.

Patrick drew a card.

"Now it ends…" he said in a sinister voice.

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Silent Doom," he said. "Now I can raise Launcher Spider from the Graveyard in Defense Mode."

Launcher Spider appeared, shielding itself with its claws. (2,200/2,500) –) (2,700/2,500)

"Next I summon… Mighty Guard."

He played the card, and a robot with gears for joints appeared. (500/1,200) –) (1,000/1,200)

"And finally…" he said, "I play Final Power Surge!"

"Huh?" asked Artemis. "What does that do?"

"It's a Ritual Card," laughed Patrick. "One that will summon the mightiest Machine in my arsenal…

"Your carbon copy of Exodia may be good at the defense, but I have one who has a much better _offense_!"

A huge, scale-like device appeared on the field, crackling with electricity. The two Monsters appeared on it.

"I now have to sacrifice at least ten stars worth of Monsters…" he said.

The two Monsters and the infernal scale vanished…

…and a hulking form started to rise out of the ground…

"Arise…" he said. "Come forth, mighty **_Mechanical Exodia_**!"

The huge Machine in front of Artemis looked more or less like someone had built a robot in the image of Exodia the Forbidden One. Trisha remembered a painful duel in her Freshman year where she had lost when a student had assembled Exodia – this creature looked like the unstoppable golden deity, only steel instead of gold. (2,000/2,000)

And the cursed Seal branded on its forehead!

"In addition to the bonus from the Seal, it gains the base Attack Scores of the Monsters I sacrificed to summon it," laughed Patrick.

(5,200/2,000)

"Now my beast could flatten Obelisk the Tormentor himself!" he cackled. "And even Slifer the Sky Dragon if the duelist using him didn't have more than five cards in his hand!

"No Traps to protect you this time…"

"Mechanical Exodia, destroy Exxod!" he shouted. "Beam of obliteration!"

The Machine blasted forth a ball of pure darkness, and Exxod, Master of the Guard was blown to gravel!

"Where did Patrick get that thing?" shouted Jason.

"You're asking me?" gasped Trisha.

Dr. Artemis stared at her opponent for a minute…

"My move…" she said.

She drew a card.

"I summon Giant Soldier of Stone in Defense Mode," she said, placing a card on her Disk.

The huge statue appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,300/2,000)

"You think that overgrown pile of pebbles can protect you?" laughed Patrick.

He drew a card.

"Look what I got!" he said. "I summon Overdrive in Attack Mode!"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a rugged tank with a turret appeared. (1,600/1,500) –) (2,100/1,500)

"No…" gasped Jason.

"Take out her Soldier!" shouted Patrick. "Turret blast!"

Overdrive blasted its cannon, and Giant Soldier of Stone was smashed to pieces.

"Mechanical Exodia…" he ordered.

The horrible Machine powered up its beam.

"…attack directly!"

Artemis screamed as the mighty attack hit her! She fell to her knees.

**(A: 2,700) -------------------- (P: 2,350)**

Artemis gasped for breath as smoke rose from her torso…

"Oh, did that hurt?" asked Patrick, sarcastically. "Did I give you an owie?"

"You're insane…" muttered Artemis.

"Am I?" asked Patrick.

"There's a fine line between normality… and insanity. Becoming a great duelist was my dream… Being expelled ruined it.

"You know what separates a madman from a normal person? Only one rotten day! That's all it takes for a normal person to snap.

"My rotten day happened when I was kicked out of this school, so if I'm truly mad, you're the one who… blew my fuse."

"How many times must I say this, Patrick?" she replied, angrily. "How many times must I say it before it sinks in? You were a cheater. You rigged the shuffling of your opponents' decks. Is it _my_ fault that _you_ violated the most important rules that the founders of this school set up?

"And now you've only made your situation worse by siding with forbidden power. You can blame me all you like, but it doesn't change the fact that you dug your own grave."

"I refuse to accept that…" growled Patrick.

"Unfortunately, your refusal to accept it does not change the fact," said Artemis.

"I refuse to accept that too!" he shouted.

"Unfortunately," said Artemis, "your refusal to accept the fact that your refusal does not change the fact _also_ does not change the fact that you dug your own grave."

Patrick looked at her.

"Fine, I'll accept _that_…" he growled. "But it doesn't matter. YOU don't matter. In a minute or so, you won't even be matter. You'll still lose this duel, and your soul will be mine."

"We'll see about that," growled Artemis. "I believe… it's my move…"

"Then make it," mocked Patrick. "It will be your final move…"

Artemis got up and glared at him.

She drew a card.

"I place one card facedown on the field…" she said.

She set the card, and it appeared.

"And I'll summon another Stone Statue of the Aztecs in Defense Mode," she said.

Another Stone Statue appeared. (300/2,000)

"A fighter to the end, huh?" said Patrick. "Well now it truly ends…"

He drew a card.

"I activate… Ring of Destruction!" shouted Artemis.

Her Trap Card lifted, and the ring of grenades appeared around Mechanical Exodia's neck!

"Huh?" said Patrick. "But that means…"

"She's forcing a draw!" shouted Jason.

"Yes…" said Artemis. "Mechanical Exodia will be blown to bits, and we'll both lose 5,200 Life Points.

"And while the Seal of Orichalcos would just love to consume both of us, I know that it simply can't…

"So it's not going to take either of us!"

With a deafening burst, Mechanical Exodia exploded, and both of them were thrown back! The Seal vanished!

**(A: 0) -------------------- (P: 0)**

When the light came back, Artemis was down on one knee, panting for breath, and Patrick was flat on his back.

Artemis slowly picked up her cards and got up. She walked over to her opponent.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" laughed Patrick.

Artemis gave him a stern look.

"Don't look at me like that!" laughed Patrick. "I didn't win, but you couldn't beat me either! You had no choice but to force a draw!"

"Oh, really?" asked Artemis. "Actually, I did have a choice… I had this other Trap Card in my hand, but I didn't set it…"

She showed him the card…

Barrel Behind the Door.

"That Trap…" muttered Patrick, in fear.

"If I had set it and triggered it at the same time I triggered Ring of Destruction," she said, "you'd have lost 10,400 Life Points, I'd have lost none, and you'd have lost. You'd have fallen victim to your own mad trap."

Patrick stared at her.

"Why?" he asked. "Wh… Why?"

"It wasn't out of mercy or compassion," replied Artemis. "Truthfully, I wanted the Seal to take you. But dead men tell no tales, as they say. I needed you and your soul intact. There's a rogue starting Orichalcos duels, and you're going to lead us to him. We're going to stop his plans before they start.

"Security… take him."

The security guards grabbed Patrick.

"I'll never tell you anything!" he cursed.

He struggled, but they were too strong for him.

"We'll soon see," said Artemis, staring him in the face. "I can be a very persuasive bitch when I want to..."

She picked up the Seal of Orichalcos card that had fallen to the floor. She reached into her pocket.

"And as for this thing, Patrick…" she added.

She lifted a cigarette lighter and flicked it on, setting the card on fire. It quickly burned.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Fortunado's penthouse, an expensive vase smashed against the wall.

Fortunado howled in anger as his fist shattered a coffee table. His rage was so great, Cassius, Sebastian, and Cleo looked ready to run.

"Boss, calm down!" pleaded Cleo. "Remember your blood pressure! Need I remind you that these are _your_ things that you're destroying?"

Fortunado growled.

He slumped in a chair.

"If Patrick tells Artemis where he came from, our secrecy will be a thing of the past…" he muttered.

"Maybe Patrick won't talk…" suggested Cassius with a shrug.

"I've seen her crack tougher nuts than him…" he moaned, clutching his forehead.

"You want us to bust Patrick out of their detention center?" suggested Sebastian.

Fortunado paused.

"You guys are helpless without your cards," he said. "Artemis will keep him under tightest security… If even a lawyer wants to see him, he'll be searched to the skin. No _normal_ cards or Disks will get anywhere near him, let alone Orichalcos ones…"

He picked up a cell phone.

"We need a different plan…"

He dialed a number.

"Get me Alphonse…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Several hours later, Sersei was walking to her dorm.

_That stupid Anthony,_ she thought. _Telling me to meet him at a private spot to make out and then never showing up. _

_Boy, a lot has happened today…_

Then she saw that her path was blocked by a dark figure.

He was short, and dressed in a dark robe and hood.

"A little early for Halloween, isn't it?" she asked.

"Dunno," he said in a raspy voice. "I dress better than those skanks in your deck…"

Sersei drew back.

"My Harpies are NOT skanks!" she shouted.

"Then prove it," he said, raising one of the black Duel Disks. "Duel…"

_Monday, September 13th, 2106, 4:10 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DISGRACEFUL CHARITY (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Marie the Fallen One's visage, with a card between her two claws.

**Card Description:** Both players recover all cards they discarded from card effects during the current turn.

_Note: "Disgraceful Charity" was first used by Yugi in the multi-part anime episode "Clash in the Coliseum". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SILENT DOOM (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A hand with a glowing light in the palm.

**Card Description:** Special Summon one Normal Monster from your Graveyard in face-up Defense Mode. The Special Summoned Monster cannot declare an attack for as long as it remains on the field.

_Note: "Silent Doom" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States. It was used many times in the anime (where it could be used to Special Summon any Monster), originally by Kaiba in "A Duel With Destiny"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**NUTCRACKER SUITE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A Christmas nutcracker surrounded by holly leaves and sugar plums.

**Card Description:** Pay as many Life Points as you desire, in increments of 200. For every 200 Life Points you pay, Special Summon one "Nutcracker Token" in Defense Position (Machine/Earth/1 star/0 ATK/0 DEF). "Nutcracker Tokens" cannot be used as Tributes for a Tribute Summon.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**FINAL POWER SURGE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Ritual  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A scale-like device, crackling with energy.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon "Mechanical Exodia". You must also offer Monsters as Tribute whose total level stars equal ten or more from the field or your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MECHANICAL EXODIA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **10  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description:** This robotic version of the unstoppable Exodia must have been designed in the mind of a madman. This Monster is Ritual Summoned by the Ritual Spell Card "Final Power Surge". You must also offer Monsters as Tribute whose total levels equal ten or more from the field or your hand. Increase the base ATK of this Monster by the base ATK of the Monsters used as Tribute to activate the Ritual Card used to summon it.

_Note: "Final Power Surge" and "Mechanical Exodia" first appeared in "Shadow Realm: Fifteen" by Man Called True. All creative credit goes to him. Used with permission._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Artemis's Jujitsu Deck**

_Since she began to learn the ancient Japanese art of Jujitsu, Dr. Andorra Artemis has believed that the best offense is a powerful defense. Thus, her deck strategy reflects that. Similar to Jujitsu, most of her strategy involves staying on the defensive and letting her opponent do himself it. _

_Her deck contains three copies each of Hieracosphinx and Grave Ohja, and many Monsters that can be reverted to facedown position after being flipped face-up. This can put opponents in a near-unbreakable lock where they lose Life Points slowly but surely. Also in her deck are two copies of the incredibly rare Exxod, Master of the Guard, who can only be Special Summoned by sacrificing a sphinx – this Monster, nearly unbeatable in Defense Mode, adds even more firepower to her flipping combos. _

_Contrary to belief, there are offensive moves in Jujitsu (mostly throws and locks), so Artemis also has three copies of Shield and Sword in her deck. Using this card while Exxod is on the field can punish a foe with a mighty blast that has 4,000 Attack Points behind it, which is nothing to scoff at. Her other Spells and Traps take advantage of her defensive nature. Castle Walls and Continuous Destruction Punch can destroy a powerful Monster by surprise._

_The vast majority of her Monsters are Rock Monsters, but this seems to be the nature of defense. Stone is solid, so it is naturally good at defending. Strangely, Artemis does not truly have the card Legendary Jujitsu Master in her deck, but she keeps this card in her side deck to remind her of its origins. (She also once said that it reminded her of her original sensei, who is long since retired.)_

**0**

**0**

**0**

_**Coming up next…**_

_**If you think Sersei is in trouble, you're right!**_

_**Next chapter, a turning point in the story. One of the heroes faces a duelist who uses a deck that mirrors one of the most memorable villains from GX's second season. The road towards the coming of the Dark Messiah begins in earnest.**_

**_Don't miss "Vengeful Bog Spirit", coming soon._**


	11. Venegful Bog Spirit

_**I'm a fast learner… Twice now, I've witnessed the use of a powerful Field Spell Card called The Seal of Orichalcos. Here's what I know, aside from the fact that it cheats:**_

_**Whoever plays it can use more than five Monsters at once. His Monsters gain 500 Attack Points and become Dark Monsters. The card itself cannot be destroyed by standard methods…**_

_**And it gets creepier. The card has magical powers. Once it's used, no-one can enter the arena, and the two duelists cannot leave until the duel is over. Even worse, if what the users say is right, the loser of a duel in which it is used loses his soul. To what or who, I don't know. The only way both duelists can escape unscathed, as far as I know, is if the duel ends in a draw.**_

_**I'm going on a rescue mission, and I just know the danger of this evil card will be a threat…**_

_**But strangely, I'm sensing a great power… It's as if someone is whispering in my ear, like a voice beckoning from the shadows. It's something good, telling me to have courage, and to face this evil. **_

_**Who is this person? Why won't he show himself?**_

_**Whoever you are, show yourself before it's too late!**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Vengeful Bog Spirit**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Monday, September 13th, 2106, 4:15 PM_

Sersei was feeling pretty confident right now.

She still had all her Life Points, and had brought her opponent down to half of his. The mountains of Harpie's Hunting Ground were surrounding her, and four Monsters were on her side of the field: Harpie Lady 1, Harpie Lady 2, Cyber Harpie Lady, and Harpie's Baby Pet Dragon.

Her opponent only had one Monster on his side of the field in Defense Mode, and it was a pathetic little thing…

…only problem was, she had used all four of her attacks _and_ her Dragon's effect on it, and it had simply refused to stay dead.

"Give it up, pal," she said. "You can't stay hidden behind your little shield forever…"

The hooded stranger drew a card.

"I don't intend to…" he said.

"Draw a good Monster?" asked Sersei, in a bored voice. "Well fine… Don't forget, you're only allowed to attack my Dragon…"

Five minutes later, a scream that was half from pain and half from complete panic echoed over the Obelisk complex…

…it clearly belonged to Sersei…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later…

Jason, Trisha, and Russell weren't saying a word as they sat in the library pouring over books.

"So…" said Russell at last. "Think Dr. Artemis can get your brother to talk?"

"Please…" answered Trisha. "She could have gotten Don Carmelli's right-hand man to talk."

If you knew anything about Don Carmelli, you knew that this was likely an exaggeration. Carmelli was the ruler of organized crime in New York City about fifteen years ago. He was into everything; drug dealing, protection, gambling, prostitution, loan sharking, contracts for hire… everything that organized crime did.

Carmelli was eventually caught, along with many of his lieutenants. The trial was a long one, and he was eventually convicted of ordering five murders and other minor charges. He was now serving five consecutive life sentences, and would likely never see daylight again.

But if the prosecution had convicted him on twenty-seven other murders, some of which were more serious, he likely would have gotten the death penalty. However, not many people were willing to testify against him. Carmelli was so influential and so feared, very few figures in organized crime circles would turn against him, not even in exchange for pardons and protection.

Of course, Dr. Artemis was a woman to be feared too. You didn't want to get on her bad side. Rumors were that once, a disgruntled student had tried to punch her, and she responded by holding him in a lock until security arrived. And she was likely capable of scaring the information out of Patrick.

"Conrad? Moise? Majors?" said a voice.

They looked up and saw the librarian.

"Sorry to disturb you," he said, "but the Chancellor wants to see you… In the infirmary."

They all looked at each other.

"Infirmary?" asked Trisha. "I only have a slight cough…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The three students walked into the medical ward, where Dr. Artemis was sitting by a bed, her brow furrowed with worry.

They were shocked to see Sersei lying in it, apparently unconscious.

"Sersei?" said Trisha, surprised. "Dr. Artemis, what happened to her?"

"Her body is alive," said Artemis, sadly, "but Sersei is somewhere else. Someone lured her into an Orichalcos duel…

"…and she clearly lost…"

"No…" whispered Jason.

"Even worse…" continued Artemis, "whoever did this is having the gall to hold her soul for ransom! This was pinned to her blazer when we found her…"

She handed Jason a sheet of paper. It was a hand-written letter, written in red ink.

_**To Dr. Artemis,**_

_**We have taken the soul of this student, but we are merely keeping her in storage for now. Whether she stays that way and is able to return to her body is up to you. **_

_**We are willing to trade her for Patrick Moise's safe return.**_

_**At midnight tonight, bring him to the World of Enchantment Aquarium, where we will make the switch. You had best bring Sersei too, to ensure a safe transfer. To make the switch, send the three students who encountered the Orichalcos first.**_

_**One warning. At any time, Sersei's soul can be sacrificed to dark forces. If we see anyone except them, or they refuse to come, she will be lost forever. **_

_**We await their arrival.**_

_**- The Three Swordsmen of Orichalcos**_

"Certainly, someone doesn't want him talking…" muttered Artemis.

"What are we going to do?" asked Jason.

Artemis paused.

"Sersei is no doubt languishing in some dark prison," she answered, "crying her eyes out, pleading for release… We can't allow her to suffer. We have no choice… As much as I hate letting Patrick go, the safety of a more respectable student is more important…"

She tossed Jason a set of keys.

"Take the van, get there fast, but don't get a speeding ticket…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Bronx.

Not far from Yankee Stadium was the World of Enchantment Aquarium, a menagerie that could be thrilling for some people, and scary for others. You see, the main attraction at this aquarium was the walk-in shark tank.

Well, you didn't actually walk into it. However, the tank was constructed in a shape that let you walk into a large chamber where the tank surrounded you on all sides and above. There, you were surrounded by some of the most vicious looking sharks, skates, and rays. There were no great whites (such fish could not be kept with other fish) but there were plenty of other fish who might eat you up if were on their side of the thick, shatterproof glass.

A van pulled up to the aquarium doors.

Russell and Trisha came out of the side door, with Russell carrying Sersei.

"Man, Sersei, you gotta watch the cheesecake…" moaned Russell.

Jason paused.

_Strange…_ he thought.

_Ever since we left the school, it's like there's been a presence… something trying to whisper in my ear… But whoever it is, I can't hear what he's saying!_

_Not exactly anyway… But I can tell he's trying to encourage me… Calm my fears…_

As Jason came out of the driver's seat, Trisha opened the back, where Patrick was sitting, his hands cuffed behind him.

"**Out,"** ordered his sister.

"Uh, sis?" said Patrick, nervously. "I don't suppose it's too late to cut a plea deal with Dr. Artemis?"

Trisha raised her hand as if to hit him…

But then she lowered it.

"Why?" she asked. "Afraid what your boss is going to do to you? Patrick, I thought you had betrayed me when I found out you were a cheater, but now that I know you've turned truly evil, it's more than a betrayal, it's a blight on our family's name. I'd clock you over the head with this Duel Disk, but I won't…

"You're such a slime, I won't sink to your level. Now OUT!"

Patrick hung his head, and walked out.

"Get moving!" said Trisha, pushing him towards the doors of the aquarium.

The front doors opened, and the lights came on.

"We're here!" said Jason.

"Good…" said Cassius's voice over a loud speaker. "Come to the shark chamber, and we can conduct our business with a minimum of fuss…"

They walked through the aquarium, past tanks containing crabs, squid, octopi, and fish of all varieties, until they came to the corridor leading to the shark chamber.

As they entered the tunnel made of glass, they shivered. The vicious sharks, skates, and rays swam around and over them, bearing sharp teeth.

They entered a circular, one-hundred-foot wide chamber, with glass walls, with the deadly fish behind them. Another corridor was opposite theirs.

As they entered, Cassius, Cleo, and Sebastian entered from the other corridor.

"Long time no see," said Cassius.

"Cut the formalities," said Jason. "We have the guy you want, now let Sersei's soul go."

"Don't talk to me!" protested Cassius. "Talk to the guy who took it."

Cleo turned around.

"Alphonse, get in here," she called.

A short man in a dark robe walked in.

He lowered his hood, and the three teens drew back in surprise. The man was clearly an albino – his skin and short hair were chalk-white, and his eyes were pink, indicating a complete lack of pigment. He was portly and had a bulbous nose.

"And who, pray tell, are you?" asked Jason.

"Like Cleo said," said the albino, in a raspy voice, "my name is Alphonse, and some folks call me… King of the Swamp!

"My card…"

He held up a Duel Monsters card…

It was King of the Swamp, all right.

"King of the Swamp?" replied Jason, sarcastically. "I'd say it's a safe bet that no one has ever challenged you for that title."

Alphonse frowned.

"I find it hard to believe that Sersei lost to someone like you…" continued Jason.

"Looks can be deceptive, Jason," said Alphonse, placing the card back in his robe. "You see a man in front of you who doesn't look like much of a threat… Short and slightly overweight… But in my line of work, assassins such as myself pride ourselves on being deceptive… Sersei also doubted my abilities until it was too late."

"Enough!" shouted Jason. "We came for Sersei…"

Alphonse raised a Seal of Orichalcos card. Imprinted on it was Sersei's picture, her face contorted in horror.

"Simply send Patrick over here, and she's yours…" said Alphonse with a grin, waving the card.

Trisha glared at Patrick.

"We're waiting…" said Alphonse.

"You lucked out, bro," she said. "But here's something to think about – if you ever show up at the school again, I'm going to tie you to a pole, and then Russell, Jason, and I are going to attack you with every Monster in our decks before we give you to Artemis. Is that clear?"

"Uh yeah…" he stammered. "C-clear… crystal clear!"

"Now BEAT IT!" she shouted, kicking him.

He stumbled towards the Three Swordsmen.

"Well," said Alphonse with a shrug, "a deal's a deal…"

He waved his hand over the card, and Sersei's image vanished…

Sersei slowly opened her eyes…

"Whu…" she said. "Guh… Galuh…"

"Sersei?" said Russell.

"Muh… Bahguh…" she said.

"Heh, heh," said Alphonse. "The prison of the Orichalcos is a very traumatic experience. She likely won't be able to talk for a little while…"

"Take it easy…" said Russell, stroking her head.

"Oh, and she also probably shouldn't go swimming for at least an hour!" laughed Alphonse. "HA, HA, HA, HA!"

Jason walked up to the albino, his face twisted with rage…

"You know something, buddy?" he said. "I don't find you the least bit funny…"

"Really?" answered Alphonse. "Well, my ex-wife thinks I'm hilarious. Of course, the judge told her she isn't allowed to come within a hundred and fifty feet of me…"

"How'd you like to duel someone who can fight back?" dared Jason.

_Jason, no!_ thought Sersei. _He's good!_

"Heh, heh, heh…" laughed Alphonse. "You're certainly very brave, kid…"

He looked him in the eye.

"You'll find me much more formidable than Fang or Patrick were," he said. "It was of utmost importance that we recover this guy. Do you think my boss would have sent one of his penny-ante duelists to take a hostage from the Obelisk Blue dorm? I'm the cream of the crop!"

"I can still beat you…" said Jason.

"You're serious, aren't you?" said Alphonse with a grin. "Ha! I'll fix you just like I did Sersei…"

_And fortunately,_ thought the albino, _since Sersei can't possibly talk to him for a good half-hour, there's no way she can warn him about what my strategy entails…_

"We'll soon see about that…" cursed Jason.

He gave the thug a shove, and he stepped backwards.

"All right, fine," said Alphonse. "But remember, you asked for it…"

"Jason, please!" shouted Trisha. "He has that awful card!"

"I'm not gonna lose…" said Jason. "I don't know why I think that, but a little voice inside me is telling me…

"I'm not gonna lose…"

"Heh, heh…" said Alphonse. "You know you're going crazy when you start listening to little voices inside your head. When you do that, it's time to get on the water wagon."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason and Alphonse stared at each other.

"This ought to be good…" said Sebastian.

"You think you could undo these handcuffs?" asked Patrick. "This isn't very comfortable…"

"Pat, you're in enough trouble," answered Sebastian. "So shaddup!"

"Guh… buh…" said Sersei, desperately trying to put a sentence together.

"Don't try to talk…" said Russell in a comforting voice.

Alphonse's wicked-looking Disk activated.

"Let's start," said Jason. "Disk away!"

His own Disk activated.

**(Jason: 8,000)--------------------(Alphonse: 8,000)**

They both drew their top five cards.

"Me first!" shouted Alphonse, drawing his first card.

_Heh, heh,_ he thought, looking at his six cards_. If only this fool knew that the Seal was now in my opening hand. Unfortunately, due to the… limitations on the Monster that makes up a key part of my strategy, I can't play it right now…_

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I will play… Graceful Charity," he said, playing a card.

The angel appeared in front of him, and he drew three cards. Quickly, he discarded two of them.

"Next, I'll play this Monster in Defense Mode… Treeborn Frog."

A frog the size of a large dog with feathered wings and a halo appeared. It shielded itself in Defense. (100/100)

"Well, that's a pathetic excuse for a Monster…" said Russell.

"That will be enough for now…" said Alphonse.

Jason drew a card.

_Only one Monster,_ he thought, looking at his hand. _He only has 500 Attack Points, but that's higher than 100._

"I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Attack Mode," he stated.

He played the card, and Peten appeared, casually palming a dagger. (500/1,200)

"Don't let his smile or loud clothing fool you," he said. "He means business. Peten, turn that thing into frog's legs!"

Peten vanished into darkness…

…and then reappeared behind Treeborn Frog, driving his dagger into it! The amphibian shattered.

Peten vanished again and reappeared in front of Jason.

"Not bad…" said Alphonse, drawing a card.

He added it to his hand.

"I activate Treeborn Frog's special ability," he said. "Since I have no Spells, Traps, or other Treeborn Frogs on my side of the field, I can Special Summon it from the Graveyard. Defense Mode!"

In a burst of light, the Frog returned.

"Now I play a Spell Card…" he said, playing a card.

A card appeared, showing the image of rotting skeletons bursting out of the ground.

"Since my Frog was Special Summoned, I can now play Inferno Reckless Summon," he continued. "Now I can summon in Attack Mode all Monsters in my hand, deck, and Graveyard that have the same name as the one I just Special Summoned. And then, you can do the same with a Monster you have on the field."

Two more Treeborn Frogs appeared. (100/100 x3)

Jason looked at him strangely, and went for his deck.

"Fine," he said. "Here come two more Petens!"

Two more Dark Clowns appeared on Jason's side.

_Be careful, Jason!_ thought Sersei. _This is exactly how he defeated me!_

_I thought he was crazy letting me summon all three of my Harpies at once…_

_But his ultimate strategy wiped me out!_

"Now I'll place one card facedown, and that will be all…" he said.

"My move!" said Jason, drawing a card.

_There we go…_ he said.

"I summon Battle Ox in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

He threw a card down, and the axe-wielding minotaur appeared. (1,700/1,000)

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Alphonse.

His Trap lifted.

"It's called Gift of the Mystical Elf…"

The gentle form of Mystical Elf appeared behind him, and cast a spell.

"Now I gain 300 Life Points for every Monster on the field," he explained, "and I see seven of them."

**(J: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 10,100)**

Jason grimaced.

"Petens… take out his Frogs!"

The Clowns leapt forward, and skewered the Treeborn Frogs.

"Battle Ox, attack…" he started.

"Not so fast, Jason!" shouted Alphonse. "I can even activate Treeborn Frog's effect on your turn."

Treeborn Frog appeared again, crouching in Defense Mode.

"So your Battle Ox will have to attack it instead attacking directly…" he said with a grin. "So long as I can activate his effect, your Monsters simply _can't_ get to me!"

_Nuts,_ thought Jason. _There were plenty of Enraged Battle Oxes in the card store, Jason, but no, you had to go for that good, old-fashioned charm…_

Battle Ox charged forward and cleaved the Frog in half.

**(J: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 9,300)**

"It's my turn…" said Alphonse, drawing.

"First I'll use Treeborn Frog's ability again…"

Treeborn Frog appeared again, once more in Defense Mode.

"Next, I'll play Premature Burial, to summon a Monster that I discarded with Graceful Charity – a little guy called a T.A.D.P.O.L.E."

He played the card. A Monster appeared that was, more or less, a tadpole. (0/0)

"And next I'll play… another copy of Inferno Reckless Summon."

He played the card, and two more T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s appeared.

"Well, I don't have any more Battle Oxes," said Jason. "But that was really smart… putting three Monsters with zero Attack Points in Attack Mode…"

_If only you knew…_ thought Alphonse.

"By the way…" said Alphonse. "If you want to know what T.A.D.P.O.L.E. stands for, it's: This Aquatic Denizen Prepares Overwhelmingly Large Encounter."

Jason drew a card.

He smirked…

"First I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode…" he said.

He played a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Battle Ox, take down one of the T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s!" he shouted.

Battle Ox sliced the larva in two.

"Petens, take out the others!"

The Clowns destroyed the Treeborn Frog and the other two T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s.

**(J: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 5,800)**

"So now what?" asked Jason.

Alphonse drew a card.

"I play my Pot of Greed," he exclaimed.

He played the card, and drew two more cards.

"I'm activating Treeborn Frog's ability again…" he said.

Treeborn Frog appeared again.

"Again?" said Trisha in disgust.

"Yes, but this will be the final time," said Alphonse, taking another card. "Because from this point on, activating its effect will be impossible. See, its effect cannot be used if a Spell or Trap Card is active on my side of the field…

"And I'm going to play one… I play…"

He threw a card into his Field Slot.

"…**The Seal of Orichalcos!"**

_No…_ thought Sersei. _Jason…_

Darkness descended on the room, and the cursed pentagram appeared around them! Alphonse's eyes glowed, and the Seal appeared on his forehead.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…." he cackled. "You're through!"

Treeborn Frog's eyes glowed, and it rose to 600 Attack.

The sharks in the tank started swimming around excitedly, as if they were anxious to feast on whoever fell… The Orichalcos didn't reach into the tank, but it seemed to corrupt even them.

"Pay attention, Patrick," said Sebastian. "You'll see how this is supposed to be done."

"Time to get serious," said Alphonse in an evil voice. "I sacrifice Treeborn Frog, to summon something better… Des Frog!"

Treeborn Frog vanished. A much larger frog appeared, and its eyes glowed as the seal branded on its head. (1,900/0) –) (2,400/0)

"And that's not all," continued Alphonse. "When I summon a Des Frog via sacrifice, I can summon another one from my deck, for each T.A.D.P.O.L.E. I have in my Graveyard. Technically, I could summon four of them, if I were allowed to have four copies in my deck, but since I can't…"

Two more Des Frogs appeared, and they fell under the spell of the Seal as well.

"Scared?" asked Alphonse.

"No," said Jason, crossing his arms.

"Humph," said Alphonse. "Well, my Frogs are plenty strong enough to take out your Monsters, but with the Spell Card I'm holding, I don't need to…"

He played the card.

"It's called Des Croaking!" he laughed. "It can only be played when three Des Frogs are on my side of the field, and when that happens…"

The three Frogs let out a loud bellow! The three Dark Clowns and Battle Ox cringed, and then they and Jason's facedown Monster shattered!

"…I can wipe out every card on your side of the field! Scared now?"

"No," repeated Jason, calmly.

Alphonse gave him a funny look.

"Well, I'll bet you'll be scared after I play my next Spell Card," he said, fitting a card into his Disk.

"I Equip my central Des Frog with Chthonian Alliance. This Equip Spell Card increases the Attack Score of the Equipped Monster by 800 for every other Monster on the field who has the same name. Do the math…"

"Hold on…" said Russell. "Two other Des Frogs… 800 points for each… Plus 2,400…"

The Des Frog in the center rose to an Attack of 4,000!

Trisha quickly counted.

"He can deal 8,800 points of damage this round!" she screamed.

"And Jason is completely defenseless!" shouted Russell.

_No…_ thought Sersei. _This is my fault…_

"Now, my Des Frogs…" said Alphonse, raising his arm.

Jason crossed his arms and glared at him.

Alphonse paused.

_Okay, something is seriously wrong here…_ thought Alphonse. _He doesn't have a single card on his side of the field, I have enough firepower to win this duel, the Seal of Orichalcos will consume the loser, and he doesn't seem the least bit worried…_

_What is going on?_

"Well?" asked Jason. "Are you going to attack?

"Or are you going to end your turn?"

"I didn't say that!" shouted Alphonse, getting nervous.

"Des Frogs, attack him directly! Resounding ribbit!"

The three Frogs let out three waves of destructive sound, hitting Jason squarely…

He didn't even flinch.

**(J: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 5,800)**

"Heh, heh…" said Jason with a smirk.

"What in the name of…" said Russell.

"Surprised?" asked Jason.

"Actually, no," answered Alphonse. "I kind of suspected you had some sort of secret strategy. Care to tell me what the Hell it was?"

"Remember that facedown Defense Mode Monster that I had on the field?" he said. "The one that was destroyed by Des Croaking? Well, despite what you may have thought, I saw a Des Frog combo coming from a mile away, 'King of the Swamp'. So I put that little guy on the field to protect myself…"

An image of a small, furry creature with wings appeared behind him.

"Winged Kuriboh?" said Alphonse, startled.

"Right," said Jason. "On the round where this guy is destroyed…"

"You can no longer take damage from a battle…" muttered Alphonse.

"Someone's done his homework," said Jason, as the little Fairy vanished.

"Okay, heart, resume beating…" said Trisha.

"You ever hear Alphonse," continued Jason, "that sometimes small creatures can be the solution while fighting large ones? David and Goliath. Take Winged Kuriboh. He may be small, but his power can't be denied…

"Rumor had it that one of these creatures was Jaden Yuki's spirit guide…"

"Ha!" laughed Alphonse. "Personally, if I was a guy like him and that were true, I'd have traded it in for a stronger spirit guide!"

Jason glared at him.

"Well fine," said Alphonse. "You're hardly Jaden Yuki, and he may have defeated a deck like mine at one point, but you won't be so lucky… You survived one round. You won't be so lucky on the _next_ round.

"I end my turn."

Jason drew a card.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he said, playing a card. "Say goodbye to your Chthonian Alliance!"

The whirlwind shot forward and shattered the Equip Card, and the Frog's Attack went back down to 2,400.

"Now, since there are no Monsters on my side of the field, I'll summon Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode!"

He played the card, and the huge, mechanical serpent burst out of the ground. (2,100/1,600)

"Now," said Jason, "I want to try an experiment…"

"An experiment?" replied Alphonse.

"Yes," said Jason. "I know that The Seal of Orichalcos can't be destroyed, but what if I were to get rid of it with a card that _didn't_ destroy it?"

"Get rid of it with a card that didn't destroy it?" asked Alphonse. "What the blazes are you talking about?"

Jason showed him a card in his hand.

"Giant Trunade?" gasped Alphonse.

Everyone else in the room looked very surprised.

"I'm betting that you don't even _know_ what would happen to the Seal if I played Giant Trunade!" said Jason, with a smile.

"Come to think of it, neither do I!" said Cassius.

"Looks like we're gonna find out!" said Sebastian, nervously.

"I play Giant Trunade!" shouted Jason.

The card appeared, and a furious wind whipped across the field…

It slowly died down.

"Aw… shoot… my monkey…" muttered Jason.

Unfortunately, the Spell Card had done nothing…

The Seal of Orichalcos was still in place.

"Heh, heh," said Cassius. "You learn something new every day!"

Jason looked at another card in his hand – D.D. Designator…

_So much for that plan…_ he thought.

"I'll end with a facedown card…" he grumbled, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

Alphonse paused.

_That facedown card worries me,_ he thought. _It's likely some Monster-destroying Trap…_

He looked at his hand.

_No other Des Croakings in my hand... I have Monster Reborn, but if that card is Mirror Force, I can only use it to revive one Monster…_

He drew a card.

_Heh, heh… Yes… I can only use it to retrieve ONE Monster! Fortunately, with this little card, one Monster is all I need…_

He played the card.

"I play Polymerization!" he shouted.

"Huh?" asked Jason. "What are you going to fuse?"

"Why, all three of my Des Frogs, of course," laughed Alphonse.

The three Frogs swirled together into a murky blur, and grew into a huge shape…

"Together they form the mighty D.3.S. Frog!" he shouted. "D… times three!"

A huge, hulking form appeared on the field. Jason had seen a lot of classic movies, and this creature seemed to be a cross between a twenty-foot-tall toad and Jabba the Hut.

(2,500/2,000)

"Heh, heh…" said Alphonse. "Not only does this guy gain a 500-point boost to his Attack from the Orichalcos, but he gains 500 more for Ieach/I Treeborn Frog in my Graveyard. And I've got three of them there!"

(4,500/2,000)

"That thing's as strong as Kaiba's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" gasped Russell, in shock.

"D.3.S. Frog…" commanded Alphonse. "Attack Cyber Dragon with colossal croak!"

D.3.S. Frog let loose a huge belch that shook the whole arena…

"I don't think so!" said Jason. "I activate my Trap… Attack Reflector Unit!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"This Trap lets me sacrifice my Cyber Dragon for an upgrade… Known as Cyber Barrier Dragon."

Cyber Dragon transformed into a bulkier serpent, with a large metal collar around its neck. (800/2,800)

"And so long as I keep it in Attack Mode, it can negate one attack per round, so your Frog's colossal croak won't be so colossal!"

Cyber Barrier Dragon's collar glowed, and a force field formed around it, blocking the attack.

"Clever…" said Alphonse. "You are persistent… But you'll still find it difficult to defeat my beast."

"Come on, Jason!" shouted Trisha. "Don't you have Smashing Ground in that deck of yours?"

Jason drew.

"If I did, don't you think I would have used it by now?" he said, annoyed.

He looked at the card he had just drawn.

_Monster Reborn…_ he thought. _A fat lot of good that does. Any Monster I could summon from either Graveyard would be no good against D.3.S. Frog… I'd best save it for later…_

"I'll pass for this turn…" he said.

"Very well…" said Alphonse, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"Well," he said, "your Cyber Barrier Dragon is quite a Monster… It can negate one attack, no matter how powerful… But can it do so twice in the same turn?"

He played a card.

"I think not… I summon Beelze Frog in Attack Mode."

A new frog Monster appeared. It was as big as Des Frog, but it had red and black skin, and small, batlike wings on its back. (1,200/800)

"Now let me explain how this guy works," said Alphonse. "In addition to the bonus from the Orichalcos, he gains 300 extra Attack Points for every T.A.D.P.O.L.E. in my Graveyard, and again, I have three. Considering that this is only a three-star Monster, that's pretty powerful, wouldn't you say?"

(2,600/800)

"Beelze Frog, attack Cyber Barrier Dragon with frog-fire!"

Beelze Frog shot a blast of flame from its mouth! The force field sprang up, and the attack was deflected.

"And now, my D.3.S. Frog will finish what he started…"

D.3.S. Frog let out his colossal croak, and the force field shattered. Cyber Barrier Dragon exploded! Jason shielded himself from the debris.

**(J: 4,300) -------------------- (A: 5,800)**

"Face it, Jason," said Alphonse, smugly, "while you've held out longer than most of my opponents, you're finished. Even if by some miracle you find a way to destroy D.3.S. Frog, he won't stay in the Graveyard for long... For all you know, I've got plenty of ways to use him again."

_Does he mean Monster Reborn?_ thought Jason.

He paused.

_I could get rid of that card with D.D. Designator…_

_No, it would be too risky! If that isn't what he's talking about, I'd lose a card from MY hand!_

"Why not just give up?" continued Alphonse. "I'll be merciful and quick…"

"Never…" said Jason. "I'm not finished yet…"

_But the truth is…_ he thought, as he reached for his Disk, _…maybe I am. His strategy is too well thought out, and his cards are too powerful. I don't know what I'm gonna do, bearing a miracle…_

"Why do they always want to do it the hard way…" mumbled Alphonse.

Jason's hand slowly reached for his deck…

His vision started to blur…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was like waking up in another place. Jason had been transported from the cursed arena, from the aquarium, and into…

"A swamp?" he said. "Where am I?"

"You're on sacred ground," said a gruff, deep voice.

He spun around.

Vorse Raider was in front of him!

"Vorse Raider?" he said in surprise. "Did you bring me here?"

"Indeed," said the Beast-Warrior. "The master thought I should be the one to summon you, seeing as we share a bond…"

"Bond?" asked Jason.

"Don't you remember?" asked Vorse Raider. "When you built your deck, I was the first Monster that went into it. I was with you from the beginning, and I hope to be there until the end."

"Yeah, well, I hate to say this," said Jason, "but the 'end', as you put it, is going to be in a few minutes… Even if I draw Brain Control, D.3.S. Frog will have only 2,500 Attack Points on my side, and that's less than Beelze Frog."

"True, your chances of winning this duel are slim," said Vorse Raider. "That is why the master told me to summon you."

"Who's this master?" asked Jason.

"It isn't my place to say," said Vorse Raider. "He will explain himself. Come…"

Jason followed the Beast-Warrior through the thick swamp, and after a short distance, they came to an elaborate shrine, completely free of the mud and vegetation of the odd swamplands.

Vorse Raider knelt.

"Lord Timaeus!" he announced. "I have brought him!"

As he bowed his head, an intimidating figure walked forward. It was a noble-looking knight in emerald-green armor, wearing a cape and a sword at his hip.

The knight looked over Jason carefully.

"Yes…" he said. "He is the one…"

"Me?" said Jason. "Who am I? Who are you?"

"I am Timaeus," said the knight. "Listen closely Jason, for there is much to be said, and time is limited.

"One hundred years ago, my two brothers and I bonded ourselves with three great duelists to combat the Orichalcos. We succeeded, and we thought that the evil had been banished forever.

"But as you no doubt know, that evil did not die. It has returned in a new shape.

"We must intervene once more. But this time, the Orichalcos is stronger. We must bond with new duelists, to help bring forth the only one who can truly destroy it…

"…the one known as the Dark Messiah."

"Dark Messiah?" asked Jason. "Where can we find him?"

Timaeus shook his head.

"We do not know," he said. "But once I and my brothers gain power again, the answer will come.

"Jason, if you will accept my power, you will become a potent weapon against the evil force. But I warn you… If you accept, there is no turning back…"

Jason paused.

"Do it," he said. "I accept…"

Timaeus drew his sword.

"Then kneel, duelist…" he said.

Jason knelt.

The knight held his sword high.

"From this point on," he said, "I grant you, Jason Conrad, the power of Timaeus!"

He struck Jason's shoulder with the blade, and energy coursed through him!

"Arise!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason drew a card…

He looked at it, and his eyes narrowed.

"This has got to be the longest move in creation!" complained Alphonse. "Just move so I can finish this and take your soul."

"I'm terribly sorry, Alphonse," said Jason, "but my soul already belongs to someone else, and he's much better than you…

"In fact, I'd like to introduce you to him…"

He took a card from his hand.

"I play Monster Reborn!" he exclaimed, playing a card. "And I'll use it to revive a Monster from _your_ Graveyard!"

A Des Frog appeared in front of him. (1,900/0)

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Alphonse. "Why the heck did your do that? It can't hurt my two Monsters!"

"We'll see about that," said Jason. "I play…"

He threw a card on his Disk.

"**_The Eye of Timaeus!"_**

The whole room started to shake. The sharks in the tank swum away in fear!

"What's happening?" asked Cleo.

"That's what I wanna know!" shouted Sebastian.

From out of nowhere, a huge, emerald-green dragon, as big as D.3.S. Frog, appeared, and spread its wings! It let out a great roar!

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his penthouse apartment, Fortunado drew back in surprise.

"WHAT?" he shouted. "Hey! This isn't in the script!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Timaeus!" shouted Jason, raising his hand. "Combine yourself with Des Frog to form the Amphibian Dragon!"

The huge Dragon and the Des Frog swirled together into a blur, and in a flash of light, a new Dragon appeared! It had smooth skin, membranous wings, and a toad-like face. Its feet were a cross between claws and flippers. (2,500/2,500)

"Ha, ha, ha," laughed Alphonse. "Quite dramatic for a failure! Your Monster only has 2,500 Attack Points! My Frogs will crush it!"

"They won't want to anymore!" answered Jason. "Amphibian Dragon is the God of Frogs, so all frogs obey him without question.

"And now he's telling D.3.S. Frog and Beelze Frog to reject the evil of the Orichalcos and the one who's using it!"

Both of Alphonse's Monsters vanished…

And then reappeared on Jason's side!

"WHAT?" screamed Alphonse.

"In game terms, Alphonse," said Jason. "This Monster has the power to take control of any and all Monsters that have the word 'Frog' in their names. Of course, I'm not using the Orichalcos and I have no Treeborn Frogs and T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s in _my_ Graveyard…"

D.3.S. Frog fell to 2,500 Attack and Beelze Frog fell to 1,200.

"But this is more than enough! So now, Mr. King of the Swamp, you're about to be royally crowned, and not in a good way!

"This is for Sersei…

"D.3.S. Frog, attack with colossal croak!"

Alphonse screamed as the huge toad let loose a huge bellow, and he was thrown against the wall of the Seal.

"Beelze Frog, attack with frog fire!"

Beelze Frog blasted its fiery breath at Alphonse, and he screamed again…

"And now, Amphibian Dragon, attack with mire shockwave!"

Amphibian Dragon opened its jaws and shot a blast of energy rings at the King of the Swamp!

He groaned, and fell to his knees.

**(J: 4,300) -------------------- (A: 0)**

"Boo-ya…" muttered Jason.

The Seal of Orichalcos started to glow, and then started to shrink… Alphonse let out an unholy scream...

"What do we do now?" asked Patrick in fear.

"What a silly question," said Cassius. "We run in panic!"

As Alphonse collapsed, the Swordsmen and the liberated prisoner fled the way they came.

Amphibian Dragon and the two frog-Monsters vanished.

Trisha, Russell, and Sersei were speechless, and more than a little afraid. Jason looked at the strange card on his Disk.

"Thank you, Timaeus," he said. "I promise to do you proud…"

"Jason…" said Trisha. "That was amazing… When did you put that… card in your deck?"

"Well, it's a… kind of a long story, Trisha…" he said.

_And yet, it's incomplete,_ he thought, looking at The Eye of Timaeus.

_That knight mentioned his two brothers… logic states that they'll show up eventually._

_And now I have to find the Dark Messiah, whoever he is… But I have no idea where to start looking._

_He could be anywhere…_

_He could be anyone…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_So…_ thought Fortunado, reclining on a chair.

_Alphonse has been defeated, and Timaeus has emerged…_

_Well, at least one mystery has been revealed… The Seal is even stronger than was previously believed…_

_When Wheeler faced Mai in an Orichalcos duel, he believed that he could foil her plans by playing his Fiber Jar, forcing them both to restart the whole duel…_

_Could a Fiber Jar have defeated the Seal? He never found out, because Mai countered its effect with her Trap Card._

_Now it seems clear that even if she hadn't used her Harpie's Feather Storm, it would have failed. The Seal cannot be removed from the field until the duel ends…_

_And as for Timaeus…_

_Perhaps I can benefit from this…_

_Tuesday, September 14th, 2106, 1:07 AM_

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**THE EYE OF TIMAEUS (Special Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Special  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A powerful dragon with emerald-green scales.

**Card Description:** This card can fuse with any Monster Card to form a new Monster of incredible power.

_Note: "The Eye of Timaeus" first appeared in the anime episode "Legend of the Dragons". It was one of the main focuses of the "Waking the Dragons"._

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**AMPHIBIAN DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **2,500

**Card Description:** This divine being is the God of Frogs. All amphibians obey him without question. This Monster is descended by activating "The Eye of Timaeus" and offering one "Des Frog" as a Tribute. When this Monster is summoned, you can take control of any or all opposing Monsters that have the word "Frog" in their names.

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**Alphonse's Swamp Deck**

_Alphonse is a guy who likes to end things quickly with a minimum of fuss. The fact that he also was well acquainted to swamplands helped with his strategy._

_As a minion of Orichalcos, Alphonse's strategy is a lethal one that consists mostly of frog Monsters, based on an animal commonly seen in the swamp. Using Des Frogs in combination with the Seal and Des Croaking, he often manages to achieve an OTK after a few rounds. His habit of summoning all his Treeborn Frogs and T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s using Inferno Reckless Summon often costs him some Life Points, but so long as he wins in the end, he doesn't care. Besides, Treeborn Frog's effect makes for an unbeatable shield from direct attacks (if used right) and due to the limitation on Treeborn Frog's effect, he can't actually use the Seal until he's ready to bring out the Des Frogs. If he's lucky enough to have his copy of Chthonian Alliance when he prepares to attack, an OTK is almost a guarantee._

_His D.3.S. Frog and Beelze Frogs don't see much use. He only uses them if his Des Croaking combo fails. If an opponent chains Waboku to Des Croaking, D.3.S. Frog might be necessary, and if someone destroys one of his Des Frogs with Bottomless Trap Hole, Beelze Frog becomes an essential. Even better, because the strength of both these Monsters depend on the Monsters in HIS Graveyard, his opponent can't gain an advantage by brainwashing them._

_If Alphonse recovers from his current situation, his strategy likely won't change. After all, as of right now, Jason is the only one capable of summoning Amphibian Dragon._

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_**You all were probably expecting that someone with Jason's tastes would have been chosen by Critias rather than Timaeus. Well, Timaeus had his reasons, and I can't reveal them right now.**_

_**But while Timaeus has been released, but much more remains to be done. **_

**_I the meantime, next chapter, a new student appears, and I guarantee, you have _never_ seen a duelist quite like this one! Russell duels again when an innocent soul is on the line from a threat other than the Orichalcos! Don't miss "Physical Double", coming soon._**


	12. Physical Double

_**Yugi Mouto had something in common with his nemesis, Ryo Bakura.**_

_**See, they both owned Millennium Items, and each one housed an ancient spirit that shared their bodies.**_

_**But there was a big difference as well…**_

_**The spirit that shared Yugi's body was a benign spirit, whom Yugi considered a friend. They were partners, and they supported and cared for each other.**_

_**The spirit in Bakura's body was much different. He was a demon who dominated poor Bakura, treating him as a slave. Bakura hated him, and the spirit only protected him because he didn't have a choice.**_

_**Right now, I'm facing a duelist who also seems to have two souls in the same body…**_

**_And sadly, his situation seems to reflect Bakura more than Yugi…_**

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**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

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**Physical Double**

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_Tuesday, September 14th, 2106, 3:15 PM_

Cleo sat in a comfortable lounge with a group of cards spread out in front of her.

She picked up a Spell Card.

_Everyone who's faced this sort of deck knows this combo,_ she thought. _There has to be a way to use it in some new way, to take even Jason completely by surprise… One that would defeat any creation of Timaeus that he could… create._

"Hey, Princess," said Cassius's voice.

The older young man walked into the lounge; Sebastian was close behind him.

"Don't call me Princess, Cassius," said Cleo. "That's what Lewis used to call me."

"Uh, yeah," muttered Cassius. "Whatcha doing?"

"Going over my cards," she responded. "You should try it. It might help if you come face-to-face with Timaeus."

"You think I'm scared of that Amphibian Dragon?" asked Cassius.

"Timaeus can turn into lots more than that," said Cleo, looking at a Trap Card.

"So," he replied, sitting down next to her, "you give any thought to my offer?"

"Offer?" she asked.

"You know, once the plan is set and done, and we get what we want," said Cassius. "About retiring… Buying some nice place out in the country, maybe Texas… or Montana…"

"Mmm, tell you what…" said Cleo. "You go to Texas… I'll go to Montana…"

"Uh heh…" chuckled Cassius, looking as Sebastian. "She's full of laughs…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Okay…" said Dr. Ting. "Who here can give me the definition of a pair of prime numbers?"

The class was quiet.

"Randy?" he asked.

"Uh, a pair of prime numbers are two numbers… that aren't the same?" he asked.

"Anyone else?" sighed Ting.

Trisha raised her hand.

"Yes Trisha?"

"A pair of prime numbers are two numbers whose only whole-number factors are one," she said.

"Very good," said Ting.

"So why do we have to learn math so much here anyway?" muttered Randy.

"A lot of reasons, Randy," said Ting, who was known for having excellent hearing. "Duel Monsters is a lot about numbers, and you can't always use the readouts on holograms to tell the statistics.

"In 2050, one great duelist became national champion of the United States, despite the fact that he was one-hundred percent blind in both eyes. His cards were specially encoded with Braille, but for every duel, he had to keep track of his Life Points, his opponent's Life Points, and the Attack and Defense Scores of all Monsters on the field, in his head.

"Trust me, this individual never flunked a math class.

"All right… With the exception of Jason, class is dismissed for today…"

Jason was surprised as everyone got up and left.

"Uh, Dr. Ting?" he asked. "Am I in trouble?"

"I don't know," he said. "Dr. Artemis and the other administrators want to speak to you in the conference room, and she told me to escort you there."

Jason gulped.

This was _not_ a good sign.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Dr. Artemis was nervous. The whole world was turning upside down, and there was little she could do to stop it.

No, that was a lie.

There was absolutely _nothing_ she could do to stop it.

"Twinky!" she shouted.

With a whir, a strange creature rolled into the conference room. It was a four-foot tall robot on treads.

"Coffee…" she said.

The robot nodded and rolled into the other room.

Everyone in the room grinned. Artemis had gotten Twinky as a Christmas present last year, and she used it as a gofer.

"Andorra," said a man sitting next to her. "It seems all you ever have that robot do is get your coffee. You should stop being so dependent on it and get it yourself…"

"Johnson…" said Artemis, "In the 1950 anthology _I, Robot_, Isaac Asimov assigned three rules for robots. The first one is, a robot must never harm a human being. The second one is, a robot must always obey a human being unless doing so violates the first rule.

"I told Twinky to get my coffee. You don't want him to violate the second rule, do you?

"Besides… I don't see him complaining."

Down the table, someone whispered to the person next to him:

"Someone should tell Twinky that coffee is dangerous to humans, so he's technically violating the first rule."

"Maybe so," replied the other, "but Andorra is even more dangerous to the rest of the world if she doesn't get it."

Jason walked in.

"Uh, hi…" he said, nervously. "Am I allowed one phone call?"

"You aren't under arrest, Jason," said Artemis, rolling her eyes. "Please sit down…"

Jason sat in the central chair.

"Uh, how's Sersei?" he asked.

"Better," said Artemis. "She was able to talk about that duel last night… And about the new card you obtained…"

Artemis stood up as Jason started to sweat.

"Let's get the unpleasant part out of the way, Jason," she said. "First of all, Timaeus has chosen you as his avatar, and it is not my right to take that card away from you…

"However…"

She paused.

"The Eye of Timaeus is a card that is to be used to combat the Orichalcos. Therefore, it is to be in your deck _only_ if you are facing an opponent who you have plausible reason to believe will use the Orichalcos. All other times, it is to remain in your side deck.

"I give you fair warning… If I learn that any student was subjected to Timaeus's wrath, your punishment will be the same as if you used a card listed on the Forbidden List!"

"I… understand…" said Jason, taking his deck out of the holder.

"But I am willing to grant you clemency in your case," continued Artemis. "So long as Timaeus is in your side deck, I'll allow your side deck to have sixteen cards, rather than the normal fifteen."

Jason placed it in his side deck.

"Now then Jason," she said, with her voice turning calmer, "as your chancellor, it is my job to give you… advice…"

She paused again.

"That card has incredible power. Of the thousands of Monster Cards that have been created since Duel Monsters was invented, Timaeus can combine with every one of them, and every one of these thousands of combinations is incredibly powerful.

"That card has incredible power, Jason, so do your best to use it wisely. I trust Timaeus's judgment…

"And you must know that you're in it for the long run now. A war is starting… And the one who has Timaeus can't just turn his back on it."

She looked at Jason.

"I'll do my best…" said Jason.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"And that's what she said," muttered Jason, as he and his two friends walked into the Arena.

"She only said it for your own…" started Trisha.

They walked in.

"…good…" she muttered. "Wow…"

The Arena had been transformed into The Sanctuary in the Sky!

On one side was an Obelisk with short, black hair, wearing glasses. His side was clear, and he had 3,000 Life Points remaining.

His opponent – the one who had played the Field Card – had only Shining Friendship on the field in Attack Mode, and he had 2,500 remaining.

The Fairy Duelist (his name was Janus) was a guy who would stand out. He was barely five feet tall, with violet hair that fell neatly to his shoulders, and large, emerald-green eyes. He would be considered beautiful rather than handsome. His yellow blazer identified him as a Ra.

He looked over the three cards in his hand and played one, placing a facedown card on the field.

"Your move, Louie," he said.

Louie drew a card.

"I'll place a card facedown," he said, playing it.

His own facedown card appeared.

"And then I summon… the one and only Don Zaloog!"

In a flash of light, the eyepatched bandit appeared. (1,400/1,500)

"Attack his Fairy!" he shouted.

Don Zaloog lunged and stabbed Shining Friendship, and it burst.

"Not bad," said Janus. "But Don has to damage my Life Points to use his effect, and thanks to the Sanctuary, I don't lose any Life Points when a Fairy is destroyed."

"I know that!" said Louis, rolling his eyes. "It's your move."

Janus drew a card.

"Well," he said. "Seeing as I know that Don Zaloog plus facedown card equals Monster-destroying Trap, I'll activate mine…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Royal Decree. And until this decree is repealed, Traps aren't allowed.

"Now I'll summon The Agent of Creation, Venus."

A beautiful woman with angelic wings appeared, surrounded by multicolored orbs. (1,600/0)

"Venus, attack Don Zaloog! Rainbow orbs!"

The orbs around Venus started to spin, and she hurled them. Don Zaloog gasped, and was blown to shards.

"That's my move," said Janus.

"Fine," muttered Louis, drawing a card. "I'll just summon Cliff the Trap Remover in Defense Mode and hope for the best…"

He played the card, and the bespectacled thief appeared, kneeling in defense. (1,200/1,000)

"Okay…" said Janus drawing a card.

He smiled when he saw what it was.

"I'm activating Venus's special ability," he said. "See, I can spend 500 Life Points for her to Special Summon a Monster called a Mystical Shine Ball from my deck. So I'll spend 1,000 Life Points so that she can summon two of them."

His Life Points decreased, and Venus started to pray. Two globes of pure, silvery light appeared next to her. (500/500 x2)

"They say when you see a Mystical Shine Ball," said Janus, "you should make a wish.

"I wish that… Guardian Angel Joan would appear and win this duel for me."

He switched cards on his Disk, and the two Mystical Shine Balls shattered.

From the clouds of the Sanctuary, the mighty Guardian Angel Joan flew up in front of him! (2,800/2,000)

"What do you know…" he said. "I got my wish!"

"Uh oh…" said Louis.

"Venus, take out Cliff the Trap Remover!" ordered Janus.

Venus blew Cliff away with her rainbow orbs.

"Guardian Angel Joan, attack directly! Searing light of Heaven attack!"

Joan fired a beam of pure light, and Louis cried out in pain. His Life Points fell to zero.

The Sanctuary and Janus's Monster's vanished.

As Louis limped away, Russell went up to Janus.

"Not a bad job, Janus," he said. "Care for a rematch any time soon?"

"Please Russell," said Janus, "you always beat me. I'd be dumb to…"

They heard a cell phone ringing.

"Excuse me…" said Janus.

He activated the phone.

"Hello?" he said.

His eyes narrowed.

"Oh, it's you…" he said angrily. "Omaly, leave me alone!"

Jason, Russell, and Trisha took notice.

They knew about Omaly. He was a spook who had been haunting the campus over the last school year. The students said he was a sadistic lunatic that forced them into duels and made them make a painful wager – if they lost, they had to take a direct attack from his five strongest Monsters at once. The chancellor was after him, of course, but he had yet to be caught.

They tried to listen as Janus whispered curse words into the phone. It was clear a heated argument was happening.

"If you even think about it, you bastard…" he muttered into the phone.

Tears fell down Janus's cheeks…

Finally, he hung up.

"Janus," said Russell. "I couldn't help overhear… Is Omaly some sort of friend of yours?"

"I know him," muttered Janus, "but he's no friend…"

He held his head.

"Listen guys, I have an errand to run, and that new curfew is going to make it hard. See you later…"

He walked out.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Trisha.

"He's going to meet with Omaly," said Jason. "Maybe even duel him… And if he loses…"

"Come on," said Russell. "We'll follow him and finally catch that spook…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They followed Janus as he left campus…

And slowly, Janus started to change.

He unbuttoned his blazer, and then his shirt underneath; then he ran his hands through his hair, and it became mussed up. His spine seemed to straighten, adding a few inches to his height. A wicked grin appeared on his face.

Puzzled, they followed him as he walked into a local nightclub.

"Janus in a nightclub?" asked Russell. "I didn't know he was into these places…"

They walked in, to the sound of loud music, and saw Janus walk up to two girls who were quite indecently dressed and had dyed hair – one pink, one green.

"Ladies…" he said, in a voice that was deeper and more sinister. "Start the party, because I'm finally back!"

They giggled as he put his arms around them.

Russell looked at his two companions and then went up to him.

"Janus!" said Russell. "I thought you were shy around girls… Let alone ones like this…"

He turned and looked at them.

"Well, well, well," he said, somewhat annoyed. "Who invited the scrubs? It's Janus's dumb pals, trying to crash our fun!"

The girls giggled and smiled evilly.

"Cut the music, Jeeves!" he shouted.

The music stopped.

"What's going on?" said Russell in wonder. "Janus…"

"You're speaking to the wrong person, Russell," he answered. "Janus isn't here right now… You can call me Omaly…"

"Janus is really Omaly?" asked Trisha.

"No…" said Omaly. "He's locked away, in a small cell in here…"

He pointed to his head.

"But don't worry, he's sure to break free eventually," he said with a shrug. "You can have him back then. But soon I'll find a way to fix it so he can't escape…"

There was a long pause…

"I'm beginning to get the picture…" said Russell, looking at him. "This isn't an act, is it?"

He stared at Janus.

"This is a case of D.I.D."

"What?" asked Trisha.

"Dissociative Identity Disorder," answered Russell. "Most folks call it Multiple Personality Disorder. Omaly is another side of Janus's personality… A dark side…

"And from what I'm hearing, Janus is still the dominant side… But Omaly is trying hard to change that…"

"Give the man a prize!" laughed Omaly. "And I'd like to see you try to stop me…

"Every time I come out, I get stronger, and I last longer… Eventually, I'll bury little Janus forever…"

Russell looked at him.

_What do I do?_ he thought_. Turn Janus in? This isn't his fault… For all intents and purposes, Omaly is a completely different person…_

He looked at the Duel Disk on Omaly's arm.

"Omaly…" he said. "I know that you're a duelist… Enough students on campus are afraid of you for me to know that you're rather good…"

"That I am," said the fiend with a smile. "What? Are you challenging me?"

"Maybe I am…" said Russell. "I dare you to accept a wager… If we duel and you lose, you retreat to that cell you locked Janus in, and never come back out."

"Quite a heavy wager!" exclaimed Omaly. "Well, if I'm going to make a bet with stakes that high, you and your two friends must agree to suffer if I win…"

He opened a pouch on his belt.

"If you lose this duel, all three of you will endure something I call the Punishment of One Hundred Fiends…"

He held up a card. It was Dark Ruler Ha Des.

"I don't get it…" said Trisha, scared.

"Simple," said Omaly. "If Russell loses, the three of you will stand against the wall, and I will attack you directly with this Monster one hundred times… each!"

"You're mad…" said Jason. "But to get rid of you and save Janus, I'll take that risk."

"I will too…" said Trisha.

"Fine," said Omaly. "Clear off the dance floor!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the middle of the nightclub, a dance floor decorated with flashing lights was set up. Russell and Omaly faced each other at each end.

"Mop the floor with this loser!" shouted one of Omaly's girls.

"Give him an ass-whuppin'!" said the other.

"Russell," said Trisha. "You sure you can beat him?"

"Please," said Russell. "Janus was never able to beat me…"

"Well then," said Omaly, "why don't I just put his deck away then…"

He placed the deck inside his blazer.

"…and use my own?"

He took out a second deck.

"See, I'm hardly the same as Janus. In the times I've been in control, I've built a deck more to my liking that Janus's pansy creatures. My Monsters have a different… flavor."

"Fine," said Russell. "I'll beat you anyway…"

The Disks activated. He drew five cards.

"Atten… shun!"

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Omaly: 8,000)**

_Not a bad hand…_ thought Russell.

"I'll go first…" said Omaly, drawing a card.

"And for my first move, I choose to play a Spell Card, and the Spell Card I choose to play is… Different Dimension Capsule."

He played the card, and a glowing sarcophagus appeared in front of him.

"Now," he said, taking his deck, "I can take any card from my deck I desire, and seal it in the Capsule, and in just two short turns, I can add it to my hand."

A card appeared in the air. The Capsule opened, and it was sucked into it. It slammed shut.

"True," said Russell. "But if the Capsule is destroyed, that card is gone for good."

"Maybe," said Omaly, with a grin. "But what are the chances of that?"

Russell tried hard not to smile as he looked at the Mystical Space Typhoon in his hand…

"Now, to finish my turn," continued Omaly, "I'll summon Keldo in Attack Mode."

A strange, metallic creature, colored silver and green, with a vaguely feminine appearance appeared in front of him. (1,200/1,600)

"My move," said Russell, drawing. "And now I play… Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He played the card, and the whirlwind tore forward, shattering the Different Dimension Capsule!

"YAY!" shouted Trisha.

"That's showing him!" cheered Jason.

"Heh, heh, heh…" said Omaly. "Fool… You did exactly what I wanted you to do."

"What do you mean?" asked Russell. "Whatever was in that Capsule is gone."

"Finish your move, and you'll see…" demanded Omaly.

"I will!" said Russell. "And you should have summoned that piece of tin in Defense Mode. I summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode!"

The brave, elven Warrior appeared, brandishing his blade. (1,400/1,200)

"Attack Keldo!" shouted Russell.

The Guardian slashed with his sword, and Keldo shattered.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (O: 7,800)**

"Not bad…" said Omaly, "but now it's my turn…"

He drew a card.

"…and you'll see the secret behind my strategy. The card I put inside that Capsule was this Spell Card…"

He held up a card.

"It's called Card From A Different Dimension. When this card is removed from play, like it was because you destroyed the Capsule, it returns to my hand on my next turn, and when that happens, we both draw two cards."

Russell looked at him.

"Clever," he said, as they both drew twice.

"Now I'll summon someone with a stronger Attack," said Omaly. "Kelbek, in Attack Mode."

Another strange creature resembling two spined wings with claws on the front and a face with one glaring eye appeared. (1,500/1,800)

"I realize that Obnoxious Celtic Guardian can't be destroyed by Monsters who have 1,900 Attack Points or more," said Omaly. "Fortunately, this one only has 1,500.

"Keldo, wipe out his Warrior! Staring glare!"

Keldo shot a beam of energy from its one eye. The Guardian groaned, and shattered.

**(R: 7,900) -------------------- (O: 7,800)**

"I recognize these Monsters…" said Jason.

"Huh?" asked Trisha.

"I've dueled Ishizu Ishtar in the VR pods several times," he answered, "and these sand Fairies were the driving force of her deck. They can be more dangerous than they appear…

"I could warn Russell what Kelbek can do… But as cruel as Omaly is, this is still a duel, and I can't cheat…

"Damn…"

"My move…" said Russell, drawing.

He looked at the Spell Card.

"And you aren't the only one who can refresh you're hand, Omaly," he said. "I can do the same thing, and summon a powerful Warrior to boot!"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"First, I summon Axe Raider to the field…"

A powerful-looking barbarian clad in armor, holding an axe appeared. (1,700/1,150)

"Then, I play a Spell Card," he said. "A powerful one called Command Offensive!"

He played the card, and it appeared, showing the image of Freed delivering an angry blow to Shadowknight Archfiend.

"When this card is played," he explained, "I can sacrifice one Warrior on the field to Special Summon Freed the Matchless General from my hand, and then both duelists draw twice!"

A battle cry was heard as Axe Raider vanished, and the mighty General Freed appeared, holding his mighty sword! (2,300/1,700)

Both Russell and Omaly drew two cards.

"Oh, a powerful Monster!" said Omaly, sarcastically. "Whatever will I do?"

"Freed, attack Kelbek!" shouted Russell.

_Oh, no!_ thought Jason.

With one swipe of his mighty blade, Freed cleaved Kelbek in half! The pieces shattered.

**(R: 7,900) -------------------- (O: 7,000)**

"Good effort!" laughed Omaly. "But that will cost you. When Kelbek is attacked, the Monster who does so is returned to the owner's hand!"

Freed vanished.

"You dirty…" muttered Russell. "Fine, it's your turn…"

"Well, now that you're defenseless," laughed Omaly, drawing, "and I have plenty of cards thanks to your Command Offensive, it's time to use them… I'll summon Zolga in Attack Mode!"

Another strange creature appeared, this one in a dark cloak with a metal collar and headdress and one red eye. (1,700/1,200)

"Attack Russell directly!" ordered Omaly. "Cloak of destruction!"

Zolga flew forward, and to Russell's horror, it covered him with its cloak! He was buffeted by dark winds that stung his flesh!

**(R: 6,200) -------------------- (O: 7,000)**

"Heh, heh, heh," said Omaly. "Your move…"

_And I almost have all I need to bring out a big surprise,_ he thought.

Russell drew a card.

_Nothing that can defeat Zolga,_ he thought. _Best defend._

"I summon Queen's Knight in Defense Mode," he said, placing a card.

Queen's Knight appeared, kneeling and crouching behind her shield. (1,500/1,600)

"That will end my turn," he said, nervously.

_I've got to turn this around,_ he thought. _I can't let him punish Jason and Trisha with 245,000 Life Points worth of direct attacks!_

"My draw…" said Omaly.

He drew a card.

"And I couldn't have asked for better," he said, taking another card from his hand. "First I'll play a Continuous Spell Card called Samsara…"

"Uh, catchy name…" answered Russell, "but what does it do?"

Omaly played the card, and a fancy table appeared next to him. A bejeweled chest appeared on it.

"You'll see in a minute," he said. "Next, I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands."

He played the card, and the grotesque Fairy with numerous hands appeared next to Zolga. (1,400/1,000)

"Now I can add a Ritual Spell Card from my deck to my hand," he said, taking a card from his deck.

"But it won't stay in my hand, because I'm using it, seeing as I already have the Monster. I play a deadly Ritual known as… End of the World!"

"I don't like the sound of that…" said Russell.

"You're about to like it even less…" said Omaly.

He played the card, and a sinister cloud, crackling with lightning concealed the ceiling of the nightclub…

"End of the World is a unique Ritual Card," said Omaly, "because there are two different Monsters you can choose to summon with it… beings of great destructive power. I have to sacrifice _exactly_ eight stars worth of Monsters, so I'll sacrifice Zolga and Manju…"

The two Fairies were struck by lightning from the cloud. Then they formed into orbs of light, and flew into the Samsara chest, which slammed shut.

"You were wondering what Samsara did?" he asked. "Thanks to this card, any Monsters that I sacrifice to summon a Ritual Monster don't go to my Graveyard, they're shuffled back into my deck! So you might be seeing those two later if you survive long enough."

He shuffled the two cards into his deck.

"So what are you summoning?" asked Russell.

"The most evil Fairy you're ever likely to see," answered Omaly. "Descend, harbinger of doom… Ruin, Queen of Oblivion!"

A tall form floated down from the cloud. It was a woman of sinister beauty, wearing a red dress and a tiara. She held a wickedly bladed staff. (2,300/2,000)

She grinned evilly at Russell.

"Ruin…" said Omaly, "attack Queen's Knight with Rod of Ragnarok!"

Ruin laughed and aimed her staff at Queen's Knight. She fired a wave of green fire! Queen's Knight screamed bloody murder! She was reduced to bones, and then the bones shattered!

"Eek…" gasped Russell.

"And now…" continued Omaly, "attack Russell directly!"

Ruin cast her evil spell again, and Russell screamed as it hit him, ripping right through him!

"RUSSELL!" shouted Trisha.

Russell fell to his knees.

Ruin grinned, and crossed her arms.

"In case it hasn't sunk in yet," said Omaly, "Ruin can attack a second time in one turn, so long as she destroys one Monster first."

**(R: 3,900) -------------------- (O: 7,000)**

"This is crazy!" shouted Trisha. "Russell is down to half his Life Points, Omaly has 7,000, and that spook has the most demented Monster I've ever seen on the field!"

"Don't give up the ship yet…" said Jason.

"My move…" moaned Russell, getting up.

He drew.

"I play Graceful Charity…" he played the card, and the angel appeared again. He drew three cards.

_Hey,_ he thought. _I drew one of my strongest Monsters. Only problem is, I have to trade two Monsters for her…_

He looked at the other two cards.

_But maybe that won't be a problem…_

He discarded two cards.

"I play Reinforcement of the Army," he said, playing a card.

He took his deck.

"And I'll use it to bring Marauding Captain to my hand.

"And now I'll summon Marauding Captain…"

He played the card, and the armored veteran appeared.

"And, I'll use his effect to summon… _another_ Marauding Captain."

A twin of the first Warrior appeared. The two Captains turned to each other and nodded.

(1,200/400 x2)

"Ha!" said Omaly. "They can't beat Ruin!"

"True, she has nearly twice as many Attack Points as they do," replied Russell. "But allow me to explain to you how this strategy works…

"It's called a Captain Lock!

"See, when a Marauding Captain is on the field, you aren't allowed to attack any other Warrior.

"And since I now have two of them on the field, and Marauding Captain himself is a Warrior…"

Omaly gave him a look.

"I can't attack at all!" he exclaimed.

"You're learning," said Russell. "See, the first one protects the second, and the second one protects the first!

"I'll end my turn on that note."

"So, you've managed to stall," said Omaly, drawing. "But I'll find a way around it soon enough. In the meantime, I'll set one card facedown, and that will be my turn."

"Then I'll draw…" said Russell, doing so.

"And my Trap activates!" said Omaly, as his facedown card lifted. "Solemn Wishes. Now I'll gain 500 Life Points whenever I draw."

"Well, you're gonna need them," said Russell. "Because now I sacrifice both my Captains…"

The two Marauding Captain's vanished.

"…to summon the toughest lady in Duel Monsters… Crescent Moon Queen!"

A dark form arose. It was a beautiful, mysterious woman with ebony skin, dressed in silvery armor, with a cape that looked like the night sky. Her eyes were silvery pools of light. She wore a silvery crown set with a single white diamond.

She drew two sharp scimitars shaped like crescent moons!

(2,600/1,700)

"It's Russell's rarest card!" said Trisha, in awe.

"Toughest lady in Duel Monsters?" scoffed Omaly. "Guardian Angel Joan is stronger…"

"Attack Points aren't everything," said Russell. "Crescent Moon Queen, attack Ruin!"

The Queen ran with her scimitars outstretched, and with one swipe, cut the Queen of Oblivion in two! She shattered!

"And now, attack Omaly directly!"

The Queen slashed at Omaly with her other sword, and he fell backwards with a gasp.

**(R: 3,900) -------------------- (O: 4,100)**

"She can attack twice?" said Omaly in surprise.

"You got it," said Russell. "Of course, there's a catch. If she does, she has to move into Defense Mode…"

Beads of sweat appeared on Crescent Moon Queen's face. She crouched on one knee and shielded herself with her swords.

"…but, she has 1,700 Defense Points, so you'd best hope you have a good Monster waiting in the wings."

_Hmm…_ thought Omaly. _Interesting… That creature would make a fine addition to my Doomsday Deck…_

_Maybe once I crush this fool, I'll make an offer… To spare him and his friends the pain of one hundred direct attacks if he's willing to hand over that card._

_If he refuses, it's their funeral…_

He drew a card. A shower of gold fell on him, and his Life Points went up.

"I'll summon Agido in Defense Mode," he said.

He placed a card down, and an orange, spherical creature with one glaring eye and weird claws and blades surrounding it appeared. (1,500/1,300)

"That's my move."

**(R: 3,900) -------------------- (O: 4,600)**

"Fine," said Russell, as he drew.

Crescent Moon Queen stood up again and bore her blades menacingly.

"This will make you say uncle! Attack!"

The Queen rushed forward, and smashed Agido to bits!

"And now…" he continued.

"Hold up!" shouted Omaly.

A golden die appeared in the air.

"When Agido is destroyed in battle, I get to roll one die," explained Omaly, "and then I get to Special Summon a Fairy from my Graveyard whose star level matches the result."

The die fell forward, and rolled…

And it landed on a four.

"Perfect," said Omaly. "And since Agido _itself_ has four stars, I'll summon it right back, in Defense Mode!"

Agido reappeared.

"Crescent Moon Queen, take it down again!" shouted Russell.

The Queen smashed it again. Then she crouched in Defense Mode again.

The die appeared again.

"Forgot to mention," said Omaly. "If it lands on a six, I can not only bring back a Fairy with six stars, but one with _more_ than six stars. Including an eight-star one, like Ruin…"

Russell's eyes opened in fear.

"Please not a six…" muttered Trisha as the die skipped again.

It landed…

But it was a four again.

"Oh well," said Omaly. "I'll just summon back Kelbek in Defense Mode."

Kelbek reappeared. (1,500/1,800)

"All right," said Russell, "I'll end my turn."

Omaly drew.

He gave a good look at the frightening looking Monster he had drawn.

"Eh…" he said. "I'll pass…"

**(R: 3,900) -------------------- (O: 5,100)**

Russell drew a card.

"Well, you won't fool me again," said Russell, "I remember what that guy can do. So I'm just going to keep my Queen in Defense Mode and pass."

"Very well," said Omaly, drawing a card.

The shower of gold fell upon him again.

**(R: 3,900) -------------------- (O: 5,600)**

"Next, I'll summon a guy who you might remember…"

He played a card, and Manju appeared again. (1,400/1,000)

"You're going to use another Ritual?" asked Russell.

"No," said Omaly, "another copy of the same one. End of the World!"

He played the card, and the evil cloud appeared again.

"But this time, I'm not going to summon Ruin, but rather her Fiend counterpart. I'll sacrifice Manju and Kelbek…"

Lightning struck the two Monsters, and once again, they were sucked into the Samsara chest.

"Naturally, that means they are shuffled back into my deck," he said, reshuffling.

"And now, I summon… Demise, King of Armageddon!"

An intimidating form rose out of the ground. It was a hulking Fiend in grey armor, with a skull-like face, holding a huge axe. (2,400/2,000)

"This guy's effect is even better than Ruin's," laughed Omaly. "But he isn't going to use it just yet. Demise, attack Crescent Moon Queen with Siamese cut!"

Demise lifted his axe, and lunged at the Queen… and then with one downward slash, split her down the middle! A look of fright was frozen on the Queen's dead face for a second, before her remains shattered.

Russell shakily drew a card.

"Are you beginning to get the picture, Russell, of why I constructed this deck the way I did?" asked Omaly. "Ruin and Demise are like two sides of the same coin. One, a Light Fairy… The other a Dark Fiend. Polar opposites, yet alike in so many ways. It's sort of like…"

"Give me a break, Omaly!" shouted Russell. "If you're making a comparison between them and you and Janus, it's a bad one! Ruin may be a Fairy of Light, but she certainly wasn't a being of Goodness. She's just as evil as any Fiend.

"After all, every race has its bad apples…

"Janus is nothing like her. I've dueled him a few times, and while he's never beaten me, he's come close a few times. I've taken a blow from Guardian Angel Joan more than once, and there's a big difference between her and Ruin…

"Ruin seemed to enjoy hurting me, something no respectable Fairy would."

"And Demise will enjoy it even more," said Omaly. "I believe it's still your turn."

Russell looked at the card he had drawn.

_What am I worried about?_ he thought_. I have both Big Shield Gardna and Ready For Intercepting! Time to give this guy a big surprise…_

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode," he said, setting the card.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And one card facedown."

A facedown card appeared.

"So, you think you're safe putting a Monster in Defense Mode?" asked Omaly.

He drew, and Solemn Wishes kicked in.

"It's time to use Demise's big effect," he said. "But first…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I'll summon Jar of Want in Attack Mode."

An object looking like a gold-plated version of the Pot of Greed appeared in front of him. (0/0)

"Zero Attack Points?" said Russell.

"And now to use Demise's ability," said Omaly. "If I spend 2,000 Life Points, he can destroy every card on the field except himself!"

Russell's eyes opened in fear…

"Demise, doomsday purge!" shouted Omaly.

Demise slammed his axe into the ground, sending out wicked shockwaves! Russell's facedown Monster and Trap shattered, as did Omaly's Solemn Wishes and Samsara, and his Jar of Want.

"By the way," laughed Omaly, "when Jar of Want is destroyed by a card effect while in Attack Mode, I can draw three cards."

He drew three.

"Now, Demise, attack Russell directly!"

There was nothing Russell could do…

The horrid fiend lifted his axe, and seemingly cut _him_ in half!

He fell to his knees, shivering.

**(R: 1,500) -------------------- (O: 4,100)**

_I've let them down…_ thought Russell. _He's going to spend the night using us as target practice for that Fiend, and there's nothing I can do about it…_

_Even worse, both us and Janus are going to miss curfew…_

He looked at his deck.

_There's gotta be something that I can do…_

He paused.

_There is one thing…_

He drew a card.

He looked at it.

_And this is the one!_

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

"And one card facedown," he continued.

A facedown card appeared.

"Heh, heh," laughed Omaly, drawing. "Time to finish you off… I can use Demise's big effect more than once, and I have plenty of Life Points left…"

"So I'll spend another 2,000…"

His Life Points fell.

"And Demise, doomsday purge!"

Demise raised his axe…

"Not so fast, Omaly!" shouted Russell. "I activate my Trap Card…"

His Trap lifted.

"Divine Wrath! Now, by discarding one card…"

He threw one card into his discard slot.

"Demise's effect is negated, and he's destroyed!"

Lightning struck from above, and the King of Armageddon roared! He dropped his axe and fell to his knees…

…and then shattered into shards!

"So your Monster's big effect was a big waste…" said Russell.

**(R: 1,500) -------------------- (O: 2,100)**

"You're really starting to get… on my bad side!" shouted Omaly. "Well, since I haven't summoned yet, I'll summon Mudora in Attack Mode."

A tall Fairy fighter wearing an Egyptian mask and holding a curved, bronze sword appeared.

"This guy gains 200 extra Attack Points for every Fairy in my Graveyard," said Omaly, "and I have three of them there."

Images of Keldo, Agido, and Ruin appeared behind him.

(1,500/1,800) –) (2,100/1,800)

"Attack his facedown Monster," he ordered. "Scimitar slash!"

Mudora flew towards the facedown card…

A huge rodent appeared on the card. Mudora smashed it to pieces.

"Thanks for killing my Giant Rat, Omaly," laughed Russell. "Now I can summon an Earth Attribute Monster from my deck with 1,500 Attack Points or less. And I choose… Throwstone Unit."

The huge catapult appeared in front of him. (900/2,000)

"Fine…" grunted Omaly. "I'll end my turn with a facedown card…"

A facedown card appeared behind Mudora.

Russell drew a card.

"I sacrifice Throwstone Unit, to summon Freed the Matchless General!" shouted Russell.

Trisha and Jason cheered as the catapult vanished to make room for the mighty General. (2,300/1,700)

"Him again?" shouted Omaly.

"Of course," said Russell. "Why would he have left my hand? Freed, attack Mudora!"

Freed made a slash with his sword, and Mudora exploded into sand.

**(R: 1,500) -------------------- (O: 1,900)**

"Okay, Russell…" growled Omaly, drawing a card. "I've had enough, so now I'm going to use a Monster I only use for special occasions…

"You ever hear of the Rule of Threes?"

"Rule of Threes?" asked Russell.

"According to universal law," said Omaly, "important things come in threes. Wishes come in threes, stories come in threes, Heaven, Hell, and Earth make up three…

"The solar system has nine planets, and nine is three threes! See two things, always look for the third.

"Ruin and Demise are no exception. A third apocalyptic being exists. Ruin was created by Heaven, Demise by Hell…

"The third, however, was created by mortals, in a scientific experiment gone out of control. And he's a Ritual Monster even more powerful than Ruin or Demise…"

His facedown card lifted.

"First I'll activate another Solemn Wishes."

He played a card.

"Then I cast the Litmus Doom Ritual!"

A huge microscope appeared behind him, and glowed with eerie light. Sparks flew…

"To complete this ceremony, I have to sacrifice at least eight stars worth of Monsters, so I'll sacrifice one Keldo and one Agido…"

The two sand Fairies appeared in front of him. They were struck by the microscope's light, and were consumed.

"And now I can summon the mighty Litmus Doom Swordsman!"

An intimidating form appeared in front of him. It was a Dark Warrior dressed like a matador, holding two long swords. (0/0)

"An eight star Ritual Monster with zero Attack Points and zero Defense Points?" said Russell, looking at the Monster. "I'm guessing this guy's effect is pretty potent…"

"It is!" said Omaly. "Litmus Doom Swordsman can't be destroyed in a battle, and he's also immune to Traps. But he loves having Traps around, because when one is active, like Solemn Wishes is right now, he gains 3,000 Attack Points."

The Swordsman's Attack Score skyrocketed!

"Go!" he shouted. "Destroy his general!"

Litmus Doom Swordsman struck a pose, and then rushed forward with his swords, striking down Freed.

**(R: 800) -------------------- (O: 1,900)**

"That will end my move…" said Omaly.

_Man, I don't have much left…_ thought Russell. _Certainly nothing in my hand…_

He drew.

_Hey… it's the card Jason sent me for my birthday two months ago! Might as well…_

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Magical Mallet," he exclaimed. "Now I'll return my five cards to my deck, reshuffle, and draw five new ones."

He reshuffled, and made five draws.

_Hey…_ he thought again. _Now I got the card that Trisha sent me for my birthday. And I can bring this duel to close…_

"I play Monster Reborn," he said, "and I'll use it to bring back my old friend, Crescent Moon Queen."

The holy ankh appeared, and the dark Queen appeared. (2,600/1,700)

"Next I'll summon… Goblin Attack Force."

He played a card, and a squad of four goblins in leather armor carrying clubs appeared. (2,300/0)

One of the goblins turned and winked at the Queen. She gave him a dirty look, and he backed off.

"Neither of them can hurt my Swordsman," said Omaly.

"We'll see about that," said Janus. "I Equip my Queen with this… Burning Soul Sword."

The Queen's scimitars vanished, and a very long sword with a crimson blade appeared in her hands.

"Now let me explain how this useful Equip works," said Russell. "I sacrifice one Monster on the field, and for one round only, the Monster holding Burning Soul Sword gains the Attack Points of the Monster I sacrificed.

"So, I'll sacrifice my goblins…"

Goblin Attack Force vanished, and the Burning Soul Sword blazed with fire. Crescent Moon Queen's skin, hair, and clothing became golden and shiny, and her attack rose to 4,900.

Omaly drew back in fear.

"Sure, Litmus Doom Swordsman will survive this attack," said Russell, "but _you_ sure won't. Crescent Moon Queen, attack the Litmus Doom Swordsman with burning soul strike!"

Flames surrounded the Queen, and she raised her sword, and struck the Litmus Doom Swordsman. A shockwave struck Omaly, and he was thrown to the floor.

**(R: 800) -------------------- (O: 0)**

"At ease…" said Russell.

Crescent Moon Queen and Litmus Doom Swordsman vanished.

Trisha and Jason ran up to him.

"Guys," said Russell, "did I ever thank you for your birthday presents?"

"Many times, Russ," said Trisha, smiling.

"Well, I'm going to get you two something _great_ for your birthdays," he said.

Omaly's two girls looked at his unconscious form with disgust.

"What a loser…" said one of them, nudging him.

"And he said he was a good duelist," said the other.

"Let's get him out of here," said Russell. "We have to get back before the curfew…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As they started to carry the unconscious duelist back to the school, he came to.

"Guys?" he mumbled, in Janus's voice.

He paused.

"Man, I have a headache… It was Omaly, wasn't it?"

"Don't worry, we took care of him…" assured Russell.

"Guys, please…" begged Janus. "You can't tell Dr. Artemis. I try hard to keep him buried, but sometimes…"

"Don't worry, Janus," said Russell. "Omaly made a wager and lost. I think you'll be able to keep him locked up from now on."

Janus shook his head.

"I only wish I could find some way to duel him myself," he said. "Challenge him and let him know once and for all just who's body this is… The only problem is, I don't know of any way I can do that."

"Here," said Russell, handing him a deck of cards. "This is Omaly's deck. A duelist is nothing without his deck. If you just lock it up in a secure place, he'll be helpless."

Janus took it.

"I'll keep that in mind…" he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Deep in the farthest reaches of Janus's mind, a figure sat in a dark chamber, his limbs shackled by chains.

He wouldn't be able to break them as easily as he did before after what happened, but he wasn't worried.

"You won't get rid of me so easily, Janus," he chuckled. "In time, you'll be the one wearing these chains, and I'll still work to make sure that you stay in them.

"In time, in time… It will only be me…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As night fell, the moon drifted slowly across the sky.

Manhattan was still busy. A vendor was doling out New York style pizza… floppy, foldable slices, dripping with gooey cheese and piled with pepperoni.

Raphael, Valon, and Alister watched him, and their mouths watered. They'd have given anything to be able to eat again…

"Get ahold of yourselves, mates," said Valon. "We have better things to do than crave food."

"You know," said Raphael, "I always imagined that if you made it to Heaven, you were allowed to eat anything you wanted, and all the food was of the best quality…"

"Guys, focus!" said Valon. "Timaeus has showed up, so his two pals shouldn't be far behind…"

"Since Timaeus showed up first," said Alister, "logic states that Critias will come second…"

"And you'd be the expert on Critias, right?" asked Raphael, sarcastically.

Alister paused. When he worked for Dartz, he had tried his hardest to bring down Kaiba, the one whom Critias had chosen. In one fateful duel where he had played the Seal, Kaiba had used Critias to defeat him, and the Seal had taken his soul…

He had wanted so many times to apologize to Kaiba to his face for all he had done after it was over, but he never had the nerve to do so. After all, he doubted that a guy like Kaiba would have accepted an apology.

"Listen people," he finally said, "I happen to know what those three goons are going to do next, and who their next target is."

"Care to fill us in?" asked Raphael.

"I will later," replied Alister. "But first, I need to go do something, alone."

He walked away, towards the Academy.

_The next victim will be at a disadvantage,_ he thought. _But I know a way I can help… All it will take is sacrificing a little part of me…_

_And I'm more than willing to do it._

_Tuesday, September 14th, 2106, 8:20 PM_

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**CARD FROM A DIFFERENT DIMENSION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A mysterious machine, crackling with electricity, with a Duel Monsters card inside it.

**Card Description:** When this card is removed from play, return it to your hand during your next Standby Phase. Then, both players draw two cards from their respective decks.

_Note: "Card From A Different Dimension" was used by Zane in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Graduation Match". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**CRESCENT MOON QUEEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,600  
**DEF: **1,700

**Card Description:** Mistress of the night, queen of the darkness. Many have perished under her crescent blades. This Monster may attack a second time in the same Battle Phase. If this Monster attacks a second time in a Battle Phase, move her into face-up Defense Position after completing the second attack.

**Note: "Crescent Moon Queen" first appeared in "City of Souls".**

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**COMMAND OFFENSIVE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Freed the Matchless General angrily attacking Shadowknight Archfiend with his sword.

**Card Description:** Offer one WARRIOR-Type Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one "Freed the Matchless General" from your hand. Then, both you and your opponent draw two cards from your respective decks.

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**0**

**JAR OF WANT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Image:** This strange artifact is believed to be the polar opposite of the Pot of Greed. If this Monster is destroyed by a card effect and sent to your Graveyard while in Attack Position, draw three cards from your deck.

**0**

**0**

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**LITMUS DOOM RITUAL (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Ritual  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A huge microscope, crackling with electricity.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon "Litmus Doom Swordsman". You must also Tribute Monsters who's total Level Stars equal eight or more from the field or your hand.

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**LITMUS DOOM SWORDSMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description:** This Warrior was the creation of a scientific experiment that unfortunately, went out of control. This Monster is Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card "Litmus Doom Ritual". You must also Tribute Monsters who's total Level Stars equal eight or more from the field or your hand. This Monster cannot be destroyed in battle (damage calculation still applies), and is not affected by Trap Cards. If at least one Trap Card is active on the field, increase this Monster's ATK by 3,000.

_Note: "Litmus Doom Ritual" and "Litmus Doom Swordsman" were used by Bastion in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Duel Off (Part Two)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**0**

**0**

**BURNING SOUL SWORD (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Ritual  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A sword with a red blade, inside a bonfire.

**Card Description:** This card can be Equipped to any WARRIOR-Type Monster. Once per turn, you can offer one Monster on your side of the field, other than one Equipped with this card, as a Tribute. Increase the ATK of the Monster Equipped with this card by an amount equal to the ATK of the Tributed Monster until the End Phase of the current round.

_Note: "Burning Soul Sword" was used by Joey in the anime episode "Courtroom Chaos (Part Two)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Omaly's Doomsday Deck**

_Janus Omastas is a kind, shy, pretty boy, whom no one would ever expect would hurt anyone. As a duelist, he uses Fairies of Light, beautiful creatures who use mercy to deal with their foes._

_However, he hides a darker side. A sufferer of the incredibly rare syndrome that psychiatrists call Dissociative Identity Disorder, and most common folk call Multiple Personality Disorder, the entity that names himself Omaly strives to become the dominant personality, and can access Janus's dueling skill, in a different way. _

_Omaly's Doomsday Deck is actually a Ritual Deck that focuses on three powerful Ritual Monsters: Ruin, Queen of Oblivion, Demise, King of Armageddon, and Litmus Doom Swordsman. The first two are summoned using the same Ritual Spell Card, End of the World, making his job easier (and he has three copies). These three Monsters are both very powerful and very frightening – many opponents have surrendered after seeing what they can do, rather than face their wrath second time._

_As far as other Monsters go, he also uses Fairies, but darker ones than his counterpart – the strange sand Fairies that were favored by Ishizu. He also naturally has three copies of Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands. _

_Omaly also has three copies of Samsara, a useful card that lets him recycle his Monsters after using them for a Ritual. _

_Omaly also has three copies of Solemn Wishes, a card that serves two purposes. First, it restores his Life Points, allowing him to use Demise's ability without risk. Second, it is a Continuous Trap, which changes Litmus from helpless to powerful. _

_Also, because summoning Ritual Monsters can deplete the cards in your hand quickly, Omaly has many ways to make extra draws. Card From A Different Dimension and Jar of Want are examples, and he also carries Pot of Charity. One copy of Pot of Greed simply isn't enough when it can take four cards to summon one Monster._

_No matter where Janus stores the deck, it likely won't hinder Omaly if he breaks free. Even from his prison, Omaly knows what Janus knows, and Janus cannot hide much from him. Fortunately for Janus, this works both ways…_

…_for now._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**What is Alister up to?**_

_**Find out, and find out what the villains are up to, as new pieces are added to the puzzle of this story on both sides.**_

**_That's right… It's another Orichalcos duel, and it's not gonna be pretty. The next chapter is called "Trap Master", and it's coming soon._**


	13. Trap Master

_**Once, when someone asked me why I wanted to be a duelist, I answered, "It looked like fun."**_

_**And it was fun for a long time.**_

_**I didn't know how serious my hobby could get. I decided to attend NYC Duel Academy to become a champion, and devote my life to it… But even so, it still didn't make it less fun.**_

_**But now… Someone has tainted my hobby with something evil, and it has taken it to a new level.**_

_**The duelist I'm facing is a hardened criminal, and I'm not dueling for fun…**_

…_**in this duel, my very soul is on the line…**_

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**CHAPTER TWELVE**

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**Trap Master**

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_Wednesday, September 15th, 2106, 1:02 AM_

In her dorm room, Trisha lay in her bed, fast asleep.

She was in the middle of a recurring dream that she often had, a strange one…

She was dressed as Dark Magician Girl, and she was standing in a dark chamber – her card in a dueling deck.

She looked up anxiously, and the darkness above her vanished. Her duelist had just drawn, and she would be the one drawn on his next turn…

Once that happened, she'd be summoned to the field (her duelist never lacked a sacrifice, and never waited even one turn before doing so), and then the dream could take one of about ten different pathways…

The best one involved her being ordered to make a direct attack, which resulted in her duelist winning…

The worst involved the opponent triggering a Nightmare Wheel – the worst way this dream could turn into a nightmare.

As the dreamer waited in anticipation, Alister appeared beside her bed.

He looked at her.

_Trisha,_ he thought. _If you only knew the terror that was waiting for you soon…_

He gestured, and an envelope appeared by her pillow.

_I can't stop it, but by giving up a small part of my very soul, I can make these real. They'll help you with what is to come…_

He vanished.

Trisha woke up with a start.

Sadly, the dream had ended badly, as her Spellcaster self was defeated by Dark Ruler Ha Des. The last part of her dream consisted of her falling into the Graveyard…

_That_ was a new one. The memory of Omaly was still fresh in her mind.

Then she noticed the envelope.

_Hello? _she thought, turning the light on.

Written on the envelope were the words, _A gift from a friend._

"Jason?" she said.

She opened it.

She looked strangely at the two odd Spell Cards and one Monster Card.

_Never heard of these,_ she thought. _Wow, this is pretty powerful…_

She paused.

_Very powerful!_

_Jason couldn't have gotten cards like this…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next day passed without much incident…

But at noon on Thursday, a prison transport car drove through upstate New York.

One of the two officers looked back at the prisoner in the compartment behind them.

"We'll be there in about an hour, Duncan," he said. "And then this annoying red tape will all be just an unpleasant memory. Aren't court appearances a pain?"

The convict was a sullen figure. He had a bald head and a short, brown goatee. His eyes were slate grey. He wore prison-issue clothes, and his hands and feet were shackled.

At first he didn't respond to the comment.

Finally, he answered:

"I don't speak to cops," he said. "Sorry."

"Suit yourself," said the guard. "Hey…"

He looked up ahead, and saw someone in the middle of the road…

And then a huge, metallic dragon appeared in front of the truck, and roared!

The truck slammed on the breaks, and the dragon lifted its claw, crushing the hood! The driver and the passenger were thrown forward and had the wind knocked out of them.

Cleo opened the door and felt for pulses.

"They're alive," she said, taking a remote off one of their belts. "We need to rectify that?"

"No," said Cassius. "Let's just get what we came for…"

He placed a card in a Duel Disk, and a Blast With Chain appeared on the back door of the truck. It burst, blowing the door open.

The convict held his head and stared at the three Swordsmen.

"Daniel Duncan," said Sebastian, as Cleo hit a code on the remote and the shackles fell away. "So nice to make your acquaintance."

"As much as I appreciate an early release," said Duncan, rubbing his head. "I'd prefer to know who my liberators are…"

"We were sent by someone who needs your _lesser_ talents," said Cassius. "We were able to get this from the police impound…"

He handed him a deck of cards.

"My Duel Monsters deck?" said Duncan. "Heh… they took it from me after I used it to gamble too much… Personally, I think they were upset because I was winning all the time…"

"Our boss heard you were pretty good, Duncan," said Cassius, "and he can make you better…

"He's gonna make you an offer you're going to like…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next day, at lunch, Trisha still couldn't stop looking at the three strange cards that had been left on her pillow.

On the television in the cafeteria, the news was being broadcast.

"Police still have no leads to the whereabouts of Daniel M. Duncan," said the broadcaster, "who escaped while being transported yesterday morning. Most believe he had outside help. Duncan is considered to be very dangerous, but are advising people not to worry."

"Yeah, right," said Jason. "If a guy who used to be on New York State's Most Wanted List was at large again, I'd certainly be worried…"

"Never heard of him," said Russell. "How'd he get on the Most Wanted List?"

"Oh, the usual," said Jason. "Armed robbery, bank robbery, kidnapping, extortion, safecracking, grand larceny…"

"Yeah…" said Trisha, changing the subject. "Say, guys, it's Friday… That curfew isn't as restrictive today. Want to go to the mall after school?"

Jason and Russell shrugged.

"Sure," said Jason. "I have nothing better to do…"

"Maybe we can see a movie…" said Trisha, looking at the newspaper. "Here's a good one… It's a courtroom drama…"

"I never really got into those…" answered Russell.

"_Godzilla Versus the Board of Education,"_ said Trisha.

"You're kidding!" exclaimed Russell.

"Yes!" said Trisha with a giggle.

"Okay…" he said. "Very funny… What's really playing?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the year 2106, the Mall of Manhattan had grown to enormous size. With stores and amusements of every possible type, it was a great place to spend a Friday afternoon.

Having finished a plate of cheeseburgers and curly fries at the food court, Trisha and Russell were killing time waiting for when the next movie at the cinema was to start by playing a tabletop duel on the table while Jason watched.

Secretly, Trisha was going to try her luck with those three new cards.

Right now, Russell had Freed on the field, and Trisha's Machine King was tied down by his Shadow Spell – however, Trisha had Swords of Revealing Light active, and it was her turn.

"Okay," said Trisha, "I play Pot of Greed…"

She drew twice.

"Be careful, guys," said Jason. "You don't want to get ketchup on your cards…"

Trisha grinned.

"First I'll play this…" she said.

"Never saw that Spell Card before," said Russell, rubbing his chin. "What does it do?"

"Well, it…" said Trisha.

Then someone from behind grabbed her purse!

"HEY!" she shouted.

She and Russell gathered up all their cards, and ran after the purse snatcher. They only barely managed to slip the cards into their cases as they ran.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Strangely, keeping up with the purse snatcher was rather easy. Just when it seemed like he might lose them, he stopped, and then after a few seconds, ran again.

_Wait,_ thought Jason, as they chased him into the parking garage. _Does he want us to catch him?_

The snatcher ran up the ramps, and they chased him up the levels, until they were at the top floor of the parking garage.

"Okay, fellah," said Trisha, panting for breath. "Nowhere left to…"

He turned to face them.

"…run…" she said, startled.

They recognized him from the news reports.

"Duncan…" muttered Trisha.

"That's my name, my dear," he replied. "Don't wear it out, or I might have to steal another one."

Trisha's eyes narrowed.

"How the mighty have fallen," she said with a scowl. "A criminal genius and master thief reduced to… purse snatching…"

"Trisha!" whispered Russell. "This guy is dangerous!"

"Oh, this?" said Duncan, holding up the purse. "True, it was a rather penny-ante attempt, compared to what I'm used to. But did you really think I wanted the pocket change in your purse? I'll gladly return it…"

He tossed the purse to her.

"My true goal was to get your attention…"

He raised his left arm, revealing a Duel Disk on it.

"What?" said Trisha. "You want to duel me?"

"Yes," said Duncan. "Make you a deal… I'll turn myself in if you beat me. Might I add that the police are offering a very rich reward for information leading to my recapture?"

"Trisha, wait," said Jason. "That Disk… You'd better let me duel him."

"Ah, yes…" said Duncan. "You… The one I was warned about… Well, I won't duel you, and if you don't let me duel her… Watch…"

He took the top card off his deck and showed it to them: It was Raigeki.

He held it up, and it glowed…

A bolt of lightning struck a car behind them, and it burst into flames!

"This enchanted Raigeki card can do that to more than cars…" said Duncan. "It can do that to people, too…"

"You demented…" said Trisha.

She took out her deck and gave it a thorough shuffle.

"Fine," she said. "I'll duel you, just put that thing away…"

Duncan placed the card in his pocket; Jason took his Disk out of his knapsack and tossed it to Trisha.

"Don't forget," warned Jason, "Raigeki is an illegal card!"

"I don't intend to use it," he answered.

He paused.

"I hear you like Machines, my dear," he said, placing his deck into his Disk. "Well, I like them too – you aren't a career criminal for as long as I've been without knowing a little about how they work. But I like ones of a more… _long-lasting_ type…

"So prepare to face the fury of my Medieval Shadow Deck!"

_Medieval Shadow Deck?_ thought Jason.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Alister appeared behind Trisha. No one saw him, but he was there.

_I've given you part of my soul, Trisha,_ he thought. _Please beat this creep…_

He watched as the two Disks activated, and they each drew five cards.

**(Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (Duncan: 8,000)**

"Game… start," said Trisha.

"I agree…" said Duncan, drawing a sixth card. "And I'll play this… Ancient Gear Castle!"

He played a Spell Card, and with a rumbling noise, a huge castle rose out of the floor behind him! It was a crazy structure, covered with gears, pistons, turrets, and cannons.

"This Spell Card gives all Monsters with the words 'Ancient Gear' in their names a little extra kick, raising their Attack Scores by 300. Next I'll summon one Ancient Gear in Defense Mode…"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a small contraption resembling a set of gears and cogs on wheels appeared. (100/800) –) (400/800)

A torch inside Ancient Gear Castle lit.

"And I'm not done," he said. "When one Ancient Gear is on the field, I can Special Summon all copies of it in Attack Mode that I have in my hand, and I just happen to have another one right here."

He placed another card on his Disk, and a second Ancient Gear appeared in Attack Mode.

"That's my move for now…" he said.

"First move, first mistake," said Trisha, drawing. "I'll summon a much better Machine."

She placed a card on her Disk.

"Machine King Prototype!"

The Prototype materialized.

Another torch in the Castle lit.

"And he gains 100 Attack Points for every additional Machine on the field, yours included. That's 200 more."

(1,600/1,500) –) (1,800/1,500)

"Attack the Ancient Gear in Attack Mode!" she shouted. "Laser phaser!"

Machine King Prototype shot a beam of energy, obliterating the Ancient Gear.

**(T: 8,000) --------------------** **(D: 6,600)**

"Howdya like them apples?" said Trisha, as her Monster's Attack fell to 1,700.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh," said Duncan. "I like them a lot."

He drew a card.

"You did exactly what I wanted you to do, my dear," he said. "For now I shift my other Ancient Gear into Attack Mode…"

Ancient Gear moved into Attack Mode.

"…and then I play… Creature Swap."

He played a Spell Card.

"This Spell requires us each to choose a Monster on the field and trade it… And since we each have only one, the choice is clear."

The two Monsters vanished and reappeared on opposite sides of the field.

"Now that I have the stronger Monster," he said, "I'll have it attack my former one!"

Machine King Prototype blasted his ray, and the Ancient Gear blew apart.

"Man, this guy is good…" muttered Russell.

**(T: 6,700) -------------------- (D: 6,600)**

"All right, my move!" said Trisha.

She drew a card.

"Sorry, Prototype," she said, "but you're either with me, or you're against me. I summon Nanobreaker in Attack Mode!"

She played the card, and her Machine look-alike appeared. (1,600/1,800)

A third torch in the Castle lit. Trisha noticed this, and was getting nervous…

_Three…_ she thought. _One more than he actually needs…_

"Attack Machine King Prototype!" she shouted.

Nanobreaker lifted her sword.

"Trisha, are you nuts?" shouted Jason. "With her on the field, Prototype is stronger!"

"Thanks for the warning," said Trisha, "but you're forgetting Nanobreaker's effect – she automatically wins whenever she attacks a Monster who has three stars or less!"

Nanobreaker slashed with her sword, and Machine King Prototype exploded.

"Very clever…" said Duncan.

He drew a card.

"Well, I can be clever too… I summon Ancient Gear Soldier in Attack Mode."

An old-fashioned robot, crafted from spare parts and gears with a machine gun for a right arm appeared. It glared with one bright optic sensor. (1,300/1,300) –) (1,600/1,300)

"That will be my turn…" he said.

Four torches were now burning inside the Castle.

"A standoff…" said Jason.

Trisha drew.

"Not for long…" she said. "Time to say goodbye to Nanobreaker, because I'm sacrificing her to summon the regular Machine King!"

She switched cards on her Disk, and Nanobreaker vanished. A much larger robot with powerful arms and armor appeared.

A fifth torch lit inside the Castle, casting flickering lights on the whole arena.

"This guy also gains 100 Attack Points for every Machine on the field, but unlike the Prototype, that _includes_ himself."

(2,200/2,000) –) (2,400/2,000)

"Machine King, take down that Soldier with jet punch attack!" ordered Trisha.

Machine King raised his arms, and his fists fired like rockets, blowing Ancient Gear Soldier to shards.

**(T: 6,700) -------------------- (D: 5,800)**

"So now what are you gonna do?" asked Trisha.

Duncan drew.

"I'll show you," he said. "I'll play Pot of Greed, to draw two more cards…"

He played the card, and drew twice.

"Heh, heh, heh," he laughed. "Now my dear… let's take this duel to the next level…"

His Field Slot opened, and he played a card.

"I play The Seal of Orichalcos!"

Russell, Jason, and even Alister were thrown backwards, as the cursed pentagram formed around the two of them!

Duncan cackled with glee as the Seal appeared on his forehead...

"They were right," he said in a sinister voice. "This _is_ power!"

"Duncan you lunatic…" cursed Trisha. "Don't you realize that if you lose this duel, you'll lose your soul?"

Duncan looked at her for a few seconds.

"So what?" he finally said.

He let out a small laugh.

"Trisha," he said, "eventually, I'd have been caught – I'm always caught. I won't be eligible for parole until I'm seventy-five years old, and even then there's no guarantee. Do you think I _want_ to spend the rest of my life rotting in jail?

"By serving the Orichalcos, I'll have more power than ever, and so what if I lose? At least I'll go out with a bang, the way I always wanted to go!

"If you're gonna go out… Go out big! That's what I've always said…"

"You're insane…" said Trisha.

"And you're in major trouble…" said Duncan, placing a card on his Disk. "I summon the incredible… Ancient Gear Golem!"

In a cloud of dust, a huge robot appeared! It looked like it was made of gears, pistons, and other jury-rigged parts, but it still gave the impression of a well-running and deadly machine. It had one glowing red optic sensor that stared like one glaring eye.

The symbol of the Orichalcos branded on its forehead.

(3,000/3,000) –) (3,500/3,000)

"How the Hell did he summon that thing with no sacrifice?" gasped Russell.

"It's the Castle…" said Jason. "Every time either duelists Normal Summons or sets a Monster with that thing on the field, it gets a counter, and if you want to summon a high-level Ancient Gear Monster, you can sacrifice the Castle itself, and it counts as the same number of Monsters as it has counters…"

Ancient Gear Castle's torches burned brightly, and the whole contraption shattered.

"Now my Golem," shouted Duncan, "show that hunk of junk who the true Machine King is! Attack her Monster with mechanized melee!"

Ancient Gear Golem threw its fist forward, and Machine King exploded in flames!

**(T: 5,500) -------------------- (D: 5,800)**

_No…_ thought Alister. _Not even the card I gave her can stand up to that… thing…_

Trisha drew a card.

She looked at the cards in her hand.

"I'll place one card facedown," she said, playing a card. "And I'll also summon a second Machine King Prototype in Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared, and Prototype appeared, shielding itself. (1,600/1,500) –) (1,700/1,500)

"Heh, heh," said Duncan. "Defending and setting Traps is worthless against Ancient Gear Monsters…"

"I know," said Trisha, "but this will slow you down. I play Swords of Revealing Light!"

She played a card, and a blizzard of swords blasted forward, surrounding Duncan and his Golem.

"I'll end my turn there," she said.

"Very well…" said Duncan, drawing.

He looked at the fancy Spell Card he had drawn.

"You can stall if you want, but I have all day," he said. "I choose to pass for this turn…"

Trisha drew. It was a Spell Card.

_This might come in handy,_ she thought. _But not right now…_

"I'll pass as well," she said.

Duncan drew.

"Well, my dear," he said. "Let's see if your Swords can protect you from my next move… Because frankly… they can't."

He played a card.

"I play a Spell Card called… Orichalcos Damper."

A Spell Card appeared, resembling The Seal of Orichalcos, but blurry, as if the ink were running.

"What does that do?" asked Trisha.

Alister drew back in surprise…

Even he didn't know what it did, and he thought he knew about all cards with the word "Orichalcos" in their names. He remembered well how Dartz had showed him the special cards in his personal deck… very frightening Monsters and other cards, including two additional layers to the Seal that only he was allowed to use…

Were there some of these Orichalcos cards that even Dartz hadn't known about?

"It's a Spell," said Duncan, "a very special card called a Card of Sin."

"I'm liking this less and less…" muttered Trisha.

_Card of Sin?_ thought Alister, surprised. _Okay, this is really new… Dartz would have never admitted that what he was doing was anything but holy… These guys are admitting that it's a sin?_

"Anyway…" said Duncan, "these cards can be used by whoever uses the Seal. Here's how this one works. For the remainder of the round in which I use this card, the 500-Attack Point bonus that the Seal grants to my Monsters is temporarily negated."

The Golem's Attack returned to 3,000.

"Why on Earth would you do that?" asked Trisha.

"I'll show you," said Duncan. "I'll summon my Ancient Gear Cannon…"

A large cannon made of gears and gewgaws appeared. (500/500)

The Seal bonded to it, but its Attack Score didn't go up.

"Next I play… Machine Duplication."

He played another Spell Card.

"This lets me summon two more Ancient Gear Cannons from my deck."

Two more Cannons appeared.

"I get it!" exclaimed Russell. "Machine Duplication only works if the Machine has 500 Attack Points or less… So he had to nullify the bonus for it to work."

_Ingenious…_ thought Alister. _The power behind the Orichalcos has learned new tricks, and has become deadlier…_

"And now," said Duncan, "by sacrificing my Cannons, each one of them can blast away 500 of your Life Points!"

The Cannons fired, and Trisha staggered back, falling against the wall of the Seal.

She groaned as she clutched her torso. That had really hurt…

_So this is what an Orichalcos duel feels like…_ she thought.

The Cannons shattered.

**(T: 4,000) -------------------- (D: 5,800)**

"Your move…" said Duncan.

The Orichalcos Damper card shattered, and Ancient Gear Golem regained 500 Attack Points.

Trisha drew a card.

It was Mechanicalchaser.

_I'm getting there…_ she thought. _One more good draw, and I'll be closer to ending this…_

"I'll pass this turn," she said.

Duncan clutched his forehead, as if he was dizzy.

"Ugh…" he muttered. "Now where was I…"

He drew a card.

"Oh, right…" he continued. "I summon a second Ancient Gear Soldier, in Attack Mode."

He played a card, and another Soldier appeared. (1,300/1,300) –) (1,800/1,300)

"My turn is over," he said, "and when it goes, so do your Swords…"

The Swords vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cleo put a pair of binoculars down.

"Uh oh…" she said. "Looks like someone is getting a bad migraine…"

She, Sebastian, and Cassius were watching from the roof across the street.

"This may be bad, people…" muttered Cassius, rubbing his chin. "The boss warned us that these special cards might be physically draining."

"Duh…" said Sebastian. "That's why we wanted him to try it before we tried them ourselves."

"You would think that cutting the power of the Seal would be _less_ straining," said Cleo.

"Actually," said Sebastian, "I once heard that sometimes, it takes more energy to _weaken_ something than it does to _strengthen_ it. Besides, Orichalcos Damper is a Sloth Card, and Duncan really doesn't seem like much of a slacker or a coward to me."

"Well, keep close watch," said Cassius. "If he has a heart attack and Trisha wins by default, we'll know enough to stay away from these things…

"After all, Orichalcos Damper is nothing… compared to most of them."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trisha closed her eyes and drew a card.

_All right…_ she thought. _Secret weapon time!_

She took another card from her hand.

"All right, Duncan," she said, "I'm about to go medieval… on _your_ ass!"

She played the card.

"I play… Junk Dealer!" she exclaimed.

Russell took notice.

"That's the new card she had!" he exclaimed. "What does it do?"

"Glad you asked, Russ," she said, as she played it. "Junk Dealer lets me revive up to two Warriors or Machines from my Graveyard whose combined star level is seven or less, so long as I cut their Attack Scores in half."

Nanobreaker and her first Machine King Prototype appeared. (800/1,800), (800/1,500)

"Humph," said Duncan, holding his head again. "Your Junk Dealer card is well-named… The Monsters you brought back are no better than junk now."

"Maybe they aren't very formidable, but they'll let me summon something that is," she said, taking the card she had just drawn. "I play another Spell Card… Go, Sky Union!"

She played the card, and the three Monsters on her side of the field shattered into pixels.

"Sky Union lets me sacrifice three Monsters to summon an incredibly powerful Machine from my deck," she said. "Let's all welcome… Air Fortress Ziggurat!"

An enormous form arose above her. It was an enormous airship! It was circular, but the outline was broken up by hundreds and hundreds of turrets and laser cannons! Where the bridge would be was what looked like the head of some colossal action figure. It stared at Ancient Gear Golem with cold, emotionless eyes. (2,500/2,000)

"WHOAH!" shouted Jason. "When did you get that thing? It's freakin' awesome!"

"I'll admit that that's an impressive Monster," said Duncan, "but my Golem has 1,000 more Attack Points."

"Not for long…" said Trisha with a grin. "I activate my Trap Card… Elemental Blight!"

Her Trap Card lifted, showing the image of Dark Ruler Ha Des blasting Elemental Mistress Doriado with evil energy.

"_And behold, I shall be a blight upon the land and everything I touch shall wither and die!"_ said Trisha, with a smirk.

"Here's how it works… I merely remove one Monster in my hand from play, and every Monster on the field with the same Attribute as the one I'm removing loses 1,500 Attack Points for one turn."

"Well…" said Duncan with a shrug. "I guess you've got me…"

"Save it…" said Trisha. "You think I'm going to use an Earth Monster, but I know better – the Seal turns all your Monsters Dark, right?

"So I'm removing my Mechanicalchaser, who's also Dark!"

She placed the card in a special slot in her Disk, and Ancient Gear Golem fell to 2,000 Attack. Ancient Gear Soldier also fell to 300 Attack.

"Air Fortress Ziggurat," shouted Trisha, "turn his Golem to spare parts!"

The airship opened fire with all its guns, and a barrage of laser beams and missiles honed in on Ancient Gear Golem! It staggered back, and then exploded into miniscule pieces!

**(T: 4,000) -------------------- (D: 5,300)**

"All right!" shouted Jason. "Ancient Gear Golem is ancient history!"

"I'll end my turn," said Trisha, "and by doing that…"

The Ziggurat's "mouth" opened, and a creature dropped out of it and fell to the ground. It looked like some sort of man-sized action figure in robotic armor. It crouched in Defense Mode. (0/0)

"Each time I end my turn," she explained, "I can create one of these Toy Robot Tokens, and you can't attack the Ziggurat when at least one of them is on the field."

_Yes!_ thought Alister. _I knew that she knew enough about Machine Monsters to use my best card like a pro… She's going to punish this hoodlum good, and I'll be able to say I helped!_

Duncan drew a card.

He finally shook the fog out of his head.

"I sacrifice my Ancient Gear Soldier to summon Ancient Gear Beast!" he exclaimed.

Ancient Gear Soldier shattered, and a large, wolf-like creature made of metal and gears appeared, with razor-sharp teeth and claws. (2,000/2,000) –) (2,500/2,000)

"Attack her Token!" he shouted. "Piston pounce!"

Ancient Gear Beast pounced, and the Toy Robot Token shattered.

"So what are you going to do now?" he asked.

Trisha drew a card.

_Sakuretsu Armor?_ she thought. _Well, Traps are no good against his Monsters, but… why not?_

She fit it into a slot.

"I place one card facedown," she stated.

The card appeared.

"Then I summon Battle Footballer in Attack Mode…"

She played the card, and the football jersey-clad android appeared in an offensive position. (1,000/2,100)

"As for what I'm going to do…" she continued. "Air Fortress Ziggurat, fire on Ancient Gear Beast!"

The Ziggurat's guns blazed, and the Beast howled! It was blown to pieces!

"What?" exclaimed Duncan. "That battle should have been a draw!"

"My Ziggurat can battle a Monster with equal Attack without being destroyed," said Trisha. "A point I forgot to mention.

"And I'm not done… Battle Footballer, attack directly! Blitz tackle attack!"

Battle Footballer charged, and tackled Duncan, slamming into his gut! The convict was thrown against the wall of the Seal.

**(T: 4,000) -------------------- (D: 4,300)**

He picked himself up, rubbing his head.

"You'll pay for that…" he muttered.

"Come on…" said Trisha. "A big, tough guy like you doesn't like to play football? I'm shocked.

"I end my turn."

Another Toy Robot Token appeared.

Duncan drew a card.

"Heh, heh, heh…" he snickered.

"Did you really think you could destroy my Golem and be done with it?" he said. "That it would be all over with that? I had two in my deck, and I just drew the other one!"

"Oh?" asked Trisha. "What about sacrifices? As in, Ancient Gear Golem needs them?"

"With this," he answered, showing her the last card in his hand. "A little thing called Ancient Gear Factory…"

"Oh no…" muttered Jason.

"What does that do?" asked Russell.

"Well," said Duncan. "I certainly know what it does… But… for everyone else, why don't you fill them in, Jason?"

He played the card, and with a rumbling sound, a huge contraption appeared behind him. It was a giant chamber, with a conveyor belt leading into it on the front, and a carousel on the top decorated with stars.

Jason glared at him.

"Ancient Gear Factory lets you summon a high-level Ancient Gear Monster with no sacrifice," he growled, "so long as you remove from play Ancient Gear Monsters in your Graveyard whose total level stars equal twice the star level of the one you want to summon!"

"Your friend is smart," said Duncan. "So in this case, I need to remove a total of sixteen…"

The contraption hummed to life, and two small cranes started feeding scrap metal onto the conveyor belt, which transferred it into the chamber. Steam started to rise, and the stars on the carousel lit up.

"So, I'll remove both Soldiers, my Beast, and one Cannon…"

Four cards slipped out of his discard slot.

"And come forth, Ancient Gear Golem!"

The doors on the chamber opened, and the huge Golem stepped out! (3,000/3,000) –) (3,500/3,000)

"I don't think I need to remind you…" said Duncan, "when the Golem attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, the difference between that Monster's Defense Score and the Golem's Attack Score is taken out of your Life Points…"

"NO!" screamed Russell. "That Token's Defense is zero!"

"And now…" said Duncan with an evil grin, "attack the Toy Robot Token!"

The Golem smashed the token, and Trisha was thrown backwards hard, thrown violently against the barrier of the Seal.

She groaned…

**(T: 500) -------------------- (D: 4,300)**

"My… move…" she said, stumbling to her feet.

She slowly drew a card.

"I play… Mystik Wok," she said, playing a Spell Card. "And I'll sacrifice my Battle Footballer to do so…"

Battle Footballer vanished, and she glowed with energy.

**(T: 2,600) -------------------- (D: 4,300)**

"I'll end my turn…" she muttered. "And I'll opt _not_ to have my Fortress create a token."

"Pity," said Duncan. "I was kind of hoping that the effect wasn't optional…"

He drew a card.

_Ancient Gear Drill?_ he thought. _Eh, I need to discard something to use this. Well, who cares…_

"Ancient Gear Golem," he said, "ground that Air Fortress Ziggurat! Mechanized melee!"

The Golem socked the huge Machine with its fist, and sparks flew! Explosions erupted all over the airship, and flames started to fly from it!

Trisha shielded herself, as the huge Ziggurat shattered.

_I'm so sorry,_ Trisha, thought Alister, hanging his head. _It was the best I could do…_

**(T: 1,600) -------------------- (D: 4,300)**

Trisha looked at her hand. Then she looked on the field.

The only cards in her hand were 7 Completed and Call of the Haunted, which were pretty much useless right now. Her only card on the field was Sakuretsu Armor, which was worthless against the Golem.

There wasn't a non-Tribute Monster left in her deck that could stand up to it even with 700 more Attack Points, and defending wouldn't do any good…

She reached for her deck…

…the world around her started to turn bright…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

She looked around.

She was in what looked like a strange factory. Gears and pistons powered weird machines. The steady sound of machinery running was all around.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You're in a vital place," said a voice that sounded mechanical.

She turned, and saw… Nanobreaker!

"You…" she said. "You can talk?"

"Trisha," said the Machine in a monotonous, digital voice. "The programmer wishes your presence."

"Programmer?" asked Trisha. "I'm not sure…"

Nanobreaker paused.

"Trisha," she said. "You put me in your deck to serve as your avatar… You must trust me.

"I will tell you this… In the duel you are in, the chances of you winning right now are almost zero. However, if you follow me, we can increase the odds substantially…"

Trisha looked at her.

"Lead on…" she answered.

"Come," said Nanobreaker.

She led her into a larger room, which was also full of machinery, but seemed to be dominated by bronze, gold and silver. Nanobreaker knelt, and placed her sword by her side.

"Lord Critias," she said, bowing her head, "she has come…"

From out of the shadows came a splendidly dressed knight, clothed in sapphire blue armor and a cape, with a sword by his side.

"Who…" said Trisha.

"Welcome, Trisha," said the knight. "I am Critias. You've seen my brother already – Jason holds his power now."

"Timaeus?" asked Trisha.

Critias nodded.

"But more needs to be done," said Critias. "I and my other brother must emerge. Only together can we fight the Orichalcos…

"Only together can the Dark Messiah be found.

"Trisha, I can grant you the power to fight the Orichalcos if you choose to accept it. But once this decision is made, it cannot be unmade."

Trisha paused.

"I'd be honored…" she said.

"Then, brave duelist," he said, "kneel…"

Trisha knelt, and bowed her head, as the knight drew his sword.

"Trisha Moise…" he said, touching her with the blade, "I grant you the power of Critias!

"Arise!"

Trisha felt energy flowing through her…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trisha opened her eyes…

She drew a card.

Jason noticed that the pouch where he kept his side deck was glowing.

He opened it and took out _the_ card.

_Timaeus…_ he thought.

Trisha looked at the card.

"I play…" she said.

She threw the card on her Disk.

"**_The Fang of Critias!"_**

Thunder rolled, and the sky darkened…

"What's happening?" asked Duncan.

From out of the sky, a huge form descended. It was a magnificent dragon with dark blue scales and a face that exuded wisdom. It flew right through the Seal, and landed by Trisha's side!

Trisha's facedown card lifted.

"Critias…" she said. "Merge with Sakuretsu Armor!"

The Trap Card and the great dragon swirled into a ball of light.

"WHAT?" shouted Duncan. "Since when can you fuse a Monster with a Trap?"

"Since right now," said Trisha with a grin. "And I'm fusing them into Doom Armor Dragon!"

A huge dragon appeared, with gunmetal grey armor, studded with razor-sharp blades all over!

(0/0)

"Zero Attack Points and zero Defense Points?" asked Duncan, snidely. "Defending with that thing is asking to lose…"

"Who said I was defending?" answered Trisha. "Take a closer look – I've summoned Doom Armor Dragon… In Attack Mode!"

The Dragon growled.

"Fine," said Duncan. "Your funeral…"

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," said Trisha, fitting Call of the Haunted into a slot.

The card appeared.

"What part of 'Traps don't work' don't you understand?" asked Duncan with a grin.

He drew a card.

_Eh, my other Ancient Gear Beast,_ he thought. _No matter…_

"Ancient Gear Golem… Attack!" he shouted.

The Golem lumbered forward…

"I was waiting for that, Duncan," said Trisha, narrowing her eyes. "See, to make up for his nonexistent Attack and Defense, Doom Armor Dragon has a potent ability that can be used if he's attacked while in Attack Mode.

"If that happens, I can offer him as a sacrifice… and the Monster that's attacking him… goes boom…"

Doom Armor Dragon glowed… He roared and flew forward… Duncan gasped…

With a massive explosion, Ancient Gear Golem was blasted to pieces, and Duncan was thrown backwards!

He groaned…

He looked at disbelief at the smoldering crater where his Monster had been.

Doom Armor Dragon vanished.

"I uh…" he said, getting up.

He took a card from his hand.

_Better bluff…_ he thought.

"I end my turn by placing one card facedown…"

"Then it's my move!" shouted Trisha.

She drew.

_Perfect…_ she thought. _That facedown card has got to be a bluff, or he'd have set it before…_

"I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back Nanobreaker!" she shouted.

The card lifted, and Nanobreaker reappeared. (1,600/1,800)

"Now I play… 7 Completed!"

She played the Equip Card, and Nanobreaker rose to an Attack of 2,300.

"And finally…" she added, playing the last card in her hand. "I play Limiter Remover. Since you like Machine Monsters so much, I'm certain you know what this card does to them…"

Nanobreaker glowed with blue fire, and her Attack rose to 4,600!

"Go!" she shouted. "Attack him directly and end this!"

Nanobreaker leapt up, and slashed violently at the criminal with her sword, and he staggered back.

He fell to his knees…

"Game… over…" said Trisha.

**(T: 1,600) -------------------- (D: 0)**

Duncan started to laugh as the Seal started to glow.

"HA, HA, HA!" he laughed, as the Seal started to shrink. "Like I said, my dear… If you have to go, go out big!"

The Seal contracted around him, and he collapsed, his face frozen in an insane grin.

Trisha paused as her two friends ran up to her.

She took The Fang of Critias out of her discard slot and looked at it.

"I won't fail you…" she whispered.

"Trisha…" said Jason. "That dragon… is he…"

"I think he's related to yours," she answered.

There was a long pause.

"He said he had one other brother…" she added. "Once he appears, they'll be stronger…"

She and Jason looked at Russell…

Russell gulped.

Alister smiled.

_You did good Trisha,_ he thought. _Take care of my cards… They'll help you a great deal…_

He turned and disappeared.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado walked down a hallway with his three henchmen behind him.

"So," said Cassius. "Now Timaeus and Critias have appeared. How does this affect your film?"

"It might actually make it more interesting," said Fortunado. "I'll have to give the Legendary Dragons billing, but at least I won't have to pay them…"

"Sir," said Cassius, "there is something else we should be concerned with… That Fortress that Trisha used… I know for a fact that it was the headliner of Alister's deck. Don't you think it's kind of a coincidence that…"

"It isn't a coincidence at all, Cassius," interrupted Fortunado. "Alister gave it to her."

The Swordsmen paused.

"The original Swordsmen are still around?" asked Cleo. "Suddenly I feel nervous…"

"Those three failures have been haunting this city for a long time," said Fortunado. "They think nobody knows, but I sure do.

"And now, apparently, they want to poke their noses in where they don't belong… Well, fine by me… If they continue to be a problem, I'll have them taken care of.

"After all, they have no bodies anymore… The Orichalcos can hold them even tighter than it did the last time.

"At any rate, we'd best put the Seal away for now, and continue on the subplot…"

He opened a door.

Beyond it was a sinister-looking temple, with torches flickering. The smell of incense was in the air.

A dark figure turned to meet them. He looked rather annoyed.

"I'm working as fast as I can, Mr. Fortunado," he said. "Your new operative will be ready by tomorrow morning."

"He'd better be," said Fortunado. "I don't like to wait."

"You rush the Master Specter, you wind up with rotten specters," said the figure. "Rome wasn't built in a day, you know."

"It would have been if I was paying by the hour!" answered Fortunado. "Besides, it isn't like you have anything better to do…"

He and the three Swordsmen turned to leave.

"That spook worries me, boss," said Sebastian. "How do we know he won't turn on us with these creatures?"

"He worries me too," said Cleo. "That card he has in his deck… What if he actually uses it? It seems to me like the Duel Monsters equivalent of pouring gasoline on a grease fire!"

"Trust me," said Fortunado, "if he does anything uncouth, he'll regret it…

"Greatly…"

_Friday, September 17th, 2106, 7:36 PM_

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**JUNK DEALER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A ragged and muscular junk man.

**Card Description:** Special Summon up to two WARRIOR- or MACHINE-Type Monsters from your Graveyard whose combined star levels do not exceed seven in Attack Position. The ATK of these Monsters is cut in half. These Monsters cannot attack during the round you use this card. You cannot use these Monsters as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon.

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**SKY UNION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Silhouette of a hulking, shadowy machine amid the clouds.

**Card Description:** Offer three Monsters as a Tribute to Special Summon one "Air Fortress Ziggurat" from your hand or deck.

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**AIR FORTRESS ZIGGURAT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **2,000

**Image:** This powerful flying war machine was created using Dark World technology. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster can only be Special Summoned through the effect of "Sky Union". This Monster is not destroyed when it battles a Monster with equal ATK. This Monster is not affected by your opponent's Spell or Trap Cards. At the End Phase of your turn, you may Special Summon one "Toy Robot Token" (Machine/Earth/1 star/0 ATK, 0 DEF) in Defense Position. This Monster cannot be attacked so long as at least one "Toy Robot Token" is on your side of the field.

_Note: "Junk Dealer", "Sky Union", and "Air Fortress Ziggurat" were used by Alister in the anime episode "Flight of Fear (Part Two)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**ELEMENTAL BLIGHT (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Dark Ruler Ha Des striking down Elemental Mistress Doriado with an evil spell.

**Card Description:** Remove from play one Monster Card in your hand. All Monsters on the field with the same Attribute as the Monster you remove from play lose 1,500 Attack Points until the End Phase of the current turn.

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**ORICHALCOS DAMPER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin: **Sloth

**Image:** Similar to "The Seal of Orichalcos", but blurry, as if the ink were running.

**Card Description:** During the turn in which you use this card, the 500-point bonus that "The Seal of Orichalcos" grants to your Monsters does not apply.

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**THE FANG OF CRITIAS (Special Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Special  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A powerful dragon with deep blue scales.

**Card Description:** This card can fuse with any Trap Card to form a Monster of incredible power.

_Note: "The Fang of Critias" first appeared in "Deja Duel! (Part Two)". It was one of the main focuses of "Waking the Dragons"._

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**DOOM ARMOR DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Image:** This Dragon's mere appearance gives the impression of danger. This Monster is descended by activating "The Fang of Critias" and offering one "Sakuretsu Armor" as a Tribute. If this Monster is attacked while in Attack Position, offer this Monster as a Tribute to destroy the attacking Monster.

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**Duncan's Medieval Shadow Deck**

_There's a big difference between a normal bank robber and a safecracker. If you barge into a bank and rob the place with a weapon, you'll wind up a few thousand dollars richer at most. However, if you're skilled enough to sneak into a closed bank, bypass the security system, and break open the vault, not to mention knowing exactly what to take, you could wind up with millions of dollars. Thus, a safecracker makes a much more respected criminal in the underworld than a crude armed robber._

_Duncan has been a career criminal all his life, and knows the "proper" ways to commit crimes for maximum profit. Thus, he knows a great deal about machinery and computers. Thus, as a duelist, he favors not only Machines, but ones that are durable. And none are more durable in his opinion than the Ancient Gear Machines. _

_Having two Golems and two Beasts in his deck seems like a hard task, but one of the key points in Duncan's strategy is summoning high-level Monsters quickly. He has many ways to do so, and this chapter only showed two methods: using Ancient Gear Castle and Ancient Gear Factory. Another clever way is to use Magnet Circle LV 2 to Special Summon one Ancient Gear, use its effect to Special Summon another, and then sacrifice them both. Yet another is through use of another creature in his deck, The Trojan Horse, which can summon the Golem with one sacrifice._

_Duncan doesn't use many Traps, but most of the ones he has are Counters. If a Golem or Beast is sent to the Graveyard, it's usually a one-way trip, so he has many ways to negate Spell Cards that can destroy Monsters. He doesn't worry much about Traps – after all, his most important Monsters are immune to most of them. _

_Of course, Duncan is a bit of a hypocrite. His criminal career relied on subtlety, and his dueling style… is anything but._

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**New Card Type: Card of Sin**

_Cards of Sin are cards created by the mysterious force currently behind the Orichalcos. Whether or not this is Leviathan or someone channeling its power is not known, but it is clearly someone or something of great evil and great magical prowess._

_In effect, Cards of Sin are nothing new. Practically every card in Dartz's personal deck except the actual Seal of Orichalcos was one, although he did not know it. After all, he refused to believe that his deeds were sins, even though they were. It is important to note that the Seal itself is not a Card of Sin – in effect, that card is the power source of all Cards of Sin, and is in a class by itself._

_All Cards of Sin have different effects, but share a few things in common. First, not everyone can use one. To use The Seal of Orichalcos, one simply has to have darkness in his heart, and not necessarily be evil, the reason why Mai (who was simply scared and confused) and Atem (who was dark by nature) were able to use it. However, to use a Card of Sin, a duelist must truly have an evil soul, and have committed serious actual sins in his life. Note that the definition of "sin" is not the same as the definition of "crime", although sins often lead to crimes._

_Use of one of these cards is physically and mentally draining on an individual, and most minions don't dare use more than one in a single duel. (Dartz had godlike willpower, and was able to use a whole deck of them with few ill effects – he was one of the exceptions that makes it a rule). There are seven different types of Cards of Sin, each type corresponding to one of the Seven Deadly Sins that define human nature: Pride, Sloth, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Greed, and Lust. The effect of the card is usually dependent on what sin the card represents. A duelist can use one of them more easily if the card's sin is one he possesses in abundance. (This is why Orichalcos Damper was draining on Duncan – it was Sloth, and he didn't have much of that.)_

_A Card of Sin cannot be played unless the duelist is currently using The Seal of Orichalcos, which is the power source for all of them. These cards are worthless otherwise. Most of these cards work with the Orichalcos in some way, strengthening Monsters under its influence and helping the minion. If the Card is a Monster, it gains the regular 500-point bonus that the Seal confers._

_Rumors persist that the Cards of Sin have polar opposites called Cards of Virtue. If these cards exist, they may be the perfect thing to combat both them and the Orichalcos itself. How these cards may be obtained, however, is unknown._

_Cards of Sin are restricted to this fanfic, and cannot be used elsewhere._

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_**Coming up next…**_

_**Another blast… From the anime past!**_

_**A student's deck has been stolen, and Jason goes to get it back… But he must face a duelist so infamous, that almost all information on him has been classified! Who is he?**_

**_Find out, in "The Illusory Gentleman", coming up next!_**


	14. The Illusory Gentleman

_**When Ansel dueled Panik – or someone claiming to be him – I didn't know what to make out of it. Was Panik an imposter, or was he some phantom come back to some form of pseudo-life?**_

_**Whichever the case, I know now that this Panik was only the tip of the iceberg.**_

_**Another of these strange phantasms has appeared, and he's done something that is unforgivable. I must find him and defeat him…**_

_**I hope I can, because according to legend, this guy was no slouch…**_

_**This guy has a Monster in his deck that's so rare, the only other person known to have one was the one who defeated him, the King of Games himself…**_

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**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

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**The Illusory Gentleman**

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_Saturday, September 18th, 2106, 12:10 PM_

News reports often raised more questions than they answered, and that was certainly the case.

"Escaped convict Daniel Duncan was found by police on the top level of the Mall of Manhattan's parking garage," said the newscaster, "in a strange catatonic state. The notorious convict remains in a strange coma, and no one is certain just how he wound up in this condition."

Only a few knew the truth…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason and Russell were waiting outside the conference room.

Just like Jason had, Trisha had been called there for a talking to.

Eventually, she came out.

"Well?" asked Russell.

"Basically," moaned Trisha, "she had my butt for lunch!"

She looked at The Fang of Critias.

"This is the most powerful card I have ever seen," she said. "Able to fuse with any Trap Card in the game to form something lethal…"

They all looked at each other.

"Guys, we have to do some research…" said Jason.

"How?" asked Trisha. "We don't even know how to spell the word 'Orichalcos'!"

"Easy," said Russell, sarcastically. "We'll just look in the database for cursed magical artifacts…

"…under 'O'…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Three hours later, the three of them were at the computers at the library.

And they were getting nowhere fast…

"No good…" muttered Jason. "Not even a reference to 'Orichalcos', 'Timaeus', 'Critias', or 'Dark Messiah'…"

"Hang on a sec," said Russell, who was searching through the microfiche.

"Here we go…" he said. "I found something dated about ninety years ago…

"An author named Lester Grimes intended to publish a book called _White Lightning: A Biography of Seto Kaiba_. He wrote the manuscript without Kaiba's knowledge, but before he published it, he announced that it would portray all of Kaiba's 'heroic' life, including his encounter with something called the Orichalcos…"

Trisha looked at the screen.

"So that's how you spell it," she said.

"Kaiba immediately demanded to see Grimes," continued Russell, "and wanted to see the manuscript, and Grimes happily complied…

"…and once he had, Kaiba filed a lawsuit to stop its publication, claiming it was full of slander.

"Halfway though the lawsuit, Kaiba made an offer to Grimes that he would let the book be published, but only if he was allowed to personally edit it. Grimes felt he would lose the case anyway, and accepted.

"The book was published, and became reasonably successful, but no mention of anything called Orichalcos was in it."

There was a long pause.

"Seems there was stuff in the original draft that Kaiba didn't want the public to know," said Trisha.

"Obviously," said Jason. "So the mystery deepens…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When they got back to the dorm, and entered the common room, they were met by a surprise.

Old Ben and Dr. Artemis were in the common room, trying to calm a student who seemed incredibly scared. Trisha was shocked to see who it was.

"Malvolio?" she said.

"What happened to him?" asked Jason.

"Something serious," said Artemis. "Someone dueled him, and then stole his deck."

Jason's eyes opened wide.

"The beast…" he muttered.

"So fast, didn't see it coming…" gasped Malvolio. "So fast, didn't see it coming…"

"Try to calm yourself, Mal," said Ben. "Get a grip!"

"Ben," scolded Artemis. "Don't you realize the gravity of this situation? Someone has stolen a student's deck. You of all people should realize how serious that is!"

"I know…" muttered Ben, slouching.

She put her arm around Malvolio.

"Malvolio," she said, in a comforting voice, "try to calm down, and tell us who did this…"

"Ar… Ar…" he stuttered. "Arkana…"

"Arkana?" said Jason in surprise.

Ben scratched his chin.

"Lovely," he said. "His deck was stolen by Arkana… Or someone claiming to be him. And this will be hard, because information about him was classified by the Council."

"I know a little about him," replied Artemis. "He was a Rare Hunter who was one of Yugi's opponents in the first Battle City. The reason talking about him is taboo is because he used Yugi's signature card, Dark Magician, and perverted its use, disrespecting his cards. He cut up and trimmed his cards to manipulate where they'd end up when he shuffled – no respectable duelist would intentionally damage his cards…"

"Malvolio," said Ben, "did this guy use Dark Magician?"

Malvolio shivered.

"I've seen pictures of Dark Magician…" muttered Malvolio. "This was _not_ the same Monster! He was different… He was… evil…"

"Mmm," muttered Artemis. "Arkana used a different variant than Yugi used… A rare version of a card that was already incredibly rare…"

Jason looked at Malvolio's feet.

A stuffed toy had been dropped there. It was some sort of gnome or troll dressed in colorful clothes and a pointed cap.

He picked it up.

"Where did this come from?" he asked.

"He was clutching that when he came in here," said Ben. "I have no idea what it is…"

Jason looked at it.

"Mr. Puck…" he said.

"Huh?" said Russell. "Mr. Puck? What's with the toy gnome?"

"It isn't a gnome…" muttered Jason, "it's an elf…"

They all looked at him.

"Guys," said Jason, "I've got to go somewhere… Keep trying to calm Malvolio down…"

He rushed out the door.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A short subway ride to Brooklyn later, he was standing outside an old factory.

The sign on the front said, **MONARCH TOY COMPANY**, along with many signs that said "condemned" and "keep out". On the roof was the same company name, along with pictures of the traditional King of Spades and Queen of Hearts, faded with age.

He went up to the front door, and found that the boards that had nailed it shut had been removed. He walked in. A light came from a room up ahead…

After moving inward for a few minutes, he found himself in a large room full of what appeared to be macabre stage magician tools…

A guillotine… A fortunetelling machine with a wax statue of an ugly hag-like gypsy inside… An iron maiden with its door ajar… Grotesque puppets… Several demonic masks…

It looked like a bad dream.

The center of the floor had been cleared away, and a five-pointed star in a circle – a magical pentagram – was painted on it.

"You might as well come out," he said. "I know you're in here…"

A cackling laughter echoed through the room, and blue smoke started to rise at the other end…

From out of the smoke stepped a tall figure. He was dressed in a formal tuxedo colored purple, with an oversized bow tie with stripes, and a top hat. Most remarkably, he wore a large, striped domino mask.

"So," he said, snidely, "you found me…"

"It wasn't hard…" said Jason, tossing the toy gnome on the floor. "You left a clue I could recognize…

"My sister got one of these toys when she was two. But I know that the Mr. Puck line of dolls was discontinued when the company that made them – this one – went out of business three years ago.

"And I want answers, Arkana, if that's truly who you are. Arkana has been dead for a hundred years, and I think you're something more than just an imposter…"

"Oh, ho, ho, ho," snickered Arkana. "That's a good question, Jason. Am I an imposter? Or am I the real Arkana, brought back to life by some powerful spell?

"I'm afraid that's one question that I can't answer right now…"

"Fine," said Jason. "But I'm not leaving without Malvolio's deck! You don't steal a duelist's deck, Arkana! That's hitting below the belt!"

"You want his deck back?" laughed Arkana. "Well, it's somewhere in this room, but you'll never find it on your own…

"Make you a deal… Duel me, and if you win, I'll gladly give it back…"

One of the Orichalcos Duel Disks appeared on his arm, and then a deck of cards appeared in his hand, which he started to shuffle.

"Fine…" said Jason. "If that's what it will take…"

He shuffled his own deck, secretly placing The Eye of Timaeus in as he did.

"Well," said Arkana as the Disks activated, "it's showtime! Let the curtain rise, and the show begin!"

"Disk away!" shouted Jason.

**(Jason: 8,000) -------------------- (Arkana: 8,000)**

"Let's begin!" laughed Arkana, drawing a first card.

He chose a card from his hand.

"I summon the Malice Doll of Demise…" he stated.

He played a card, and a sinister-looking, wooden puppet holding a nasty axe appeared in front of him. (1,600/1,700)

"Next, I'll play… Ectoplasmer!"

He played a Spell Card, and it appeared behind the Doll. Jason raised an eyebrow.

"This diabolic Spell Card requires each duelist to sacrifice one Monster at the end of their turns," he explained. "The very soul of the sacrificed Monster is then transformed into a destructive form of energy called _ectoplasm_. This is fired at the opposing player for damage equal to half of the sacrificed Monster's Attack Score.

"And so…"

He snapped his fingers, and Malice Doll of Demise slumped over…

A ghostly spirit flew out of it, and shot towards Jason! He cringed as it hit him.

The remains of the Doll vanished.

**(J: 7,200) -------------------- (A: 8,000)**

"All right, Arkana," said Jason, drawing a card. "If you want to play dirty, I'm as game as you are…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon the D.D. Warrior Lady in Attack Mode."

A beautiful woman dressed in a silvery leotard with long sleeves, holding a gleaming sword appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"Attack directly!" he shouted.

D.D. Warrior Lady flew forward, and slashed at the conjurer with her sword! Arkana grunted.

"And I'm not done," continued Jason. "I happen to know that both duelists can use Ectoplasmer's effect. So I'll use it on my Warrior!"

D.D. Warrior Lady fell to her knees…

And then her spirit arose from her body, and slashed at Arkana with her sword again! The magician's hat fell from his head.

D.D. Warrior Lady vanished.

**(J: 7,200) -------------------- (A: 5,750)**

Arkana growled, and retrieved his hat.

"Ha, ha!" laughed Jason. "Got you good!"

"Clever," said Arkana, placing the hat back on his head, "but you'll soon learn the penalties for trying to heckle the headliner!"

He drew…

And then he snapped his fingers. In a burst of dark energy, Malice Doll of Demise reappeared! (1,600/1,700)

"What?" said Jason. "How? You didn't even do anything!"

"When this Monster is sent to the Graveyard by means of a Continuous Spell Card, he comes right back on my next turn," said Arkana. "Admittedly, there are very few cards that can do that, so this Monster was _made_ to combo with Ectoplasmer!

"Next, I'll summon a Spellcaster named Mythical Beast Cerberus in Attack Mode…"

He placed a card down, and a glowing hound with two heads appeared. (1,400/1,400)

"Next," he said, "I'll play Pot of Greed from my hand…"

He played the card, and drew two cards.

"And whenever a Spell Card is played, by either of us, Cerberus gains 500 Attack Points!"

Cerberus glowed, and grew to 1,900 Attack. Jason gulped.

"However," added Arkana, "when I actually decide to attack with him, he goes back to his original level, so I won't attack you with him just yet…

"But my Doll is another story! Malice Doll of Demise, attack him directly! Heaver cleaver!"

The Doll hurled its axe at Jason, and he staggered back, wincing in pain.

"And now I'll activate Ectoplasmer again!" laughed Arkana.

The Doll slumped down again, and its spirit shot towards Jason again! He screamed and fell over.

"I end my turn," laughed Arkana, as the Doll vanished.

**(J: 4,800) -------------------- (A: 5,750)**

_All right,_ thought Jason, making a draw, _I'm gonna do what I should have done on my first turn…_

He played a card.

"Say goodbye to that Ectoplasmer card!" he exclaimed. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

The whirlwind ripped across the arena, blowing the Spell Card to bits.

Mythical Beast Cerberus rose to 2,400 Attack.

"Next, I'll summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode," he said.

Vorse Raider appeared, holding his axe high. (1,900/1,200)

"And I'll end with a facedown card," he said.

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"Oh, a facedown card!" said Arkana. "Whatever will I do?"

He drew a card, and then snapped his fingers again. Malice Doll of Demise returned again. (1,600/1,700)

"I think I will place one facedown as well," he said. "And that will be all…"

A facedown card appeared.

Jason drew. He considered for a minute.

"Vorse Raider, attack that Doll!" he shouted.

Vorse Raider leapt up, and brought his axe down on the Fiend, splitting it like a piece of wood.

**(J: 4,800) -------------------- (A: 5,450)**

"Your Doll split!" said Jason. "And it looks like your facedown card was a big bluff…"

"Yes…" muttered Arkana. "Parting is such sweet sorrow…"

He drew a card.

_Perfect…_ he thought. _Jason will soon learn how lethal it is to match wits with a conjurer as trained as I am…_

_After all, when you have Monsters that are high-level, you learn tricks on how to summon them fast, getting around sacrifice conditions…_

_And I don't need to cheat to outduel some college preppy!_

"I play Monster Reincarnation," he said, playing a Spell Card.

"Now, by discarding one card…"

He discarded a card.

"I can bring Malice Doll of Demise back to my hand…"

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Him again…" muttered Jason.

"And since I just played a Spell Card, Cerberus gets even stronger!" added Arkana.

Mythical Beast Cerberus grew to 2,900 Attack.

"Cerberus, attack his Vorse Raider!" shouted Arkana. "Mythic blast!"

The Mythical Beast's two heads breathed out blue flames…

"I activate… Mirror Force!" shouted Jason.

His Trap lifted, and the flames turned back on Cerberus, blowing it to shards!

"You little brat!" shouted Arkana.

"Gotcha…" said Jason, with a grin.

Then he frowned. He never liked using that Trap…

Kaiba could have easily put Mirror Force in his deck, but he was reluctant to use anything that his rival was so fond of.

But Jason couldn't afford to be as flexible as someone who could afford to put almost any card he desired in his deck. If a duelist of his level got ahold of a Mirror Force, he used it. He'd be a fool not to.

"I'll summon my Doll back in Defense Mode…" growled Arkana.

He played the card, and the Doll appeared again, shielding itself with its axe. (1,600/1,700)

_I'll teach him to upstage me,_ he thought.

Jason drew a card.

Ryu-Kishin Powered.

_Not bad,_ he thought.

He placed it on his Disk.

"I summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

The fiendish gargoyle appeared. (1,600/1,200)

"You took the bait!" laughed Arkana. "I activate my Trap!"

His facedown card lifted, and an ominous coffin appeared in front of him, with a pentagram on the front…

It opened, and sucked both Malice Doll of Demise and Ryu-Kishin Powered inside! Then it slammed shut!

"What happened?" shouted Jason.

"It's a rare Trap called Dark Renewal," said Arkana. "A very special sort of version of Soul Exchange, in a way… When you summon a Monster, I can sacrifice it along with one of mine to Special Summon a Spellcaster from my Graveyard."

"Fine," said Jason. "Bring back Cerberus… Vorse Raider will crush him…"

"Who said anything about Cerberus?" asked Arkana, as the coffin started to glow.

Jason paused.

"That card that you discarded when you used Monster Reincarnation…" he muttered. "Don't tell me it was…"

"It was!" laughed Arkana, as the coffin opened. "The opening act is over… Now the real show can begin! Dark Magician, you're on!"

A sinister figure stepped out of the coffin.

"Super…" muttered Jason.

Jason had seen DVDs of Yugi's duels many times, and had seen his Dark Magician in action in a lot of them. But Yugi's famed Spellcaster was dressed in royal purple, and had a kind, gentle face.

This guy, however, was a wicked parody. His robes were blood red, his hair was shock white, and his expression suggested insanity. (2,500/2,100)

"That's a blasphemy…" he muttered.

"Says who?" asked Arkana. "I'm the ultimate master of magicians, a sorcerer supreme! Yugi may have bested me with that harlot Spellcaster of his, but I'm back, he's not, and I'll soon reclaim the title of the true Master of the Dark Magician!"

"Harlot?" said Jason, angrily, taking a card from his hand. "Dark Magician Girl is no harlot!"

He looked at his cards.

_That guy may be Dark Magician's evil twin,_ he thought, _but unfortunately, for all practical purposes, he's the same Monster. And as anyone who dueled Yugi could attest, defeating him is incredibly hard…_

"I'll place a card facedown, and move Vorse Raider to Defense Mode…"

A facedown card appeared. Vorse Raider knelt, and held his axe in his lap.

"…and I end my turn."

Arkana drew a card.

"Stop me if you've heard this one…" he said with a grin. "A lunatic walks into a card store, and he tells the guy behind the counter, 'I'd like a bag of carrots'."

Jason raised an eyebrow.

"And the guy says," he continued, "'We don't sell carrots, now get lost!' And the lunatic leaves. The next day, the same lunatic comes in, and tells the same guy, 'I'd like a bag of carrots'."

Jason looked at him, annoyed.

"And the clerk gets angry, and says, 'We don't have carrots! You come in here again, I'm going to nail you to the wall!' And the lunatic leaves again."

Now Arkana's Dark Magician started to look annoyed…

"The day after that, the lunatic comes in again, and he tells the clerk, 'I'd like a bag of nails.' And the clerk gets really mad, and says, 'We don't have any nails!'

"And the lunatic says, 'In that case, I'd like a bag of carrots!'"

Jason just stared at him.

"Boy…" he growled. "I haven't heard something that funny since I had a root canal…"

"Okay then…" answered Arkana. "I'll stick to stage magic then."

"Case in point, for my next trick…" he said, choosing another card, "the great Arkana will make Vorse Raider… disappear!"

He played a card.

"By playing the Spell Card… Thousand Knives! This Spell lets my Dark Magician wipe out any opposing Monster!"

_Case in point…_ thought Jason.

The Dark Magician gripped two glowing daggers, and then hurled a swarm of them forward!

"Not so fast!" shouted Jason. "I activate Spell Shield Type-8!"

His Trap Card lifted, and a weird machine appeared in front of Vorse Raider.

"This negates your Spell Card! And because Thousand Knives targets a Monster, I don't have to pay a dime."

The daggers fizzled.

"Fine…" growled Arkana. "I still have his normal attack! Dark Magician, attack Vorse Raider!"

The wicked sorcerer aimed his staff, and with a burst of eldritch energy, blew Vorse Raider into shards.

_Got to do something…_ thought Jason, drawing a card.

He set a card down.

"I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode," he said.

Peten appeared, crouching in Defense. (500/1,200)

"That's all you could do?" asked Arkana. "A clown?"

"Look who's talking…" answered Jason.

Arkana drew a card.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode…" he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Dark Magician, attack his Clown!"

Dark Magician blew Peten away.

"Fine," said Jason. "But destroy one Peten, and I get to summon a second one…"

Another Peten appeared.

"He just hates to say goodbye…" he added.

"But you will shortly," said Arkana, "make your move…"

Jason drew a card.

It was Polymerization.

_That's what I'm talkin' about!_ he thought.

"I summon Saggi the Dark Clown," he said.

He played a card, and another goofy jester appeared. (600/1,500)

"You actually put that worthless Monster in your deck?" asked Arkana.

"Don't call him worthless," said Jason, angrily. "I put him in my deck for the same reason that Kaiba did…

"I believed in him.

"And now I'm going to use him to summon a Spellcaster that's even stronger than yours, Arkana. I fuse Saggi and Peten together with Polymerization!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So, where do you think Jason went?" said Russell.

"He sure seemed to know where he was going," said Trisha.

Her face fell.

"Poor Malvolio…" she said sadly. "His deck was the product of a century of planning and strategy, and it had a lot of rare cards… And for all we know, that guy who took it is selling his cards to some dealer in Chinatown…"

"It's not right…" said Russell. "A duelist's whole… essence is in his cards, it's what defines him. They shouldn't be taken by another! If I ever find this Arkana, I'm gonna rip him a new one…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

From out of the vortex came a tall figure. He was dressed in a jester's outfit, completely black and white, with a foolscap and a dark mask, not unlike Arkana's.

"Meet Dark Harlequin!" said Jason, triumphantly.

(2,000/1,500)

"Impressive," said Arkana, "but you were wrong on one aspect… Your Harlequin is 500 Attack Points weaker than Dark Magician."

Dark Harlequin grinned at this remark…

"Oh really?" said Jason. "Well, why don't I just explain his special ability! He gains an extra 700 Attack Points if there's a Dark Attribute Monster face-up on the field, other than himself."

Arkana paused.

"But the only other face-up Monster on the field…" he started.

"…is your Dark Magician," interrupted Jason, "emphasis on the word 'Dark'.

"Dark Harlequin, attack with acrobatic flip!"

Arkana's Dark Magician gulped…

Dark Harlequin leapt up, and did a somersault, and drop-kicked Dark Magician, smashing him to bits!

"So much for that!" laughed Jason. "I end my turn…"

**(J: 4,800) -------------------- (A: 5,250)**

"Ooh, this is getting annoying…" muttered Arkana, drawing a card. "No matter… A good conjurer is always prepared…

"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode…"

The facedown Monster flipped, and revealed a scaly green creature with spines all over its body. (1,600/1,800)

"A Des Feral Imp!" exclaimed Jason.

"Yes," said Arkana, "and by Flip-Summoning it, I get to take one card from my Graveyard, and shuffle it back into my deck."

A card fell out of his discard slot.

"I'll give you one guess what one it is!" he said with a grin, showing him the Dark Magician card.

He placed the card in his deck, and reshuffled.

"Incidentally, Jason," he said, "my chances of drawing him again are better than you might think, since I have two copies in my deck.

"But right now, I'll summon a Spellcaster of a different color. I sacrifice my Imp, to summon the Chaos Command Magician!"

Des Feral Imp vanished, and a tall Spellcaster in glossy black robes and a pointed hat carrying a staff appeared. (2,400/1,900)

Dark Harlequin frowned.

"And since this guy isn't a Dark Monster," he continued, "he can easily defeat your Harlequin. Chaos Command Magician, attack the Dark Harlequin with chaos magic!"

Chaos Command Magician shot forth a blast of rainbow-colored light, and Dark Harlequin cringed before he was blown away.

**(J: 4,400) -------------------- (A: 5,250)**

"Nuts…" muttered Jason.

"It's your move…" said Arkana, with a sinister smile.

"Fine," said Jason, as he drew.

"And I play Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and drew two cards.

"Your mage is going down," said Jason. "I summon Battle Ox!"

He played the card, and the minotaur appeared. (1,700/1,000)

"He can't defeat Chaos Command Magician," laughed Arkana.

"He'll be able to in a minute," said Jason. "I play… Shrink!"

He played the card, and Chaos Command Magician gasped, and shrank to half his size, falling to an Attack Score of 1,200.

"Battle Ox, get him!"

The Beast Warrior made a swipe with his axe, and Chaos Command Magician shattered.

Arkana gritted his teeth.

**(J: 4,400)** **-------------------- (A: 4,750)**

"That narrows the gap," said Jason. "It's your move…"

Arkana drew a card.

He grinned evilly.

"I summon Double Coston in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and two black globs with faces connected by an energy cord appeared. (1,700/1,650)

"And I'll also set a card facedown…" he said.

A facedown card appeared.

_I know that Monster…_ thought Jason_. If he sacrifices it for a Dark Attribute Monster, it counts as two Monsters!_

He drew a card.

_Eh, this will cost me Battle Ox, but I have to stop him from summoning his Dark Magician again!_

"Battle Ox, attack Double Coston!" he shouted.

Battle Ox lifted his axe…

"I activate… Zero Gravity!" shouted Arkana.

His Trap Card lifted, and both Battle Ox and Double Coston shifted into Defense Mode.

"This Trap Card changes the battle positions of all Monsters on the field," he said with a grin. "Moving both our beasts from offense to defense."

Jason put a card on his Disk.

"Then I'll place one Monster in Defense Mode…" he stated.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"…and I'll end my turn."

Arkana drew a card.

"And now," he said, "I'll sacrifice my Double Coston, and behold, ladies and gentlemen, as Dark Magician makes his triumphant return!"

Double Coston vanished, and the evil Dark Magician appeared again. (2,500/2,100)

"Attack his Battle Ox!" ordered Arkana.

Dark Magician fired a blast, and Battle Ox was blown away.

"You're lucky he was in Defense Mode," laughed Arkana. "So make your move…"

Jason drew a card.

_Hmmm…_ he thought.

"I place one card facedown, and that will be all…" he said.

A facedown card appeared.

"Very well," said Arkana, drawing a card.

_This might come in handy later,_ he thought.

"Attack his facedown Monster!" he shouted.

Dark Magician fired a blast…

A small lizard-man carrying a sword appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.

"Sorry, Arkana," said Jason, "but that was a Troop Dragon. And he has an ability similar to Peten's – destroy one, and another takes its place."

Another Troop Dragon appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (700/800)

"Then it's your move…" said Arkana.

Jason drew.

"I'm passing then," he said.

_Come on,_ he thought. _Summon another Monster… You know you want too…_

Arkana drew a card.

"I summon Mystic Tomato in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

He played a card, and a huge tomato with a silly-looking face appeared next to Dark Magician. (1,400/1,100)

"You fell right into my Trap, Arkana!" shouted Jason. "I activate… Safecracker!"

His Trap Card lifted, revealing the image of Cliff the Trap Remover attempting to break open a bank vault.

"Now, by discarding one other Trap Card from my hand…" he continued.

He discarded his Negate Attack.

"…this Trap can duplicate the effects of one Trap Card in your Graveyard. And I think I'll duplicate… Dark Renewal!"

Arkana drew back in fear as the dark coffin appeared on Jason's side! It opened, and Troop Dragon and Mystic Tomato were sucked into it!

"See?" said Jason, as it slammed shut. "What helped you so much before is going to hurt you now. Because now I can summon a Spellcaster from MY Graveyard."

"But that means…" said Arkana, with a shudder.

The coffin opened, and Dark Harlequin stepped out. (2,000/1,500)

"He's baaaack!" said Jason.

Arkana frowned.

"How do you expect me to put on a proper show…" he said angrily, "when that guy keeps stealing it?"

"Hey…" said Jason. "That's show biz!"

"I'll move Dark Magician to Defense Mode, and end my turn…" growled Arkana.

Dark Magician glared angrily at the Harlequin, and then knelt in Defense.

"My move!" said Jason, drawing.

He drew.

"And I summon Spear Dragon."

A small Dragon that looked like a pterodactyl appeared. (1,900/0)

"Dark Harlequin, attack his Dark Magician!"

Dark Harlequin flipped, and kicked the Spellcaster, blasting him to pieces.

"Spear Dragon, attack directly!" shouted Jason. "Cyclone blast!"

Spear Dragon exhaled a blast of fierce wind, striking the mad magician! He grunted and staggered backwards.

**(J: 4,400) -------------------- (A: 2,850)**

"And now my Spear Dragon moves to Defense Mode…" said Jason.

Spear Dragon lowered its beak and folded its wings. It closed its eyes and fell asleep, softly snoring.

"Clever," said Arkana, "but this is my show, and the grand finale will be coming soon…"

He drew a card.

"I'll simply place this Monster in Defense Mode," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"All right…" said Jason, drawing a card.

Spear Dragon woke up. Its eyes opened and it moved back into Attack Mode.

"Spear Dragon, take care of his facedown Monster!" he shouted.

Spear Dragon fired his cyclone blast…

A grizzled old sorcerer in colorful clothes with a fancy staff appeared on the card. (450/600)

"Heh, heh," said Arkana. "That's Old Vindictive Magician. And since you flipped him, your Dark Harlequin is destroyed!"

Old Vindictive Magician aimed his staff and fired a beam of darkness, eradicating Dark Harlequin.

Then he shattered himself.

"Big deal…" said Jason. "You still lose Life Points because of Spear Dragon's piercing effect."

Spear Dragon fell asleep and backed up into Defense Mode again.

"I'll end by playing a card facedown."

A facedown card appeared.

**(J: 4,400)** **-------------------- (A: 1,550)**

"I believe… it's my move…" said Arkana, not seeming to care.

He drew a card.

"And I play Graceful Charity," he said, playing a card.

He played the card, and the angel appeared.

He drew three cards.

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" he laughed. "With the cards I just drew, the fat lady will be singing shortly!"

He discarded two cards.

"Now," he said, "I'll bring my Dark Magician back, by playing Silent Doom."

He played the card, and Dark Magician reappeared, kneeling in Defense Mode.

"Despite his fame," continued Arkana, "Dark Magician is not an Effect Monster, so this card can easily revive him."

"You think that scares me?" asked Jason. "Since you summoned him with Silent Doom, he can't attack."

"Actually," said Arkana, "I only summoned him so I could sacrifice him for someone better, who IS an Effect Monster… A powerful sorcerer who can only be summoned by sacrificing a Dark Magician!"

Jason drew back.

"I've never heard of such a thing!" he exclaimed.

"Once this duel is over," laughed Arkana, "I assure you you'll never forget it either!

"I sacrifice my Dark Magician…"

A cloud of darkness consumed Dark Magician…

"And come forth, **_Dark Eradicator Warlock_**!"

A powerful-looking form stepped forward. He resembled Dark Magician at first glance, but wore a fancier robe and a cape, and carried a more elaborate staff. His eyes glowed with dark energy. (2,500/2,100)

"Well, that's… impressive…" said Jason. "But he's no stronger than Dark Magician… Unless…"

"Didn't I tell you?" asked Arkana. "This guy IS an Effect Monster, one with a deadly effect. Now, whenever either of us uses a Normal Spell Card, you lose 1,000 Life Points!"

"No… way…" muttered Jason.

"I'll show you," replied Arkana. "I play… Monster Reborn, and bring back the normal Dark Magician!"

He played the card, and Dark Magician arose next to his more elaborate counterpart. (2,500/2,100)

Dark Eradicator Warlock glowed with Dark energy, and pain ripped through Jason!

**(J: 3,400) -------------------- (A: 1,550)**

"If only I could face Yugi now!" laughed Arkana. "Even he would admit that I am the true master of magicians! The ultimate archmage!"

"A demented madman…" growled Jason.

"We'll soon see!" shouted Arkana. "Because now I'm going to finish you! I play the Spell Card, Double Attack!"

He played the card.

"And in case you didn't know, it's also a Normal Spell Card…"

He played the card. Dark Eradicator Warlock's staff glowed again, and Jason screamed…

"And now," continued Arkana, "I'll discard the eight-star Dark Magician of Chaos so that my seven-star Dark Magician can attack twice!"

He discarded a card.

"Dark Magician, destroy his Spear Dragon!"

Dark Magician fired, and Spear Dragon burst!

"Now, attack directly!"

Dark Magician grinned an evil grin and aimed at Jason.

"Go! Draining Shield!" shouted Jason.

His Trap Card lifted, and a dome of force surrounded him. The blast of dark magic flowed into him, and he felt a surge of energy…

**(J: 4,900) -------------------- (A: 1,550)**

Arkana growled.

"My Warlock still has an attack, Jason…" he said, "and he intends to use it! Attack! Dark curse!"

Dark Eradicator Warlock's staff glowed with dark flames, and Jason howled in pain…

**(J: 2,400) -------------------- (A: 1,550)**

"I'm not through yet, Arkana…" he said, panting for breath.

He looked at his deck.

He drew a card.

"I play… Card of Demise," he said, playing a Spell Card. "See, I now get to draw five cards. However, after five turns are over, I have to discard my entire hand.

"But that really doesn't matter, because if I don't get some good ones, this duel is going to be over long before then."

He played the card.

"Don't forget..." said Arkana with a grin. "Card of Demise is also a Normal Spell Card..."

Dark Eradicator Warlock's staff blazed, and Jason cringed in pain again...

He stopped to catch his breath.

_Please let these have something that can beat him…_ he thought as he started to draw.

He drew five cards.

He looked at them.

He placed one of them on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Is that all?" laughed Arkana. "Well… I guess the curtain will soon be going down…"

He drew.

"And just in case that Monster is something with a nasty flip-effect, I'll place this card facedown…"

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"Now…" he ordered, "Dark Magician, attack!"

Dark Magician aimed his staff.

"That's just what I wanted you to do, Arkana," said Jason with a grin. "Reveal… Ancient Lamp!"

As Dark Magician flew to attack, an old oil lamp on spidery metal legs appeared on the card. (900/1,400)

"Ancient Lamp?" said Arkana, confused. "What does that do?"

"I thought you were a master of magicians," said Jason. "This is another Spellcaster…

"And since you attacked it while it was in facedown Defense Mode, I can force your Dark Magician to attack one of your other Monsters!"

Dark Magician turned towards Dark Eradicator Warlock.

"ARRGH!" shouted Arkana. "If he attacks him…"

"They'll both be destroyed…" said Jason.

The two Spellcasters fired blasts of black magic at each other, and they shattered into pixels!

Arkana looked in disbelief.

"Not much to say, huh?" asked Jason. "I'd be speechless too, if my whole strategy had just been blown to Hell…"

"You haven't won yet!" cursed Arkana.

"We'll see…" said Jason.

_Just try to attack me,_ thought Arkana. _My Magic Cylinder will make it the last thing you ever do!_

Jason drew a card.

"Perfect," he said. "I'll use Ancient Lamp's other ability, to Special Summon this guy from my hand…"

La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp appeared, and gave a throaty chuckle. (1,800/1,000)

"And now…" said Jason, "I'll sacrifice La Jinn and Ancient Lamp to summon one of my most powerful Monsters…"

The two Monsters vanished…

"The mighty Tyrant Dragon!"

A huge, mean-looking Dragon with rust-red scales and a huge wingspan arose! It roared! (2,900/2,500)

Arkana drew back…

"Tyrant Dragon, attack directly with imperial inferno!" shouted Jason.

Flames appeared in the Dragon's jaws…

"I'm real sorry…" laughed Arkana, as his Trap lifted, "but my Magic Cylinder will blast your attack right back at you!"

"I'm afraid your puny Trap won't work against this guy!" shouted Jason.

Tyrant Dragon blasted its flame, and the Cylinders shattered into pieces. Arkana screamed…

**(J: 2,400) -------------------- (A: 0)**

"Boo-yah!" said Jason.

When the smoke cleared and Tyrant Dragon vanished, only one thing was left of Arkana…

…his hat.

Jason went and picked it up, and saw that, just as he suspected, a deck case was inside it.

He took the cards out and looked through them.

_Yep, these are Malvolio's cards, all right,_ he thought. _Not bad for an evening's work…_

He took some deep breaths and looked around.

"And that is why," he said, to no-one in particular, "I will not do two shows a night, people, I simply won't. Thank you, you've been great."

He turned and left.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When Jason got back, Malvolio was still sulking, and Trisha was trying hard to console him.

"Mal!" he said holding up the deck. "That creep couldn't duel as well as he could steal!"

Malvolio immediately looked up.

"You…" he said. "You got it back?"

"Of course," said Jason. "Here…"

Malvolio took the cards. He quickly looked through the deck.

"They're all here…" he muttered.

He paused.

"I owe you one…" he said.

"It was nothing," said Jason.

"No…" said Malvolio. "A Lark always repays a debt. I'll remember this… And I swear I will…"

Trisha snuggled up to Jason.

"Jason, that was one of the best things I've ever seen you do…" she said.

"Yeah," said Jason, "but things got a whole lot more complicated, and I'm worried…"

"Aw…" said Trisha. "I can make you feel better… I think I can sneak past Old Ben…"

Jason grinned.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Several hours later, Trisha was fast asleep, with Jason holding her close.

But Jason found it hard to sleep.

Judging from the pain that Spellcaster had doled out, that duel had clearly been a Shadow Game… Even if Arkana was an imposter, he wasn't a normal one…

Tomorrow, the sun would rise, but what would happen next? What new creature would appear?

Eventually, he fell asleep, and his dreams were strange…

_Saturday, September 18th, 2106, 11:38 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DARK RENEWAL (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A dark coffin with a pentagram on the cover.

**Card Description:** Activate this card when your opponent Normal Summons a Monster. Offer the summoned Monster and a Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one SPELLCASTER-Type Monster from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Dark Renewal" was first used by Arkana in the anime episode "The Master of Magicians (Part 2)" and was later used by Yugi (or Yami working alone) infrequently. All creative credit goes to the writers of the anime._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SAFECRAKER (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A Cliff the Trap Remover working on a bank vault with tools.

**Card Description:** When this card is activated, discard one Trap Card from your hand. Duplicate the effect of one Trap Card in your opponent's Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DARK HARLEQUIN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **1,500

**Image:** _Saggi the Dark Clown + Peten the Dark Clown_

This shadowy jester's sense of humor could best be described as dark humor. When there is at least one Dark-Attribute Monster on the field (aside from this one), increase this Monster's ATK by 700.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CARD OF DEMISE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** An executioner about to chop a deck of cards in half with a guillotine.

**Card Description:** Draw five cards from your deck. After your fifth End Phase after using this card, discard all the cards in your hand.

_Note: "Card of Demise" was first used by Kaiba in the multi-part anime episode "Clash in the Colosseum". He used it frequently after that._

**0**

**0**

**0**

_**Coming up next:**_

**_A new user character appears, and her unique OTK strategy makes the Swordsmen very interested in her! Russell duels again, to prove a major point and stop a disaster before it happens. Don't miss "Light of Intervention", coming soon._**


	15. Light of Intervention

_**There come times in every human beings' lives when they approach crossroads, and must make difficult choices.**_

_**I remember one that I had to make; I could either have gone to West Point and become a great soldier, or come to this school and become a great duelist. I took the latter choice, and I have not regretted it.**_

_**When making these choices, there are often temptations and persuasions. One must beware, because making the wrong choice can lead one to a life of misery and despair that is often cut short.**_

_**I've met a student who faces a choice… One where she isn't quite aware of the consequences of taking the wrong road…**_

_**And I have to try my best to make sure she doesn't take that road, or her life might be doomed to darkness…**_

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**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Light of Intervention**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Sunday, September 19th, 2006, 6:30 AM_

Jason's dorm room window faced the east, so Trisha was able to see the sun coming up.

He was still asleep right now, and his warm arms were still around her. She gently stroked his hair.

Then she reached over, and took something off the bedside table…

The Fang of Critias.

She looked hard at the card…

A haunting voice echoed through her head…

**When cursed magic blights the land,**

**And evil holds aloft its hand,**

**The Brothers will emerge once more,**

**And choose the ones to fight the war.**

**And when the Three can prove their worth,**

**They'll find the One who'll save the Earth.**

That strange poem started to make sense right now…

"_Cursed magic" must mean the Orichalcos,_ she thought.

She paused.

_And the Brothers must be these Knights… Timaeus and Critias and whoever the third one is…_

She paused again.

"_Choose the ones"? Did they choose me and Jason?_

Another pause.

_And "the One who'll save the Earth" must be that Dark Messiah character that Critias mentioned, whoever or wherever he is…_

But where the heck do we start looking for a "Dark Messiah"? Churches?

She hugged Jason closely as fear started to come over her.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Three hours later…

"Guys," said Russell, "let's just not worry about it for now, and try to relax. It's Sunday, for pete's sake!"

They entered the Arena.

"There's sure to be some interesting duels happening…" he said.

He looked on the floor.

"Or, perhaps one that's gonna be a total slaughter…"

A small group of Freshmen were at one end, and a smaller group of Obelisks were at another, watching two duelists on the central floor. One was an Obelisk who Russell recognized – Maverick Louis, a power player known for his Fiend Deck. The other duelist was a Freshman – a young girl with wavy red hair down to her shoulders.

They were shuffling each others decks, and the girl looked rather angry…

Russell and his friends sat down next to the spectators.

"How did this happen?" asked Russell.

"Maverick slapped Amanda on the ass," said another of the girls. "She got upset, and demanded to duel him."

"He laughed at first," said one of the boys, "but then she promised him a one-minute long, French kiss if he beat her, on the condition that he'd apologize in front of everyone if she won."

"She'd best be ready to kiss him," muttered Russell. "Maverick didn't get to be an Obelisk by losing to Freshmen…"

The Duel Disks activated.

"All right, Maverick," said Amanda, "let's get this over with…"

"Fine with me," said Maverick. "This won't take long…"

"DUEL!" they both said.

**(Amanda: 8,000) -------------------- (Maverick: 8,000)**

"I can be chivalrous when I want to be," said Maverick. "I'll even let you go first…"

"Fine…" mumbled Amanda, drawing her first card.

"I'll place three cards facedown…"

She played three cards, and they appeared.

"And one Giant Soldier of Stone in Defense Mode…"

She played a card, and the huge statue appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,300/2,000)

"That's my turn…" she said.

_Seems to be a "turtle" player,_ thought Russell, _playing defensively for now…_

"All right…" said Maverick, drawing a card.

"For now, I'll summon my Slate Warrior in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and the weird-looking Fiend with a blank face and a golden breastplate appeared. (1,900/400)

_Once Maverick manages to summon his Dark Ruler, he'll be able to walk all over her,_ thought Russell.

Amanda drew a card.

"I'll place another card facedown," she said, "and end my turn…"

She played a card, and a fourth facedown card appeared.

Maverick drew.

"I'll increase my forces," he said, "by summoning Archfiend Soldier in Attack Mode."

In a burst of black flame, the horned Archfiend arose, holding a jagged sword. (1,900/1,500)

"My side is stacked already," he said. "It's just a matter of time…"

"Yes…" said Amanda, with a depressed frown. "It is…"

She drew a card.

"I sacrifice _your_ two Monsters to summon the Lava Golem to your side of the field!" she shouted.

To Maverick's shock, along with those of the three Ras, his two Fiends shattered…

…and then an iron cage formed around him, and a gigantic creature made of boiling magma rose up, attached to it! (3,000/2,500)

"What the Hell?" he shouted.

"I thought you liked Fiends," said Amanda sarcastically. "Aren't you glad to get one that has 3,000 Attack Points? And by the way…"

One of her facedown cards lifted, and a scary tiki mask appeared next to her.

"…my Mask of Restrict will make sure it stays there. I end my turn…"

Russell got up in surprise.

"Of course…" he said. "I know what she's planning… One of her other facedown cards is Ring of Destruction, and another is Barrel Behind the Door!"

"Uhm…" said one of the other Freshmen.

"Eh…" said another.

Maverick started to get scared. He drew a card.

The cage got hot, and he cringed…

**(A: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 7,000)**

"Well, why don't you attack?" asked Amanda.

"Oh, you'd like me to do that…" said Maverick, with a grin.

He placed two cards in his Disk, and they appeared in front of the Golem.

"Ooh, she's in trouble!" whispered Russell. "I saw one of those Traps… Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment! When she sets off her Ring/Barrel combo, it'll fizzle!"

"It isn't a Ring/Barrel combo…" said one of the girls.

Russell looked at her.

"What else could it be?" asked Russell.

"Something much deadlier," answered the girl.

Amanda drew a card.

"Think I'll pass for this turn," she sighed.

Maverick drew again, and the cage glowed red hot again…

**(A: 8,000) -------------------- (M: 6,000)**

"All right…" he said. "You want an attack, you've got one! Lava Golem, attack Giant Soldier of Stone!"

Lava Golem opened its mouth and a ball of flame started to form in it…

"I activate… Astral Barrier!" shouted Amanda.

One of her Traps lifted.

"Huh?" said Jason.

"Huh?" said Trisha.

"HUH?" shouted Russell.

"Astral Barrier?" asked Maverick. "What does that do?"

"It lets me force the Golem to hit ME instead of my Monster!" shouted Amanda.

The huge ball of flame shot forward! Amanda screamed as flames erupted around her!

**(A: 5,000) -------------------- (M: 7,000)**

"Why would you do something so stupid?" asked Maverick.

Amanda panted for breath…

"It was worth it…" she gasped, "in order to activate this…"

Another facedown card lifted.

"Inferno Tempest," she said. "Since I lost 3,000 Life Points in one blow, all the Monsters in both our decks and Graveyards are removed from play…"

She took her deck…

"What are you up to?" shouted Maverick.

"You'll see," said Amanda, returning what was left of her deck. "Now, it's my move…"

She drew a card.

"First, I'll play a Spell Card… Chaos End!"

She played a card.

"Since at least seven of my cards have been removed from play, all Monsters on the field are wiped out…"

Lava Golem and Giant Soldier of Stone shattered into pixels!

"And now I activate my final Trap," she said, as it lifted. "It's called Return From The Different Dimension!"

A swirling vortex appeared in the air over the arena…

"By paying half my Life Points, I can bring back as many of my Monsters that have been removed from play as I can!" she shouted.

Five Monsters flew out of the vortex. First came Luster Dragon #2 (2,400/1,400), then Spell Canceller (1,800/1,600), followed by Hyozanryu (2,100/2,800), then Chaos Command Magician (2,400/1,900), and finally, Jinzo (2,400/1,500).

"Hey, wait a minute…" gulped Maverick.

"And since one of them is Jinzo and another is Spell Canceller," said Amanda, "I'm afraid your two facedown cards, whether they're Traps or Quickplay Spells, aren't gonna cut it. Now…

"Attack! Combination strike!"

Luster Dragon blasted fire, Spell Canceller fired a beam of energy, Hyozanryu shot a blast of diamond crystals, Chaos Command Magician shot a blast of magic, and Jinzo fired a mighty cyber energy shock!

A huge explosion centered on Maverick to the sound of a bloodcurdling scream…

**(A: 2,500) -------------------- (M: 0)**

Maverick lay on the floor, and he saw stars… Amanda came up to him.

"Well?" she shouted.

"I'm sorry!" he gasped. "I'm sorry! Just stay away from me! Please!"

"Don't you forget it!" shouted Amanda. "You ever slap another girl again, you'll answer to me!"

She frowned and walked towards the exit to the Arena where the Obelisks were. They backed out of her way in fear…

_Odd…_ thought Russell. _For a Freshman who just beat an Obelisk, she seems pretty upset…_

They didn't know that three people had been watching who weren't supposed to be watching.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes later, an Interdimensional Matter Transporter appeared under the Brooklyn Bridge.

A beam of light shot out of it, and Cassius, Sebastian, and Cleo emerged.

"Oh, why do we have to do surveillance using this thing?" complained Sebastian, kicking it. "It's cramped in there!"

"Perhaps you'd be happier just walking in the front door of the campus where the security is likely to see us!" scolded Cassius.

"Well, Fortunado's dumb rules make me so mad!" shouted Sebastian.

"_Everything_ makes you mad…" replied Cleo.

"Not everything!" answered Sebastian.

He paused and crossed his arms.

"Okay, fine, everything," he said. "But some things make me madder than others. Like coleslaw, napkins on ice cream cones, lines at the post office, those little packages of ketchup, those commercials they play in the movies, and all that popcorn you get! Why the Hell would they give anyone a garbage pail-sized bucket of popcorn? Who could possibly eat that much?"

"Do you need a tranquilizer?" asked Cleo.

"Well, if _someone_ is done complaining," said Cassius, "we might have found a valuable asset. Fortunado wanted us to look for potential recruits, and this Amanda Jikarn fits the profile that I like… Her OTK strategy combined with the power of the Orichalcos… She would be a potent weapon for the cause."

"Well why don't we bag her, then?" asked Sebastian.

Cleo slapped him.

"Sebastian, you are so thick," she scolded.

"A recruit can't just be 'bagged', as you say," said Cassius. "No one can ever be forced to serve the Orichalcos… A little persuasion and hitting where she's weakest might help…"

He thought for a minute.

"Seems to me that one of us should talk to her… The one of us who is the least threatening…

"That leaves _you_ out, Sebastian."

They both looked at Cleo.

"Okay, fine…" she said. "Leave it to sweet, cuddly Cleo to draw them in… But I can't promise this will be easy…"

She walked up to the Transporter and it hummed…

She was sucked into it, and it vanished.

"Uh, Cassius?" said Sebastian. "You do realize that she just took our ride, right?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Russell, Trisha, and Jason were walking across the campus.

Trisha pulled a candy bar out of her backpack.

"Hey Russell," she said, "one Snickers says you can't do the whole thing without a mistake."

Russell smirked.

"I'll bet _two_ of them that I can do it without a mistake, AND in under a minute!" he answered back.

"You're on!" she said, taking out another.

"Jason, time me!" said Russell.

"Okay…" said Jason, looking at his watch, "go!"

Russell quickly started to sing an old tune:

_**I am the very model of a modern Major General,  
I've information vegetable, and animal, and mineral,  
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,  
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;  
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,  
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,  
About binomial theorem I am teeming with a lot o' news,  
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.**_

_**I'm very good at integral and differential calculus;  
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:  
In short, in matters vegetable, and animal, and mineral,  
I am the very model of a modern Major General.**_

_**I know our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's;  
I answer hard acrostics, I've a pretty taste for paradox,  
I quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus,  
In conics I can floor peculiarities parabolous;  
I can tell undoubted Raphaels from Gerard Dows and Zoffanies, **_

_**I know the croaking chorus from the Frogs of Aristophanes;  
Then I can hum a fugue of which I've heard the music's din afore,  
And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore.**_

_**Then I can write a washing bill in Babylonic cuneiform,  
And tell you every detail of Caractacus's uniform:  
In short, in matters vegetable, and animal, and mineral,  
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.**_

_**In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin",  
When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin,  
When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at,  
And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat",  
When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery,  
When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery,  
In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy, **_

_**You'll say a better Major-General has never sat a gee.**_

_**For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury,  
Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century;  
But still, in matters vegetable, and animal, and mineral,  
I am the very model of a modern Major-General!**_

"TIME!"

"Fifty-one seconds…" said Jason. "And I don't believe I heard a mistake…"

Russell snatched the two candy bars from Trisha.

"Don't mess with the master…" he said with a grin.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On a part of the campus known simply as The Green, grassy knolls dotted with picnic tables dominated the peaceful atmosphere.

Amanda sat at one table, with her cards spread out.

She took one of her three Lava Golems.

"This has to be the ugliest Monster ever created…" she muttered.

"Mind if I take a look?" said a sweet voice.

She turned, and saw Cleo.

"Amanda Jikarn, right?" asked Cleo, sitting down.

"Do I know you?" asked Amanda. "I haven't seen you in class."

"I'm not really a student," said Cleo, sitting down. "you might say I'm a scout…

"Jinzo, now that's a pretty rare card…"

"Uh… It was a gift from my brothers," answered Amanda. "A scout?"

"Quite a deadly strategy," said Cleo. "I've never seen a more lethal way to achieve an OTK… Nor have I ever seen a duelist willing to take a direct attack from a Lava Golem to make it happen…

"I know someone who could use your talents, who could make such a deadly strategy even deadlier…"

"Deadlier than an OTK?" asked Amanda.

A glimmer appeared in Cleo's eyes.

"You were offended – maybe even a little violated – when Maverick slapped you where he shouldn't have, Amanda," she said. "So you put him in his place where he belonged. You outdueled him, humiliated him…

"But had you been working for us, his punishment wouldn't have ended there…

"It all would have started with this…"

She took a card out of her shirt.

It was The Seal of Orichalcos.

"Uh, pretty, I guess…" muttered Amanda. "But what is it?"

"The Orichalcos Seal," said Cleo. "A type of magic that can grant great power… The power to completely dominate snakes like him.

"Imagine… Seeing your tormentors panic at the sight of you when you use a card this powerful… Imagine them pleading for mercy…"

"Wait a minute…" interrupted Amanda. "Patrick used that against Dr. Artemis! Didn't she say it was an illegal card?"

Cleo tucked the card into her shirt, and changed the subject.

"Amanda, listen," she said. "I know what it is with you and your strategy. As strong as it is, it isn't yours. Your brothers told you how to duel, and told you every card to put in that deck. Basically, it isn't your deck, and as a duelist, you have little identity of your own."

Amanda's face fell.

That was the whole problem. She didn't design her deck, and frankly, she hated it. She considered Lava Golem torture, and she really hated having to choke down 3,000 Attack Points worth of flaming death to make the strategy work.

It wasn't her deck… There was no Heart or soul in it. Her brothers had designed the strategy, and told her every card to put in it.

Why did she even use it? She had little choice. Her brothers would be furious if she rejected their perfect, OTK strategy, and frankly, she was afraid of them. She couldn't say no to them… After all, she owed them so much…

It would be nice to make it even stronger without their help…

"Yeah, sort of…" she finally muttered.

"With the power of the Orichalcos, you'd be a different person," said Cleo. "You'd be your own duelist! And you'd be more powerful than ever!"

"Well, I…" said Amanda.

At that point, Russell, Jason, and Trisha walked over the hill, and stopped short as they noticed Amanda with Cleo.

"Uh… Well…" muttered Cleo. "Look, meet me at the Lazy Q at four this afternoon if you're interested. Remember, it's a great opportunity!"

She got up, and started to run, as Jason and Trisha started to chase her!

"Amanda!" shouted Russell. "She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"Uh, no…" said Amanda. "She seemed pretty friendly… She wanted to help me with my deck…"

"With The Seal of Orichalcos?" asked Russell, in horror.

"Uh, yeah…" answered Amanda.

"Amanda, listen…" warned Russell. "That card isn't just a card! It's an… evil thing! It's a blasphemy!"

"Hey, back off!" said Amanda. "What difference does it make?"

"Did she perchance mention what happens to the losers of Orichalcos duels?" asked Russell. "What might happen if your strategy were to fail while you while using that card?"

"Russell, please!" muttered Amanda. "My brothers knew what they were talking about. The strategy always works! If my opponents never attack, they eventually die from the Golem's effect.

"And if this Seal can help, I don't see what the problem is…"

Jason and Trisha came walking back.

"You missed it," said Jason.

"An Interdimensional Matter Transporter appeared out of nowhere," said Trisha, "it swallowed her whole, and it vanished."

"Forget her for a minute," said Russell.

"Amanda," he continued, "I can assure you, your strategy is NOT foolproof! In fact, I'm willing to bet any amount of money I could defeat it if I were prepared.

"Meet me here in an hour and duel me, please! I have to show you the truth."

Amanda looked at him, annoyed.

"Fine," she said. "I'll let you find out the hard way…"

She turned and left.

Russell opened his backpack and took out some cases of cards.

"Are you really going to duel her?" asked Trisha.

"If it can save her from making the worst mistake of her life," said Russell, "then yes…

"I warn you, this isn't gonna be pleasant…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Do you really think it was safe giving her an hour?" asked Trisha, one hour later.

"How would she even find Cleo?" asked Jason. "We never can…"

Then Amanda walked up the hill of the main knoll.

"Glad you could make it," said Russell, taking his deck. "And to show you that I didn't do something like put Heavy Storm on the top of my deck, we'll each shuffle each other's decks."

She handed him her deck and he handed her his.

"Although," said Russell, "if you were working for Orichalcos right now, such niceties wouldn't happen."

Amanda looked sort of confused as they shuffled.

"Hey," she said, taking it back. "Like I said, my brothers knew what they were doing! I'm undefeated!"

"We'll soon see…" said Russell. "I can tell when someone has doubt… And that last statement had a _lot_ of doubt."

They stood apart, and activated their Disks.

"Atten… shun!" said Russell, drawing five cards.

Amanda drew five.

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Amanda: 8,000)**

"Since I'm far more chivalrous than Maverick was," said Russell, "you may go first…"

Amanda drew her first card.

"All right, I'll start by playing my Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card.

"Now I'll draw two cards…"

As she drew two, she frowned.

_Well guys,_ she thought, sadly_. Your deck comes through for me again… Surprise, surprise… I haven't had an opening hand this complete in ages… Only Mask of Restrict is missing…_

"I'll set three cards facedown," she said, playing three cards.

Three facedown cards appeared.

"And then I'll summon Gear Golem the Moving Fortress in Defense Mode."

She played a card, and a weird contraption made of heavy, spiked gears appeared. (800/2,200)

"And that will end my turn," she said, sadly.

Russell drew.

_Hmm,_ he thought.

"I'll summon Queen's Knight, in Attack Mode…" he said.

The lovely queen in scarlet armor appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"And I'll place this facedown," he said, "for later…"

He played a card, and it appeared facedown.

Amanda drew.

_Eh,_ she thought. _A second Astral Barrier. Well, they warned me about this… My deck has three copies, so that happens from time to time… They said not to worry about it._

"I'll pass for this turn…" she said.

Russell drew.

"As will I," he said.

_Humph,_ thought Amanda. _He's clever… He knows I can't bring out the Lava Golem unless he has two Monsters on his side of the field…_

She drew.

_But he can't win with only one, and I just drew Mask of Restrict. Lucky me…_

She placed a card into a slot.

"I'll place another card facedown, and end my turn," she said.

Russell drew a card.

_There it is,_ he said. _One of the additions I made to my deck to specifically counter hers…_

_And since another is already in my hand and the third is already on the field, it's time to drive the point into her…_

_With a sledgehammer._

"First I'll place another card facedown," he said.

A second facedown card appeared.

"And I'll summon Axe Raider in Attack Mode."

A hulking barbarian in armor carrying an axe appeared. (1,700/1,150)

_Russell, no!_ thought Trisha.

"I end my turn," said Russell.

"Well…" muttered Amanda, "time for the 'fun' to begin…"

She made a big sigh as she drew a card.

"And now I can sacrifice your two Monsters to summon the Lava Golem!"

Axe Raider and Queen's Knight shattered, and the hideous Golem rose up behind Russell! The iron cage formed around him! (3,000/2,500)

Strangely, Russell didn't seem worried.

"And now I activate… Mask of Restrict!"

One of her Traps, lifted, and the fright mask appeared.

"That's my turn, Russell," she said. "And since you know my strategy, you can either attack, or you can melt… It's your choice…"

Russell drew…

He cringed as the cage glowed red…

**(R: 7,000) -------------------- (A: 8,000)**

"True, Amanda, your Golem just cost me 1,000 Life Points," he said, "but I'm not going to lose any more!

"After all, there's plenty of room to summon another Monster…"

He played a card.

"First, I'll remove my Queen's Knight from play, to play Pot of Charity…"

Queen's Knight fell out of his discard slot.

"Now I can draw three cards."

He drew three.

"Next, I'll summon this guy… Des Wombat, in Attack Mode!"

He played the card, and a strange creature that looked like a large weasel or badger appeared, with long claws and beaver-like teeth. (1,600/300)

"That's not a Warrior!" exclaimed Trisha.

_No,_ thought Russell, _but when you know you're facing a Lava Golem, he's a valuable Monster._

"Des Wombat?" asked Amanda. "What's a wombat?"

"It's a bat that you use to play wom with, of course," said Russell. "But seriously, this Beast has a potent effect. So long as he's on my side of the field, I don't lose Life Points from card effects."

Amanda paused for a minute.

"That means Lava Golem's draining effect…" she started.

"…no longer hurts me," added Russell. "But my move is only starting…

"You said that I could either attack or melt… Well, given that option…

"I choose to attack!

"Lava Golem, attack Gear Golem the Moving Fortress with burning volcano blast!"

Lava Golem roared, and the ball of flame appeared in its mouth…

"Only Russell could think up a name for Lava Golem's attack…" muttered Trisha. "I can't watch…"

"I activate Astral Barrier!" shouted Amanda.

_I knew you would…_ thought Russell, as the huge ball of flame flew towards her.

Amanda screamed as the inferno erupted around her!

**(R: 7,000) -------------------- (A: 5,000)**

"That hurt…" she gasped. "But it seems it always will…

"Activate Inferno Tempest!"

Her facedown Quickplay lifted.

"Hold it right there, Amanda!" shouted Russell.

One of his own Traps lifted, showing the image of Breaker the Magical Warrior in front of a magical circle.

"I activate Spell Vanishing!"

"Spell Vanishing?" gulped Amanda. "What does that do?"

"I have to discard two cards to activate this Trap," said Russell, discarding two cards, "but it does just what the name suggests… It makes your Spell… vanish!"

The Inferno Tempest card disappeared!

"And it does more than just negate that one Inferno Tempest, Amanda," added Russell. "You are also required to discard all copies of Inferno Tempest that are in your hand and deck. Unless you have a Magician of Faith, you won't be using it."

Amanda gulped.

She reluctantly discarded the two cards.

"And now it's your move…" said Russell.

"I'll find a way to beat you!" shouted Amanda. "If I destroy your Des Wombat…"

"How will you do that?" asked Russell. "The way I see it, there are two types of Monsters in your deck – defensive ones with not near enough Attack Points, and powerful ones that you bring back with Return From The Different Dimension. But those powerful ones all need a sacrifice to summon normally, and thanks to your own Mask of Restrict, you aren't allowed to sacrifice anything!"

Amanda drew a card.

It was Chaos End, which she couldn't use – not in this duel.

"I have to pass…" she stuttered.

"Then it's my turn," said Russell, drawing a card. "And due to Des Wombat, Lava Golem doesn't hurt me at all.

"Lava Golem, attack Gear Golem the Moving Fortress! Burning volcano blast!"

Lava Golem fired its blazing ball of flame, and Gear Golem exploded!

"And now," said Russell, "Des Wombat attacks you directly!"

Des Wombat ran towards Amanda and leapt, biting her deeply on the shoulder! She yelped!

**(R: 7,000) -------------------- (A: 3,800)**

"Your move…" said Russell.

Amanda's hand shook as she drew.

_Well…_ she thought. _This will help me stall for at least two rounds…_

"All right, Russell," she said, "I play… Scapegoat!"

She played the card, and four fluffy sheep tokens appeared.

"I don't think so, Amanda," said Russell. "I figured that a duelist like you had cards that used tokens, so I included this too…"

His other facedown card lifted. It had the picture of a group of sinister gremlins around a banquet table.

"It's a Trap called Token Feastevil," said Russell, "and it's activated when you summon Token Monsters. Not only are the tokens destroyed…"

The four Scapegoats burst.

"But for each one that it destroys, you lose 300 Life Points."

Amanda cringed as four small explosions burst on her chest.

**(R: 7,000) -------------------- (A: 2,600)**

Amanda hung her head.

_Even if I had another Monster to defend with,_ she thought, _I wouldn't be able to summon it because I played Scapegoat… Russell will win next turn no matter what I do…_

She sadly raised her right hand and covered her deck with it.

"I surrender…" she said, sadly. "I'd rather not be attacked by that Golem again…"

**(R: 7,000) -------------------- (A: 0)**

"At ease…" said Russell.

The Golem and the rest of the cards vanished.

As Amanda hung her head, Russell walked up to her.

"Now Amanda, listen closely," said Russell. "If you were using the Orichalcos, that might have been the last thing you ever did. In such a duel, the evil power consumes the very soul of the loser, and it doesn't play favorites."

Amanda's eyes opened in fear…

"Amanda," said Russell, "I can't tell you what to do, but I will tell you that Cleo's promises were lies…

"And if you ever confront one of the three of us using that evil card, we won't be friends any more. We'll show no mercy, and do our best to make sure that another minion of the Orichalcos falls victim to her own trap."

Tears appeared in Amanda's eyes.

"You're right…" she muttered. "I shouldn't have listened to her…

"I guess it's true what they say… If something seems too good to be true, it usually is…"

"You spend too much time listening to other people anyway," said Russell. "First your brothers, now this… In the army, a soldier has to listen to his superiors…

"But even they can't tell him how to spend his free time when he gets it; and he's the one who decided to join the army in the first place. People have independence, Amanda. They have free will.

"When you make the most vital decisions in your life, the only person you should listen to is yourself."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At four o'clock, Cleo sat in the Lazy Q, talking on a cell phone.

"Don't worry about it Cassius," she said, "this is one of the most naïve folks I've seen since Lewis. She'll be putty in our hands."

The phone at the bar rang, and Alice answered.

"Hello, Lazy Q?" she answered. "Hang on, I'll check…"

She covered the receiver.

"Is there a Cleo here?" she asked.

Cleo gave her a strange look. She motioned for her to give her the phone.

"Hello?" she said, as she picked up a mug of beer.

"Cleo?" said Amanda's voice. "Look, I thought it over, and I have to decline…"

"Any reason?" asked Cleo, with her eyes narrowing.

"Well, I had a long talk with someone, and… well, he kind of made me think it was a bad idea. No hard feelings, anyway, but I can find my own identity in other ways, you know what I mean?

"I'll see you around…"

She hung up.

Cleo gripped the mug…

…and it shattered.

Alice stared at her.

"Uh heh!" laughed Cleo. "Sorry… Why don't I pay for that…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later, the Ra students herded into the dining hall rather quickly, as they always did on spaghetti night.

As Jason, Trisha, and Russell sat at the table, they noticed two students. One of them (his real name was never used – his friends called him Silver) was a tall boy with whitish-black hair with bangs. Under his blazer he wore a white shirt with an orange collar, and wore black pants with red sneakers.

The other one was a girl (Karen Marianas was her name), with long blonde hair, sea green eyes, and a slender physique. Just by looking at her, you'd assume that Kuribohs were her favorite Monster. She had Kuriboh earrings, a Kuriboh hairclip, and her blazer and backpack were full of Kuriboh keychains.

As the three friends looked over, Karen put four Monster Cards on the table, side by side. They were Aussa the Earth Charmer, Hiita the Fire Charmer, Eria the Water Charmer, and Wynn the Wind Charmer.

Then she took a fifth card and placed it above the four Charmers…

Elemental Mistress Doriado.

"It's an old legend that is seldom told," said Karen. "Not many know it…

"Long ago, there were four young girls. They were the best of friends, who seemingly could never be found alone… always playing together and sticking up for each other… And some would say that they were brave to the point of being foolish. They always wanted to see new things, and would explore any place where they hadn't been.

"So when they found an old cave deep in the woods, they delved into it. Inside it was dark, but the one named Hiita lit a spark from a tinderbox, and they went deeper…

"And they entered a hidden shrine. On a lavishly decorated altar were four mystic scepters, each one topped with a gorgeous gem. The beauty of these four artifacts was matched only by that of the mysterious lady who was in front of them.

"The lady looked at them sadly, as if she was seeing four people who had walked to their doom.

"She told them that she was Elemental Mistress Doriado, and that they were in trouble. They had trespassed on sacred ground, the home of the elemental forces, and the only way they could ever leave was if they were accepted by them. She told the children that they each had to take one of the scepters – if the elements accepted them, they would gain great power. If not, they would be consumed by them.

"But the brave girls approached the altar without fear.

"Aussa, whose father was a farmer who had worked the land all his life, took the scepter that bore the power of Earth.

"Hiita, whose father was a blacksmith who shaped metal in the flames of the forge, took the scepter that bore the power of Fire.

"Wynn, whose mother worked a mill, where the windmill's power ground grain into flour, took the scepter that bore the power of Wind.

"And finally, Eria, whose father was a fisherman who had profited from the sea's bounty all his life, took the scepter that bore the power of Water.

"Energy coursed through the bodies of the young girls…

"…and the elements accepted them.

"Doriado smiled, and told them that the elemental beasts would bow to them now, and as they gained power, the very building blocks of nature would respond to their whim. They were now the Elemental Charmers.

"The Elemental Charmers are the driving force behind the forces of nature. Their magic can cause the ground to tremble, flames to quench, gales to blow, and the sea to rise…

"But despite it all, they remain closest friends, a bond that cannot be broken."

"Quite a story," said Silver. "Too bad they don't have a Duel Monsters fiction class.

"Say, that's not a bad idea… A Duel Monster's fiction class…"

"So what are you two talking about?" asked Russell.

"We were complaining about that dumb curfew," muttered Silver. "I wanted to go to the East Village tomorrow when my comic books come in…"

"And I have to get a manicure tomorrow," added Karen, "but because of that dumb curfew, we both have to rush!"

"Trust me," said Russell, "it's for your own good. Weird things happen to duelists in this city after dark…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They didn't know that Fortunado was listening in on the conversation.

"Interesting theory," he said. "But whether it's light or dark, I can still strike…

"After all, a movie would grow stale if all the scenes happened under a night sky. Heck, an action scene in broad daylight is quite original these days!

"And tomorrow, we'll be ready to shoot…"

_Sunday, September 19th, 2006, 5:57 PM_

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**Amanda's OTK Deck**

_As far as duelists go, Amanda is a beginner, and she has yet to find her own style or her own call. Thus, her deck is not truly based on Heart at all. Her two older brothers, both of whom are duelists of no small skill, pretty much dictated her whole deck construction and strategy to her._

_The result is deadly nonetheless, and takes many by surprise. It consists of the following steps: One, summon a defensive Monster; two, summon Lava Golem to her opponent's side; three, force him to attack and activate Astral Barrier, which leads to her activating Inferno Tempest; four, clear the field with Chaos End; five use Return From The Different Dimension to summon her five powerful Monsters and pound him to death._

_Naturally, this strategy has a lot of flaws. She has three copies of all the key cards in her deck, which takes up eighteen slots. Thus, her deck has had to make a few sacrifices, and do without some "staples". She has no copy of Heavy Storm (and rarely would want to use it, since it would mean wiping out her own facedown cards), and very few other Traps. There are other ways besides Russell's method that could ruin her strategy (Heavy Storm might well be her worst enemy, and Royal Decree would stop her strategy cold.)_

_Since Russell has pointed out that her deck is indeed flawed, Amanda might take it to heart and try to design her own strategy. After all, using another person's idea never makes you a winner – it only supports the person who truly designed it._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Silver and Karen are User Characters, but you'll have to wait to see more of them.**_

**_Coming up next, Trisha tries to cheer up another User Character who's had a bad day. It's a chapter called "Respect Play" coming soon._**


	16. Respect Play

_**My name is Ami. I'm just a beginner at this game, more or less, but I think I have a strategy that's halfway good.**_

_**See, I've always felt that trying to defeat an opponent by fighting his Monsters is a waste of time… So I try to go straight for the duelist himself.**_

_**Does that make me a mean person? Does it mean I like to hurt others?**_

_**Well, I hope not…**_

_**I just got done dueling someone who clearly did like to hurt others, and I'm still sore…**_

_**I'm willing to take an easier challenge, if it will get my spirits up…**_

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**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

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**Respect Play**

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_Monday, September 20th, 2006, 10:30 AM_

Trisha sat at the computerized card catalogue in the library.

"_I am the very model of a Modern Major General!"_

"Ugh…" she muttered. "Can't get that song out of my head…"

She typed in the word: "Golf".

"Let's see…" she muttered. "Anecdotes… Cartoons… Courses… Eisenhower and…"

She skimmed down.

"Personalities…"

She wrote down the number and went to look for the book. Dr. Ting had told her of a duelist who had once dueled Jaden Yuki who had been the heir to a sports equipment empire. He was a pro at both golf and tennis (the "wimpy sports", to most sports fans), but the library had very little on tennis personalities.

And she was curious.

She took the book down and took it to the reading room.

"Here's the guy," she said, looking at the description. "Harrington Rosewood? Sounds like the kind of name rich kids have… I can just see the type… Probably had a thirty-dollar haircut…

"Won the Florida State Duel Monsters Tournament once, I see…"

She looked at the names of some of the cards he used, and then took out her catalogue.

"Service Ace…" she read. "Oh here it is. Pretty iffy card, relies a lot on luck… Receive Ace… That's a bit better… Smash Ace… More iffy…"

She skimmed through the catalogue.

"This Deuce card looks really situational… It would be hard to get the scores tied at 1,000, unless he had a way to reduce his own…

"Eh, no wonder Jaden beat him. This guy relied too much on Spells and Traps, and too little on Monsters…

"I mean, the name of the game is Duel _Monsters_… As in, you're supposed to use Monsters, not just use Spells and Traps…

"Eh, he made the right choice switching to golf."

As she went to put the book back, she saw a student in a red blazer at another table, clutching her head. A Duel Disk was in front of her.

She had blue eyes, scarlet hair tied in a spiky side ponytail, and Japanese features. She was barely five feet tall, almost petite.

"There a problem?" asked Trisha.

The Slifer looked up.

"Plenty," she said. "I just got into the worst duel since I got here…"

She rubbed her back.

"This Obelisk was playing with me. First he used Giant Trunade, then Lightning Vortex, then this weird card called Dragon's Mirror…"

"…which let him summon his Five God Dragon," said Trisha, "and then he let you have it…"

"How'd you know?" asked the girl.

"That would be Laramie," replied Trisha. "He's _very_ proud of that Fusion Monster, and loves to take his opponents out with it. No one duels him if they can help it…"

"I found that out the hard way," said the girl. "I'm Ami, by the way. Ami Yoshihiro."

"Well, don't wallow in self pity," said Trisha. "I always say, when you lose, you learn more than you do from winning…"

_Well, unless it's an Orichalcos duel,_ she thought, _but I can't tell her that…_

"Tell me something," said Trisha. "If you were to face Laramie again, now that you know his strategy, what would you do differently?"

Ami thought for a minute.

She shrugged.

"Well," said Trisha, "if I was forced to duel him, I'd put this in my deck…"

She took a card out of her side deck.

It was a Trap Card bearing the image of a mad scientist in front of a computer screen. It was called Success Probability 0.

"See, when this Trap is triggered, it sends up to two cards at random from your opponent's Fusion Deck straight to the Graveyard!" said Trisha. "If you used that, he'd lose his most powerful weapon."

"I don't even have a side deck yet," muttered Ami. "My win-loss record is pretty much 50-50…"

"I'll cheer you up…" said Trisha.

She pushed Ami's Duel Disk towards her.

"How about a friendlier duel right now?" she said. "If there are any flaws in your deck, I can help you with them, and I won't be as mean as he was."

"Well…" said Ami.

She paused.

"I admit, I would like to blow off a little steam… Okay…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the far end of the library, the bookshelves were arranged in a large circle. A portrait of William Shakespeare was on the wall. It was roomy enough for an arena.

They faced each other at the table in the center, and shuffled.

"Quaint," said Trisha with a chuckle. "Good thing these are holograms… We wouldn't want to burn any of these books."

"I'm sure," said Ami, with a smile.

She took out a pair of purple reading glasses and placed them on her face.

They backed up towards the bookshelves.

"All right," said Trisha, drawing five cards. "Game… start!"

**(Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (Ami: 8,000)**

"You may go first," said Trisha.

Ami drew a sixth card.

_Wow!_ she thought. _This is a great opening hand!_

"Okay!" she said, taking three cards from her hand. "I'll place two cards facedown…"

Two facedown cards appeared.

"…and also a Monster in Defense Mode."

She set a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"And I'll end my turn…" she said.

"Ooh, sneaky…" said Trisha, drawing. "Well, let's see…"

She drew a card.

_I drew Nanobreaker on my first draw!_ she thought. _That's good luck…_

"I summon Nanobreaker in Attack Mode," she said.

The Machine that looked just like her appeared, holding aloft her sword. (1,600/1,800)

_All right,_ she thought. _Two facedown cards and a facedown Monster… Could be a trap…_

_But could be a chance to get ahead…_

"Nanobreaker, attack!" shouted Trisha.

Nanobreaker leapt forward…

A weird-looking Fiend with red skin and eyes all over its body appeared on the card. Nanobreaker cut it in half.

"You just destroyed my Big Eye," exclaimed Ami. "So now…"

She took the cards off the top of her deck.

"I can see the top five cards on my deck, and rearrange them any way I want."

She looked at them, made a few adjustments, and then replaced them.

"Okay then…" said Trisha. "I'll…"

"Hold it…" said Ami. "Before you end your turn, I'll activate one of my facedown cards."

A Trap Card lifted up.

"It's called Miracle Draw!"

Clouds started to form, obscuring the ceiling. Lightning crackled.

"Uh, what does that do?" asked Trisha.

"Someone gave me this card for free, believe it or not," said Ami. "He said it was useless, but I found a way to use it.

"See, before my Draw Phase, I have to try to guess what card I'll draw. If I guess right, you lose 1,000 Life Points. If I guess wrong, I lose 1,000 Life Points."

Trisha stared at her.

"You know exactly what your next five draws will be!" she exclaimed.

"The rules don't say you can't have help," said Ami. "Now then… I guess the card I draw will be… Jam Breeding Machine…"

She drew.

"What do you know…" she said, showing it to Trisha. "I was right!"

Thunder rolled…

Trisha screamed as she was struck by lightning!

**(T: 7,000) -------------------- (A: 8,000)**

"Not bad…" muttered Trisha.

"Now then…" said Amy. "I'll summon… Cannon Soldier in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and a sinister looking, semi-humanoid Machine with a gun turret on its shoulder appeared. (1,400/1,300)

"Next I'll play…" she continued. "Jam Breeding Machine."

The ground shook, and a dome-like contraption covered with pipes and gaskets rose out of the ground.

"I'll end my turn there," she said.

_Her plan is obvious,_ thought Trisha. _She plans to create Slime Tokens, and use them as ammunition for that cannon. Her other facedown is likely a Trap…_

She drew.

_But I have to try…_

"I summon Cyber Phoenix in Attack Mode," she shouted.

A large creature that looked like a metallic bird with glowing eyes appeared, hovering in air and slowly flapping its wings. (1,200/1,600)

"Nanobreaker, attack!" she shouted.

Nanobreaker raised her sword.

"I activate… Gravity Bind!" shouted Ami.

Her other Trap lifted, and Nanobreaker was stopped cold.

"I figured as much…" said Trisha.

_At least her Cannon Soldier can't attack either,_ she thought. _At least not normally…_

"I'll end my turn…"

"Then time to guess again," said Ami, reaching for her deck. "And I guess… Rush Recklessly…"

She drew.

She gave a girlish giggle as she showed Trisha the card.

Thunder rolled again. Trisha cringed as lightning struck her again!

"Now…" continued Ami, "Let's let my Jam Breeding Machine do its thing…"

The Machine shook… And a small blob of protoplasm with eyes on it floated out. (500/500)

"And now, Cannon Soldier…"

The Slime Token transformed into energy, and was absorbed into the Machine…

"FIRE!" shouted Ami.

Cannon Soldier blasted its gun! Trisha staggered back as it hit her in the chest!

**(T: 5,500) -------------------- (A: 8,000)**

_And this kid was having self doubts?_ thought Trisha, catching her breath.

"Your move…" said Amy.

Trisha drew.

_Hey…_ she thought. _I just drew Sky Union…_

_Air Fortress Ziggurat is immune to opposing Traps and Spells, and I could summon a Monster and then sacrifice it and my other two to summon it…_

She thought for a minute.

_Oh, what am I thinking?_ she thought. _This kid just got blasted by a Five God Dragon. I'm not that cruel…_

She chose another card.

"I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode," she said. "And I'll end my turn."

Mechanicalchaser appeared, and raised its spindly arms. (1,850/800)

"Okay…" said Ami, going for her deck. "I guess… Mucus Yolk…"

She drew.

"I was right!"

"NOT AGAIN!" screamed Trisha, as lightning crashed down on her.

_Boy, she's got a good memory…_ she thought.

"Now, let's do this again!" laughed Ami.

The Machine produced a Slime Token…

Cannon Soldier absorbed it.

"Cannon Soldier, blast her!" ordered Ami.

Cannon Soldier shot its cannon, hitting Trisha in the stomach.

She held her gut and groaned.

**(T: 4,000) -------------------- (A: 8,000)**

_Man…_ thought Trisha. _I've lost half my Life Points, and she has all of hers… I'd better get a good draw…_

She drew a card.

"Oh well…" said Trisha. "Time to take the lead…"

She played a card.

"I play Heavy Storm!"

A wind ripped across the field, and Ami watched in horror, as her Gravity Bind, Miracle Draw, and Jam Breeding Machine were all blown to pieces.

"All right!" shouted Trisha. "Mechanicalchaser, attack Cannon Soldier!"

Mechanicalchaser flew forward and struck Cannon Soldier with its prod. The weaker Machine exploded.

"Cyber Phoenix, attack directly! Cyber flames!"

Cyber Phoenix blasted a flamethrower from its beak. Ami screamed and tried to shield herself.

"Nanobreaker, your turn!" ordered Trisha.

Nanobreaker leapt up, and made a downward slash at Ami with her sword. She shrieked and fell over on her behind.

"Ooh…" she muttered.

**(T: 4,000) -------------------- (A: 4,750)**

"Sorry, Ami," said Trisha, "but I have to fight back a little…"

"Hey, I don't want you to let me win…" muttered Ami.

Trisha smiled.

"It's your move," she said.

Ami drew a card.

"I'm going to play a card I've been saving," she said. "Pot of Greed…"

She took a card from her hand and played it. She drew two cards.

"Now I'll show you how I was going to get rid of Miracle Draw," she continued. "I place one card facedown…"

She played a card.

"…and then I play Emergency Provisions."

She played the card. The facedown card lifted, and then shattered.

_Imperial Order?_ thought Trisha. _When did she intend to use that?_

"All right…" said Ami. "Next I'll play… Level Limit Area B."

She played a Spell Card, and all of Trisha's Monsters shifted into Defense Mode.

"Darn…" said Trisha.

"Next I'll summon… Mucus Yolk!" she exclaimed.

She played the card, and a huge amoeboid glob of cytoplasm appeared in front of her. (0/100)

"Mucus Yolk can attack you directly," she said, "and each time it damages your Life Points, it gains 1,000 Attack Points."

"True," said Trisha, "but it starts out with zero Attack Points, so you need a way to increase its Attack Points first…"

She paused.

"…wait… a minute…"

Ami played a card.

"I play Rush Recklessly!" she shouted.

Mucus Yolk's Attack rose to 700.

"Attack!" shouted Ami. "Engulfing grapple…"

Trisha's eyes opened in fear as the huge ball of slime floated towards her…

…and then she was absorbed into it! She cringed as it started to constrict…

Then it let go, and returned to Ami's side. Its Attack Score fell back down to zero, then rose to 1,000.

**(T: 3,300) -------------------- (A: 5,750)**

"Your move!" said Ami. "And this is fun!"

_Well,_ thought Trisha. _It's clear that she's playing a Direct Damage Deck… A strategy that's very hard to combat. Likely, all her cards are aimed towards getting around Monsters and striking at the duelist…_

She drew a card.

_Limiter Removal? That's no good…_

"Much as I hate to do it," she said, "I have to pass."

"Okay," said Ami, drawing.

She looked at the card.

"Mucus Yolk, attack again!"

Trisha cringed as the Yolk swallowed her again!

As it let go, she gasped for breath.

"Nasty…" she said.

The Yolk's attack rose to 2,000.

**(T: 2,300) -------------------- (A: 5,750)**

"All right…" said Trisha, "my move…"

She drew a card.

_All right…_ she thought.

"I summon Machine King Prototype in Attack Mode," she stated.

The Prototype materialized.

"This Machine only has three stars," she said, "so he can attack in your Level Limit. And he gains 100 Attack Points for every additional Machine on the field."

(1,600/1,500) –) (1,900/1,500)

"That's still not strong enough to beat my Monster," said Ami.

"Well then…" said Trisha. "Then I'll play this… Limiter Removal!"

She played a Spell Card.

"This doubles the Attack of all Machines on my side of the field."

Cyber Phoenix rose to an Attack of 2,400. Nanobreaker rose to 3,200. Mechanicalchaser rose to 3,700. And Machine King Prototype rose to 3,800.

"Prototype, attack the Mucus Yolk!" shouted Trisha. "Laser phaser!"

Machine King Prototype blasted a ray of energy from its eyes, and Mucus Yolk splattered into globs of goo.

"Of course," said Trisha. "Limiter Removal will certainly destroy my Monsters when I end my turn, but before that happens…"

She played a card.

"…I'll sacrifice Machine King Prototype by playing Mystik Wok. It's sort of like recharging your batteries in a way."

Prototype faded into mist.

**(T: 6,100) -------------------- (A: 3,950)**

"Next," she said, "I play Thunder Crash. This will destroy my Monsters before the Limiter Removal does, and blast away 300 of your Life Points for each."

She played the card, and Cyber Phoenix, Nanobreaker, and Mechanicalchaser shattered. A bolt of lightning shot forward, striking Ami. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as it hit her.

"Finally, I'll place one card facedown…" she said.

She played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"Okay, I'm ending my turn now."

**(T: 6,100) -------------------- (A: 3,050)**

"Oo-kay…" muttered Ami, drawing a card.

"I… have to pass…" she said.

"Very well…" said Trisha, drawing a card.

She gestured, and her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" she exclaimed. "Now I can bring back a Monster from my Graveyard, and I choose… Machine King Prototype!"

Prototype reappeared, and Ami gulped. (1,600/1,500)

"Attack directly!" ordered Trisha.

Prototype blasted its weapon, and Ami sweat heavily.

**(T: 6,100) -------------------- (A: 1,450)**

"That ends my turn," she said.

"Okay, let's see here…" muttered Ami, drawing a card.

She looked at it.

"I play Card Destruction," she said.

Trisha raised an eyebrow.

They both folded their hands, and drew an equal number.

"All right!" said Ami. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

The played the card, and Call of the Haunted shattered under the windstorm. Then Machine King Prototype shattered.

"Now, I'll set two cards facedown…" she continued.

She played two cards, and they appeared.

"…and then I'll summon Royal Magical Library in Defense Mode."

Behind her rose a large bookshelf with three lamps hanging from the shelves, even more elaborate than the ones surrounding them. (0/2,000)

"I end my turn…" she said.

_Hmmm…_ thought Trisha. _That thing will let her draw a card every time three Spell Cards are played. I'll have to find some way to bring it down…_

She drew.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode," she said, playing a card.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That's my turn," she said.

Ami drew.

"YES!" she exclaimed. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! I just drew my signature card!

"But before I summon her, I'll activate my facedown cards…"

Her two Traps lifted.

"First, Robbin' Goblin!" she laughed. "This causes you to lose a card from your hand every time I attack directly.

"Next, Magical Thorn! This causes you to lose 500 Life Points whenever you lose a card from your hand."

"Uh…" muttered Trisha. "Interesting combo…"

"And now my favorite Monster…" she said, playing a card. "I summon Raging Flame Sprite!"

A giggling noise echoed over the arena, and a tiny pixie carrying a cudgel with a flame on the end appeared. (100/200)

Trisha raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, she starts out weak," explained Ami, "but she can attack directly, and every time she succeeds, she gains 1,000 Attack Points!

"Go! Pixie fire shot!"

Raging Flame Sprite laughed, and flew towards Trisha. She shot a tiny fireball, hitting her in the face!

Her Attack rose to 1,100.

Then a card in Trisha's hand glowed. She grunted and discarded it… and then a small jolt of energy struck her.

**(T: 5,500) -------------------- (A: 1,450)**

"That's it for my move…" said Ami.

Trisha drew.

"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode," she said. "Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!"

The card flipped, and the huge freight engine appeared. (1,400/1,000)

It turned back into Defense Mode.

"That means I get to draw another card," she said.

She drew.

"Eh…" she said, looking at it. "I pass…"

Ami drew.

"I'll place one card facedown," she stated.

She played a card, and it appeared.

"And now I attack with Raging Flame Sprite!"

The Sprite flew forward and blasted Trisha in the face again!

She sputtered. The Sprite grew to 2,100 Attack.

A card in her hand glowed, and she discarded it. She was shocked again.

**(T: 3,900) -------------------- (A: 1,450)**

"All right, my move…" she muttered.

She drew.

"I summon Dark Catapulter in Defense Mode," she stated.

She played a card, and the large, Dark Machine appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,000/1,500)

"Silly," said Ami. "That can't defend you…"

She drew.

"And now… My Sprite attacks you directly!"

Raging Flame Sprite shot forward a even more intense stream of flames, and Trisha screamed as she was blasted in the face again.

Again, she discarded a card, and was jolted.

"Must she always go for the face?" asked Trisha.

"Hey, you know how pixies are," said Ami. "They like to have fun with big folks."

**(T: 1,300) -------------------- (A: 1,450)**

_It all comes down to this draw…_ thought Trisha.

She drew.

"I play Pot of Greed…" she said, playing the card.

_Yes!_ she thought. _Mirror Force, and Perfect Machine King!_

_But first thing's first…_

"I'm activating Dark Catapulter's special ability," she said. "Since it was in Defense Mode for one round, I can remove one card in my Graveyard from play to destroy one Trap or Spell Card…"

Limiter Removal slipped out of her discard slot.

"So say goodbye to your Level Limit card!"

Dark Catapulter cranked back its catapults, and shot a burst of energy forward, blasting the Spell Card to pixels!

"Now, I'll place a card facedown…" she continued.

A facedown card appeared.

"…and I'll sacrifice Dekoichi and Dark Catapulter to summon Perfect Machine King!"

The two Machines shattered into pixels, and the huge King of Machines appeared. (2,700/1,500)

"Attack the Royal Magical Library!" she commanded. "Mega missile assault!"

Perfect Machine King blasted its weapons, and the bookshelf exploded in a burst of flaming paper and wood.

"I end my turn…"

Ami slowly drew…

"Raging Flame Sprite," she said. "Attack directly!"

Raging Flame Sprite flew forward…

"I activate Mirror Force!" shouted Trisha, as her Trap lifted.

"I don't think so!" laughed Ami. "I activate Seven Tools of the Bandit!"

Trisha's eyes opened wide as Ami's own Trap lifted, and a huge jackknife flew forward, smashing her Trap to bits!

Raging Flame Sprite shot a huge burst of flame, and Trisha fell over!

"YAY!" cheered Ami.

**(T: 0) -------------------- (A: 450)**

Trisha groaned, as the two Monsters vanished.

"Well," she said, getting up. "Feel better?"

Ami paused.

"Yeah…" she said. "Actually, I do…"

"Well," said Trisha, "glad I could help. Laramie might have beaten you, but you're a good duelist. I think they'll see you in Ra next year."

"I hope so," said Ami. "What's it like there? How's the food?"

"Pretty good," said Trisha. "Although, they're having brussel sprouts tonight…"

"Yeech…" muttered Ami. "Well, we're having Swedish meatballs again… And the chef they have at the Slifer Dorm is an Italian meatball… He makes dumb jokes all the time, like about the stuff that hot dogs are made of…"

"Well…" muttered Trisha, "it's a well-known fact that someone who likes hot dogs shouldn't watch them being made…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Dr. Artemis looked out the window of her office.

Twinky rolled into the office with a coffee pot.

"A nice day, isn't it?" asked Artemis.

The robot could not speak, but its AI was smart enough for it to understand almost all human expressions, and its sensory systems agreed with that comment. It nodded.

"I feel this is the calm before the storm," she muttered. "Timaeus and Critias have surfaced, so Hermos won't be far behind…

"But in order for him to appear, another of my students likely will be lured into another horrible Orichalcos duel…

"I'm powerless to stop it… And how can I expect my students to be the ones to combat this calamity?

"But if the Brothers have made their decisions, I cannot change them. It is out of my hands…

"I must pray that all will turn out all right…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At four-thirty, several of the Ra students were in the dining hall early.

Most of them pushed the brussel sprouts aside with disgust, but Russell was scarfing them like candy.

"Eew…" muttered Karen. "How can you _like_ those?"

"Are you kidding?" answered Russell. "My mom served these all the time when I was a kid. My dad always told me, brussel sprouts will put hair on your chest."

"If there's one thing I _don't_ want, it's hair on my chest!" cried Karen.

"That _would_ be pretty unpleasant…" replied Jason.

"Indeed," said Silver. "I wish I could stay, but it's nearly five, and I have to get to the East Village and back before curfew. The new issue of _Elemental Heroes _comes in today, and they've been hyping about this issue for months."

"Important issue?" asked Jason.

"First of a three-parter," said Silver. "It introduces a new villain."

"And I have GOT to get my manicure," said Karen. "My nails are a mess…"

"Guys…" said Trisha.

She paused.

"Please, just… take your Disks with you," she said. "I know it sounds strange, but you might need them."

They looked at her.

"Fine," said Silver. "I like having it with me anyway."

"Same here," said Karen.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A dark figure in strange clothing watched as the two students left campus, going their separate ways.

"Excellent," he said in a sinister voice. "They're alone, and easy pickings…"

He turned to two shadowy figures.

"You," he said, turning to a muscular figure in biker-attire. "Meet the one called Silver."

He turned to the other, a younger figure in colorful clothes.

"You… you handle Karen.

"They shouldn't be hard…"

The two shadowy figures nodded, and vanished.

"Fortunado wanted realism in this film," said the dark figure, "and he's going to get it. The dark sides of these duelists make exceptional actors…

"And there's plenty more where they came from…"

_Monday, September 20th, 2006, 5:05 PM_

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**MIRACLE DRAW (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A deck of cards on a table, glowing with energy.

**Card Description: **When this card is in play, before your Draw Phase, state the name of a card. If the card you draw is the card you stated, inflict 1,000 points of direct damage to your opponent's Life Points. If it is not, inflict 1,000 points of direct damage to your Life Points.

_Note: "Miracle Draw" was used by Damon in the "Yu Gi Oh GX" episode, "Nature of the Draw". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Ami's Direct Damage Deck**

_When Ami decided to construct a deck, she was clueless as to what theme she would choose. One close friend told her that some beginning duelists could find their theme by picking a card at random from a pile of cards. The right card would choose the duelist. Ami tried this… And pulled Raging Flame Sprite. She saw it as a sign, and started constructing a Direct Damage Deck._

_Ami's strategy is more or less not to concern herself with her opponent's Monsters and strike at her foe directly. She has several Monsters that can do just that, such as Raging Flame Sprite (of course) and Mucus Yolk. She also uses a clever combo with Cannon Soldier and Jam Breeding Machine._

_When she saw Miracle Draw in one friend's binder, she asked for it, and he was surprised she wanted something so useless. Ami was able to figure out a way to use it, however, by combining it with Big Eye, so she would know the cards she would draw beforehand. The only time Miracle Draw becomes dangerous is if she has not finished off her opponent by the time she draws the sixth card (and cannot get rid of Miracle Draw). She always attempts to make sure that the fifth card is something that can destroy or otherwise remove it._

_Ami also has two copies of Meteor of Destruction, which can give an opponent a nasty surprise if she draws them early in a duel. However, her best combo is likely the one that combines Robbin' Goblin with Magical Thorn, which costs an opponent cards, and does more damage._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Another blast… from the anime past!**_

**_Silver faces a formidable foe, in a showdown in the East Village. It's a chapter called "Dimension Fusion", coming soon…_**


	17. Dimension Fusion

_**Call me Silver. I only use my real name when it's very important.**_

_**I had a hard life. I had no family as a child, and few friends. That's why I got into two hobbies: comic books and dueling.**_

_**The characters in the comic books, and the Monsters on my cards became my friends, and they remain so.**_

_**Yugi Mouto would agree that you have to respect the card creatures. As a duelist, they are as much a part of you as your arms and legs. And even though my strategy requires sending them away to a strange place, I never fail to respect them for that.**_

_**And this goon is going to see just how such a bond works. Just seeing him, I doubt he has ANY friends…**_

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**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

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**Dimension Fusion**

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_Monday, September 20th, 2106, 5:45 PM_

The East Village was one of the more peaceful places in the bustling city of New York. It had a lot of quaint stores and nice parks, and places where you could just sit and take a load off your feet.

One popular store was Midtown Comics, a place where you could get anything related to comic books if you had enough money.

Of course, Silver had only wanted a few just-released issues, which weren't too expensive, and among them was a much coveted copy of the new _Elemental Heroes_ comic.

Some years after the Heroes made a splash in Duel Monsters (thanks in no small part to Jaden Yuki making them popular), several comic book companies started a bidding war for the publication rights to them, and eventually, one major company won them. It started with a few one-shots, then a few limited series, then finally a permanent ongoing series, with many spin-offs. A lot of duelists who were also comic book fans read this series.

This particular issue had been hyped about for a long time. It was the first chapter of a three-part story which would fully debut a villain who had been giving the Heroes trouble from behind the scenes for months. Even his name wasn't known until now…

Silver still had a while before he had to get back, so he couldn't resist reading it. The villain's name was still not known, even though he was clearly there – presumably, he'd reveal it in part two.

The issue was pretty intense, and ended on a frightening cliffhanger…

While most of the Heroes were tangled up with the villain's underlings, Burstinatrix was at his mercy and in that ageless comic book plot device called the "deathtrap". She was at a clocktower where she was tied to the hour hand. The clock currently was at three o'clock…

…and at three-fifteen, the minute hand would collide with the hour hand and crush her.

Burstinatrix was only fifteen minutes away from death, but unfortunately for Silver (and every other fan), her fifteen minutes wouldn't even start until the second part of the story came out next month.

Silver had been a fan of the comics all his life. His parents had died at an early age, and he had been brought up in an orphanage until he was twelve. He had never made friends, so his only companions came from two sources…

The comics, and his Duel Monsters cards.

He was never far apart from either.

On a whim, he took out his deck and started to look through them.

"Anything good, fellah?" asked a voice.

He turned around.

He saw someone who did _not_ look friendly.

The muscular young man looked about twenty years old or so, wearing jeans, a white T-shirt, and a leather jacket. He also wore metal wristbands, sunglasses, and silver chain, and a bandana with the colors of the American flag. His hair was dirty blonde and slightly long.

"What's it to you?" asked Silver.

The punk took a Duel Disk from behind his back and slipped it on his arm.

"Well, I thought I'd ask if you were any good before I pounded you into the pavement," he said, with a grin.

"Who the heck are you?" asked Silver.

"You don't know?" said the punk, annoyed. "They call me Bandit Keith."

"Never heard of him," answered Silver.

Keith frowned.

"Hey, I was once the intercontinental Duel Monsters champion!" he snapped.

"If you were, I think I would have heard of you," answered Silver. "Go away… I have better things to do than…"

Keith gritted his teeth. He took a switchblade out of his pocket and flicked it open.

Silver hesitated.

_Maybe this is why Trisha told me to take my Disk with me,_ he thought. _Is this a trend? Are rogue duelists roaming the streets?_

"All right…" said Silver. "If a loser like you wants to duel so badly, just put the knife away, and I'll be happy to oblige…"

He picked up his own Disk, and then shuffled his own deck.

"Fine," said Keith, loading his own deck.

The Orichalcos Disk activated…

"A punk like you doesn't stand a chance against my Infernal Deck!"

_Infernal Deck?_ thought Silver. _What's that supposed to mean?_

His own Disk activated.

"DUEL!" they both said at once.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado was watching, with his three primary henchmen close behind.

Cleo handed him a martini.

"Thank you, my dear," he said.

_Well,_ he thought, _my next scene begins in earnest…_

_A scene titled "Machinations From A Hundred Years Ago"…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(Silver: 8,000) -------------------- (Bandit Keith: 8,000)**

"All right!" said Silver, drawing his first card. "And I'll start by playing… Pot of Greed!"

He played the card, and then drew two cards.

"And then I'll throw this guy out in Attack Mode," he said. "He's called D.D. Survivor!"

As he played a card, a portal opened, disgorging a tall figure. It was a man clad in tattered rags with glowing eyes. (1,800/200)

"And that will be my turn," he said.

"Oh, dear…" said Keith, sarcastically. "A beatstick with 1,800 Attack Points! Whatever will I do? Wait, I know…"

He drew a card.

"I'll summon a better one," he said, drawing a card. "Go, Mechanicalchaser!"

The Dark Machine that Trisha often used appeared. (1,850/800)

"Attack!" shouted Keith.

Mechanicalchaser flew forward, and jabbed the Warrior with its staff. He shattered.

**(S: 7,950) -------------------- (B K: 8,000)**

"Guess your Survivor didn't exactly live up to his name!" laughed Keith.

"Hardy, har, har," said Silver. "Big deal… I only lost fifty little Life Points…"

He drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity," he said.

He played the card, and the familiar angel appeared. Her feathers fell on his deck.

He drew three cards.

He quickly discarded D.D. Warrior and D.D. Trainer.

"Next I summon… Bazoo the Soul Eater, in Attack Mode!"

He played a card, and a large mandrill ape with purple fur appeared. (1,600/900)

"Aw, a big purple monkey!" laughed Keith. "How cuddly!"

"Oh really?" said Silver. "Well I'm activating his special ability. I can remove from play up to three Monsters from my Graveyard, and for each, Bazoo's Attack Score rises by 300 points!"

Three cards slipped out of his discard slot.

Bazoo roared, his teeth grew into fangs, and he grew to twice his size! His Attack rose to 2,500.

"Not so cuddly _now_, is he?" asked Silver. "Bazoo, attack with breath of souls!"

Bazoo blasted a ray of energy from his jaws, and Mechanicalchaser blew up.

**(S: 7,950) -------------------- (B K: 7,350)**

"By the way," said Silver. "That increase won't wear off until the end of your next turn. But my turn is over now."

"Punk…" muttered Keith, drawing. "Well, since you like monkeys so much, I'll summon my own in Defense Mode… It's called Acrobat Monkey."

He played a card, and a robotic chimpanzee appeared. It did a flip, and then shielded itself in defense. (1,000/1,800)

"Do your worst," he said.

Bazoo fell back to 1,600 Attack.

"My worst, eh?" said Silver.

He drew a card.

"Fine. I summon Bazoo's counterpart, Chaosrider Gustaph!"

A sound like a noisy motorcycle blared over the arena, and a biker mounted on a demonic bike appeared. (1,400/1,500)

"This guy gains 300 Attack Points for each Spell Card I remove from play," said Silver. "So, I'll remove Pot of Greed and Graceful Charity from play…"

Two more cards fell out of his discard slot. Gustaph rose to 2,000 Attack.

"Gustaph, destroy Acrobat Monkey with blazing chain!"

Gustaph swung a burning chain over his head, and hurled it forward. The Machine shattered.

"And now," said Silver, "Bazoo attacks you directly!"

Bazoo blasted energy from his maw again, and the burly biker shielded himself with his right arm…

**(S: 7,950) -------------------- (B K: 5,750)**

"Heh," said Keith with a grin. "It's gonna take more than that, punk. I'm tough enough to take a direct attack or two…"

"Will you stop calling me a punk?" asked Silver. "I mean, have you looked in the mirror lately?

"Anyway, I'll end by placing a card facedown. And again, Gustaph's bonus doesn't wear off until you end your turn."

He played a card, and it appeared behind his two Monsters.

Keith drew a card.

"I summon Double Coston in Attack Mode," he said.

He played a card, and two black globs with faces connected by an energy cord appeared. (1,700/1,650)

"I'll end my turn there," he said.

Gustaph fell back to 1,400 Attack.

_I know that card…_ thought Silver. _He likely has some very powerful Dark Monster waiting to come out…_

He drew a card.

"All right…" he said, playing a card. "I play Chaos Greed…"

An ominous figure in a robe appeared behind him, and conjured up the images of two cards.

"Since at least four of my cards have been removed from play, and my Graveyard is empty," he said, "this lets me draw twice…"

He drew two cards as the figure vanished.

_Nuts,_ he thought. _Nothing that can destroy Double Coston…_

"I'll shift my two Monsters into Defense Mode…" he said.

Bazoo shielded himself, and Gustaph turned his motorcycle sideways.

"…and I'll also summon D.D. Scout Plane in Defense Mode."

He played a card, and another portal opened. A weird Machine that looked like a sphere with a big eye and two arms flew out, and shielded itself. (800/1,200)

"Heh, heh…" said Keith. "Cowering in Defense Mode, huh?"

He drew a card.

"Well, your Monsters won't be defending for long…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Curse of Fiend!"

As he played the card, a spooky mist covered the ground, and torches appeared in the air.

Double Coston moved into Defense Mode, and all of Silver's Monsters moved up into Attack Mode.

"This Spell Card switches the battle modes of all Monsters on the field." he laughed. "Attack becomes Defense, and vice-versa. And now…"

He took a card from his hand.

"I'll sacrifice Double Coston…"

The odd Zombie vanished.

"To summon Slot Machine, in Attack Mode!"

A huge robot arose. It looked like a cross between your standard battle mecha and a casino slot machine, with a huge laser rifle for its right arm. (2,000/2,300)

"Slot Machine?" asked Silver. "What kind of an outdated Monster is that?"

"One that's gonna go postal on your Scout Plane!" laughed Keith. "Attack! Photon blast!"

The windows on Slot Machine's torso spun, and stopped at three cherries… It aimed its laser…

It fired and Scout Plane blew up.

**(S: 6,750) -------------------- (B K: 5,750)**

_I can't believe this guy…_ thought Silver. _Using seven-star Monsters like that? I've seen six-stars that were both stronger, and had useful effects…_

_Dark Ruler Ha Des, Chaos Command Magician…_

By now Silver noticed that the duel had attracted a lot of attention. Several people were watching.

"Ah, the public," said Keith with a grin. "Who knows… This might be my start back on the road to glory!"

"Don't count on it…" said Silver, reaching for his deck. "Anyway…"

He drew a card.

He gave the card a long look.

"I'll place this Monster in Defense Mode…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And I'll move my other two Monsters back to Defense Mode."

Gustaph and Bazoo moved back into Defense.

"Now I'll play a Spell Card…" he said. "The Cheerful Coffin."

He played the card, and a tall undertaker in a stovepipe hat and a black tuxedo with tails appeared behind him, hefting a casket.

"This lets me discard up to three Monster Cards from my hand, but I'm only going to discard two of them."

He made the discards. The undertaker vanished.

"I'll end my turn on that note. Over to you…"

"Bout time," said Keith, drawing.

"Heh, heh, heh…" he said, looking at the card.

"I play Premature Burial!" he laughed, playing the card. "And I'll use it to bring back Double Coston!"

Double Coston reappeared. (1,700/1,650)

"And now I'll sacrifice it again…"

It vanished into pixels…

"To summon Barrel Dragon!"

Another enormous Machine appeared! It was a huge cannon, made of dark metal, with three huge guns! (2,600/2,200)

"Let me explain how this guy works…" said Keith. "It's three cannons are going to charge with energy, and if two of them reach maximum, I can blow away one of your Monsters!"

The three barrels started to glow…

_Okay, that's a little better…_ thought Silver, nervously.

The first one reached the limit…

So did the second one…

Then the third one only got halfway.

Silver flinched a little.

"Awesome!" laughed Keith. "Well, not so awesome for your ape… Eat lead!"

Barrel Dragon blasted its guns, and Bazoo the Soul Eater was blown away.

"Slot Machine, destroy that sorry excuse for a biker!" shouted Keith.

Slot Machine's windows twirled again, and this time it came up three lemons. It blasted its weapon, and Gustaph was obliterated.

"And I still have Barrel Dragon's normal attack!" added Keith. "Take out his last Monster!"

Barrel Dragon fired…

A woman wearing a white bodysuit and domino mask, holding a sword that looked like a larger cleaver appeared on the card. She was blown into pixels.

"HA!" laughed Silver. "That was D.D. Assailant! And when she's attacked, both she and the Monster who attacked her are removed from play."

A vortex opened above the arena…

"So say goodbye to your Barrel Dragon!"

The huge Machine was sucked through the vortex!

"Even better," said Silver, "now I can activate this Trap…"

One of his facedown cards lifted, showing the image of D.D. Warrior Lady dancing amid strange energy.

"Dimension Motion," he said. "This can only be activated when a Monster with 'D.D.' in its name is removed fro play. Now you lose 500 Life Points for each such Monster in my Graveyard. And I have three – the D.D. Scout plane you sent there, and two I sent there with The Cheerful Coffin."

Three bolts of energy shot from the vortex and struck Keith.

"Punk…" he said.

**(S: 6,750) -------------------- (B K: 3,450)**

The people viewing clapped.

"Yeah," said Keith. "Well, you have no Monsters left, and you still have my Slot Machine to deal with!"

"Well, let's see what I have here…" said Silver, drawing.

He drew a card.

"I summon D.D. Warrior Lady in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

He played a card, and a sexy-looking female warrior in silver clothing appeared, holding a glowing sword. (1,500/1,600)

"Huh?" said Keith.

"D.D. Warrior Lady," said Silver, "attack with dimensional slice!"

D.D. Warrior Lady leapt up…

"Fight her off, Slot Machine!" shouted Keith.

Slot Machine aimed its weapon, and fired, blowing Warrior Lady into shards.

"Nice," said Silver, as the vortex appeared again. "That may have cost me a few Life Points, but when she engages in battle, even if she loses, I can remove her and her opponent from play. So your Slot is gone too."

Slot Machine was sucked through the vortex.

**(S: 6,250) --------------------** **(B K: 3,450)**

"I'll end by placing a card facedown," he said, setting a card. "Over to you again."

Keith growled and drew a card.

_So, this punk likes removing cards from play, huh?_ he thought.

He fit a card into his Disk, and it appeared in front of him.

_Well, my Bottomless Trap Hole will do just that to next Monster he summons!_

He waved his hand to signal the end of his turn.

Silver drew a card.

"Hey, Keith!" he said. "I just drew a great Monster. It's called D.D. Guide!"

"Well… Why don't you summon him?" dared Keith.

"Why not?" said Silver, placing the card on his Disk.

With a haunting laugh, a mysterious figure appeared, its face completely hidden by the dark robe it wore. (1,400/1,000)

_Crap,_ thought Keith. _My Trap doesn't work on Monsters who don't have at least 1,500 Attack Points…_

And then, D.D. Guide vanished…

…and reappeared on Keith's side!

"HUH?" shouted Keith. "Why the Hell is it on my side of the field?"

"What, no thank you?" said Silver. "When this guy is summoned, control of it goes to my opponent."

"You mean this thing is mine?" asked Keith in surprise.

"Yeah, but there is a catch," said Silver. "During each of our End Phases while you have it, you have to remove one card in your Graveyard from play.

"And I'm ending my turn now."

"Oh, fine!" cursed Keith. "I guess I don't need Curse of Fiend anymore…"

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

"And that lets me activate my facedown card!" shouted Silver.

His facedown card activated, showing the image of D.D. Warrior Lady standing in a pentagram.

"Dimension Circle," he said. "This Quickplay can be activated when a card is removed from play, and when it is, all Spell and Trap Cards on the field are also removed from play!"

Keith's facedown card vanished.

"You'll pay for that…" he said, drawing a card.

"Going to attack me with D.D. Guide?" asked Silver. "By the way, the name of its attack is 'warp blast'."

Keith placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Ground Attacker Bugroth in Attack Mode," he said.

A strange Machine that looked like a land-bound submarine appeared. (1,500/1,000)

"Ground Attacker Bugroth, attack directly with electro-shock!" he shouted.

The machine shot a wave of electricity, and Silver groaned.

"D.D. Guide, attack with… warp blast!"

The creature raised its arms, and fired a wave of strange energy. Silver groaned and cringed and fell on one knee.

**(S: 3,350) -------------------- (B K: 3,450)**

_Ugh…_ thought Silver. _That was far from the first time I took a blow from D.D. Guide… So why did it hurt much worse than all the other times? Something's amiss here…_

_Somehow, I'm starting to think this is more than just the average duel…_

"Your move…" said Keith.

"Don't forget, you have to remove a card from play…" muttered Silver.

Keith frowned, and removed Premature Burial from his Graveyard.

"My move!" he exclaimed.

He drew a card.

"All right!" he shouted. "I play Soul Absorption!"

He played a card.

"While this Continuous Spell Card is in effect, I gain 500 Life Points whenever any card is removed from play.

"And now I summon this guy… Banisher of the Light, in Defense Mode!"

He played a card. A pious looking man in priestly robes appeared, and held a hand out. (100/2,000)

"So long as this guy is around, _all _cards that go to the Graveyards are removed from play.

"I end my turn… And D.D. Guide's effect activates again!"

Keith snarled, and removed Acrobat Monkey from his Graveyard.

**(S: 3,850) -------------------- (B K: 3,450)**

He frowned as he drew.

"I play my Pot of Greed!" he exclaimed, playing a card. "Now I'll draw two more cards…"

He drew twice.

"Perfect…" he said. "With the cards I have now, I can bring out one of my mightiest Monsters…

"But first, one card facedown…"

He played a card, and it appeared facedown.

"And now I play this…" he continued. "Zera Ritual!"

"Huh?" asked Silver. "That… sounds familiar…"

Keith played the card.

An aura of sinister darkness descended on the arena, and a man in armor and a helmet seated on a throne shaped like a demon appeared.

"It's just a little ceremony that lets me sacrifice the Monsters I have on the field for something much better…" said Keith.

The eyes of the throne glowed, and laser beams from them struck D.D. Guide and Ground Attacker Bugroth, and they shattered…

And then a frightening form arose… It was a hideous Fiend with sharp claws, spurs all over its body, and a face like a bony crocodile. It wore a long cape with a high collar.

"Meet Zera the Mant!" laughed Keith.

(2,800/2,300)

"Zera, take out Banisher of the Light! Jagged claws attack!"

Zera the Mant leapt forward, and with one swipe, destroyed the Banisher.

**(S: 5,850) -------------------- (B K: 3,450)**

"All right…" muttered Silver. "My draw…"

He drew.

"And my Trap activates!" shouted Keith. "Dust Tornado!"

His Trap lifted, and the tornado tore across the field, smashing the Soul Absorption card.

Silver grumbled as he looked at the card he drew.

He gave it a strange look.

He placed it on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

He waved his arm to signal the end of his turn.

Keith drew a card.

"Zera, attack!" he shouted.

Zera the Mant leapt forward…

A clay jar appeared on the card. A shadowy shape with one eye and big teeth leapt out and cackled before it was torn to shreds.

"Heh, heh…" said Silver. "That was a Morphing Jar. Since you flipped it…"

"We discard all the cards in our hands and draw five new ones," interrupted Keith. "You don't have to tell me how to play! I'm not stupid!"

"That's up for debate," answered Silver.

They folded their hands, and then each drew five.

Keith looked them over.

"Eh, make your move, punk," he said.

Silver drew a sixth card.

"I play… Soul Release," he said. "And I'll remove five cards from my own Graveyard… Soul Absorption, Morphing Jar, and my three D.D. Scout Planes."

He played the card. Five cards slipped out of his Graveyard.

"Since I removed that powerful Spell Card from play," he said, "you can forget any dreams you have of using them it you happen to have Double Spell in your deck."

Keith growled a little. Truthfully, he _did_ have Double Spell, and it was starting to sink in that Soul Absorption would help him a lot…

"Now I'll place one card facedown," continued Silver.

A facedown card appeared.

"I'm ending my turn," he said. "And as you know, three of those cards I just removed from play were my three D.D. Scout Planes, and when they're removed from play in _any_ way, they're Special Summoned on the next End Phase."

A portal opened, and the three Scout Planes flew out.

Keith laughed!

"They're in Attack Mode, stupid!" he laughed. "Zera will crush them!"

He drew a card.

"Zera, attack the one in the middle!" he shouted.

Zera the Mant leapt forward…

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Silver. "Tri-Formation!"

A Trap lifted up, showing the image of three Mokey Mokeys flying in a triangular pattern.

"Here's how it works," said Silver. "This Trap can be activated when I have three of the same Monster on my side of the field in Attack Mode, and one of them is attacked. Then the Attack or Defense of the other two, whichever is higher, is added to the Attack of the one being Attacked. So, both the Defense Scores of my other two Scout Planes get added to the Attack Score of the one you're attacking!"

The central Scout Plane shot up to an Attack of 3,200! It shot of beam of dark energy from its eye… Zera the Mant hollered, and exploded in a fiery blast.

"ZERA!" screamed Keith.

"The only drawback to this Trap is, the three Monsters are then removed from play," said Silver.

The three Scout Planes vanished.

"But, don't forget their special effect!"

"Fine…" muttered Keith. "I'll end by placing one card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"It's your move…"

The portal opened, and the three Scout Planes flew back out.

**(S: 5,850) -------------------- (B K: 3,050)**

Silver drew a card.

"I'll move my three Scout Planes to Defense Mode…" he stated.

The three Machines crouched in Defense.

"And next I'll play this Spell Card… something I like to call Miracle Dig."

"Miracle Dig?" said Keith. "What the sam-hill is that?"

Silver played it.

"Since at least five of my Monsters have been removed from play," explained Silver, "this card lets me return three of them to my Graveyard. So you might be seeing a couple of them again…"

Silver looked at his Disk.

_Hopefully, D.D. Warrior Lady, D.D. Assailant, and D.D. Survivor will come in handy later,_ he thought.

"And I'll end my turn there…"

Keith drew.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "With the cards I have now, you're as good as finished…

"First I'll place another card facedown…

"Then I'll activate my other one… Call of the Haunted! Now I can bring back a Monster from my Graveyard, and I know just which one I want…"

Double Coston appeared again.

"Not him again…" muttered Silver.

"That's right," said Keith. "And now I sacrifice him to summon another infernal beast…"

Double Coston vanished.

"I summon Zoa!"

A frightening creature appeared. It was a hideous-looking Fiend with mauve skin and a diabolic face, crouched down on all fours. (2,600/1,900)

"Zoa, attack one his Planes! Glimmer strike!"

A flash of light shot from Zoa's eyes, and one of the D.D. Scout Planes blew up.

"That's my turn…" said Keith with an evil grin. "But next turn, I'll treat you to the Bandit Keith Saturday Night Special!"

_I don't like the sound of that…_ thought Silver.

He drew a card.

"I place one card facedown," he stated.

A facedown card appeared.

"And once again, I will play Soul Release! I'll use it to remove Bazoo the Soul Eater, Chaosrider Gustaph, Banisher of the Light, Tri-Formation, and Chaos Greed from my Graveyard."

"What's the point?" asked Keith.

"I have my reasons," answered Silver. "That will end my turn."

"And this will start mine!" said Keith, with a wicked grin.

He drew a card.

"I activate my facedown card, the Trap, Metalmorph!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"This Trap Equips to one Monster on the field, and I'll Equip it to Zoa…"

Zoa's skin became shiny and metallic.

"And this lets me sacrifice him for someone better…"

Zoa and the Trap Card vanished in a burst of light, and a huge form burst out of the ground…

"The ravenous Metalzoa!"

A creature that looked like a robot version of the original Zoa appeared, bearing wicked metal claws! (3,000/2,300)

"And I'm not done…" said Keith, taking a card from his hand. "I'll also play Monster Reborn…"

He played the card, and the ankh appeared…

"And I'll bring back the original Zoa!"

The first creature appeared next to the metal one. (2,600/1,900)

"Still think I'm a loser, punk?" he asked.

Silver didn't answer.

"Metalzoa," shouted Keith, "attack with hardened glimmer strike!"

Metalzoa roared, and shot a blast of energy from its eyes…

"I activate Negate Attack!" shouted Silver, as his Trap Card lifted. "This stops your attack dead in its tracks, and ends this battle now."

"Fine!" cursed Keith. "I'll get you next turn!"

"We'll see…" said Silver, drawing.

He looked at the Continuous Spell Card.

"I play… Dimensional Fissure!" he stated, playing the card. "When this Continuous Spell Card is active, all cards that go to either Graveyard are removed from play."

"Big deal!" said Keith.

"It is a big deal," said Silver. "Because now I play another Spell Card… Chaos End!"

He played a card.

"Chaos End?" gasped Keith. "What does that do?"

"Gee, for someone who claims to have been an intercontinental champion, you aren't very bright," said Silver. "Since at least seven of my cards have been removed from play, this card wipes out all Monsters on the field."

Zoa, Metalzoa, and the two Scout Planes shattered.

"Now, I'll place one card facedown," he said, setting a card. "And I'll end my turn. And since my Dimensional Fissure removed my two Scout Planes from play, here they come again…"

The two Planes flew out of the portal once more.

Keith started to shake as he drew a card.

"I summon… Battle Footballer, in Defense Mode…" he stated.

He played a card, and the football-playing cyborg appeared. (1,000/2,100)

"Just try to get past him…" he dared.

Silver drew a card.

"Well, it's about time you showed up…" he said.

He switched cards on his Disk.

"I sacrifice both my D.D. Scout Planes to summon D.D. Warrior Lady's powerful mentor…" he said. "The mighty D.D. Protector!"

The Scout Planes vanished, and a portal of light opened…

From out of the portal came a powerful looking figure. His appearance suggested an aged Jedi Knight, only clutching a long, silver sword rather than a lightsaber. He had a short goatee on a face that echoed wisdom. His hair was silver colored. (2,500/2,500)

"And just by summoning him," said Silver, "I get to retrieve three Monsters with 'D.D' in their names and place them on top of my deck…"

Three cards fell out of his discard slot, and he placed them on his deck.

"But they'll hardly be necessary once I'm done."

"D.D. Protector…" commanded Silver. "Attack with dimensional blade!"

The Protector flew forward and sliced Battle Footballer down the middle, cleaving it in half. The pieces shattered.

"Big deal!" said Keith. "He was in Defense Mode, so my Life Points are untouched."

"Not for long," said Silver. "My facedown card will now end this duel… Activate… D.D. Dynamite!"

His Trap Card lifted, and then a bomb appeared next to Keith…

"This Trap blows away 300 of your Life Points for each of your cards that has been removed from play during the course of the duel," said Silver.

"Wait a minute…" muttered Keith. "One… two…"

"Don't strain yourself…" said Silver. "I'm very good at keeping track. So far, there have been twelve, which is more than enough to end this."

The bomb exploded, and Bandit Keith screamed as he was thrown backwards and landed on the pavement.

**(S: 5,850) -------------------- (B K: 0)**

He lay prone for a minute with smoke rising from him…

And then shadows started to rise, and he vanished.

The onlookers stared for a minute, and then they started to clap.

"Thank you everyone, thank you," said Silver. "Now, I'd best get back to the dorm, before Old Ben starts to look for a portal to throw Ime/I into…"

He fit his things into his backpack and ran off.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back at the Ra Yellow dorm, Russell unlocked his mailbox.

Inside was a large envelope. It had the insignia of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

It was obviously from one of his parents. And since it wasn't a package, he ruled out cookies from his mom.

He took it to his room and opened it up.

He took out the computer-printed letter.

It was from his dad – he recognized the letterhead.

He read.

_Dear Son,_

_Things at the Fort are average as usual. I've been keeping busy. Most people in the service try their hardest to advance in rank, not realizing that with each promotion comes more work, a lot of it boring paperwork. I hope your own studies are up to notch._

_Anyway, at times, people in my position like to have talks with the enlisted men to prove to them that we're only human. It helps with morale. I mention you a lot, and I've become surprised at how popular your card game is among the troops. They apparently play it in their free time._

_(Unfortunately, a lot of them have turned to gambling using it, and gambling is against the rules here. We try to weed that out.)_

_Anyway, on one of my recent chats with C-Company, one soldier asked about the theme of your deck, and I responded what you had told me – Warriors, wasn't it? He told me he had a powerful card that he had gotten an age ago and never used, and offered to sell it._

_Of course, I looked up the item in question on the internet, and judging from how much some stores were selling for it, I figured you could probably use it. So I took him up on the offer._

_Anyway, consider the enclosed card part of your upcoming Christmas present. Study hard, and I look forward to seeing you on the next break._

_- Dad_

Russell paused.

He quickly looked through the envelope…

He took out a single card, sealed in a protective plastic case.

_Wow,_ he thought.

He took out his deck, and took three other cards from it.

He held them next to the new card.

_This has possibilities…_ he thought.

_Monday, September 20th, 2106, 6:02 PM_

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**0**

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**DIMENSION MOTION (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** D. D. Warrior Lady dancing amid mysterious energy.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when a Monster with "D.D." in its name is removed from play. Inflict 500 points of direct damage to your opponent for every Monster with "D.D." in its name in your Graveyard.

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**0**

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**DIMENSION CIRCLE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** D. D. Warrior Lady standing in a glowing pentagram.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when one or more cards is removed from play. Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field, and remove them from play (except this one).

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**D. D. PROTECTOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **2,500

**Card Description:** This mysterious Warrior is believed to be D.D. Warrior Lady's mentor, among others. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned. This Monster can only be Special Summoned by offering two Monsters as a Tribute who have 'D.D.' in their names. When this Monster is successfully summoned, you may take up to three Monster Cards in your Graveyard that have 'D.D.' in their names and place them on the top of your deck in any order. When this Monster destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, remove the destroyed Monster from play.

_Note: "Dimension Motion", "Dimension Circle", and "D.D. Protector" were created by Imperial Whiteness, who submitted Silver as a user character._

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**TRI-FORMATION (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Three Mokey Mokeys flying in a triangular pattern.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have three Monsters with the same name on your side of the field in Attack Position, and one of them is targeted for an attack. Increase the ATK of the targeted Monster by the combined ATK or DEF (whichever is higher) of the other two Monsters with the same name. After the Battle Phase ends, remove all three Monsters from play.

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**Silver's Dimensional Deck**

_When Sliver was growing up in an orphanage, the first card he ever owned was D.D. Warrior Lady. Something about her clicked in his mind, and when he decided to build a deck, he decided on one revolving around her and her allies. Some folks call it Chaos, but he prefers to call it Dimensional._

_As one might expect, a great many of his cards involve removing cards from play, both his and his opponents'. One main difference between his deck and a lot of other Chaos-themed decks is, he has a few ways to recover Monsters to use them again. He once experimented with Gren Maju Da Eiza, but found that Monster to be a little too evil for his tastes, and stopped using it quickly._

_One of his favorite tricks to toss at an opponent is the peculiar Monster called D.D. Guide, whose control switches to his opponent when he summons it. This can always be risky – especially if he has no other Monsters on the field – but if his opponent can't find a way to get rid of it, his Graveyard will quickly lose a lot of cards. Silver can't choose which ones it removes from play, so this trick is best used if done early in a duel._

_A move that's best done late in a duel is the use of D.D. Dynamite. Through use of Dimensional Fissure and Banisher of the Light, Silver can banish many of his foe's cards, and then end the duel with one mighty blast from the Trap Card. _

_D.D. Protector is his rarest card, and a hard one to use, but useful. This Warrior lets him use his Monsters again, and can also get rid of his opponent's Monsters for good. _

_One final gambit that Silver uses if he's sure it will work is Return From The Different Dimension. However, despite the fact that he keeps this Trap in his deck, it is a last resort. He remembers painfully how he was defeated by a simple Waboku when he used this move, and his opponent was able to attack him with everything he had on the next round._

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_**Coming up next:**_

**_Find out what Karen was doing while Silver was busy with Keith. What other figure from The Trinity's past lured her into a Game of Shadows? Here's a hint – he is very different from Bandit Keith, but he has a few things in common with him. That's all I'll say. But the title of the chapter is "Elemental Burst"._**

_**Don't miss it!**_


	18. Elemental Burst

_**Fire. Earth. Wind. Water.**_

_**There's power in those four words. Several cultures, ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and even modern, believed that there was power in the Elements of Nature, the building blocks of all things.**_

_**Maximillion Pegasus believed it too. When designing Duel Monsters, he created six Attributes of Monsters, four of which were the elemental forces.**_

_**My current opponent seems to favor the other two forces, the "metaphysical" ones of Light and Dark. Unfortunately, those two have always been the most popular, and have spawned the most powerful Monsters. I mean, just look at two members of the Trinity – most of Yugi's Monsters were Dark, and a lot of Kaiba's were Light. **_

_**Me? I was inspired by Jaden Yuki, the Second King of Games. With his Elemental Heroes, he knew the glory of all the elements…**_

_**And I'm going to share that glory with a blast to this goon's face.**_

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**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

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**Elemental Burst**

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_Monday, September 20th, 2106, 5:30 PM_

Karen Marianas stepped out of the saloon, looking at her nails.

A lot of girls thought it was hard keeping nails from getting chipped or scratched, but for a duelist, it was _unbelievably_ hard. You never knew when a brutal hit from your opponent was going to knock you over, and breaking a nail was a sad occurrence that occasionally happened.

She hummed as she looked at the setting sun.

"What is it with girls and their fingernails, Karen?" said a voice. "Are all women so vain?"

She turned around and saw someone.

It was a youth who was hard to miss. He was dressed in bell-bottoms, and a pink, ruffled shirt. His hair was slightly long, and dyed light green.

"How'd you know my name?" asked Karen.

"I was under the hair dryer when the manicurist was doing your nails," said the youth. "These days, my hair doesn't stay this color on its own very well, and my split ends get terrible…"

"Normally, I'd ask why," said Karen, "but my mom always told me never to mess with people who were weirder than me…"

She turned to leave…

"Weird?" said the youth, running up to her.

Karen noticed the strange Duel Disk on his arm.

"This from a girl wearing jewelry shaped like rodents?"

"RODENTS?" screamed Karen.

She glared at him.

"Pal, you want to insult my Kuribohs, you're asking for a beating…"

"Want to put your deck where your mouth is?" asked the youth, crossing his arms.

"Do you have a name?" asked Karen.

He grinned for a second.

"Espa…" he said. "Espa Roba."

Karen paused for a minute.

"Wait a minute, that sounds familiar…" she muttered.

"Aha!" exclaimed Espa. "I see my reputation as a duelist precedes me…"

"No…" muttered Karen. "Something from Joey Wheeler's autobiography…"

Espa frowned.

"That was the name of his first opponent in the first Battle City…" she said. "He dueled the guy, and he won his…"

"Is that all I am to everybody?" shouted Espa, angrily. "A mark on Wheeler's record?"

"Please…" said Karen, "in order to be the real Espa Roba, you'd have to be over a hundred years old, and you're about as old as I am… So you're either an imposter or…"

She giggled.

"…some restless ghost who's going to trap me in some deadly Shadow Game!"

She laughed.

Espa's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, that would be the day…" she said.

"Duel me…" he said. "You'll be a believer soon… And by the way, I'm not going to stop bothering you until you agree…"

"All right, fine…" said Karen, slipping her Disk on her arm. "But if you ruin this manicure, so help me…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was of course, about twenty minutes before Silver first encountered Bandit Keith, and Fortunado was now keeping an eye on this confrontation.

"Uh, boss?" said Cassius. "I'll admit that these guys you're using are… entertaining, but… Uhm…

"Exactly who is Karen dueling right now?"

"Espa Roba," replied Fortunado. "Or at least a part of him…

"Make no mistake, my… employee can make contact with the spirits of deceased duelists and make them offers in exchange for services. There are a lot of things that spirits would want that the living can offer. Once an agreement is reached, he can manifest these… specters as he calls them. Avatars of sorts, temporary bodies that the spirits can inhabit for a short time.

"Of course, these creatures' could never give their souls to anyone, because their souls are already claimed by other forces and are located far away. So they can't use the Seal. The Seal can't be used by a duelist with no soul in his body, and these specters left theirs 'back at home' so to speak.

"But Shadow Games are easily done by those who have fed on supernatural energies…"

"So what are these… agreements?" asked Cassius.

"Depends," said Fortunado with a shrug. "A specter can't be created if the deceased is unwilling to come to the mortal plane. But a lot of these duelists were unsavory characters in life, who just jump at the chance to earn a small reprieve from what's happening to them in the afterlife…

"As for Espa Roba… He was more moral than most of the ones we're working with…

"But we convinced him that this would be… fun. And that's all we needed, apparently."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Karen and Espa stood apart from each other.

**(Karen: 8,000) -------------------- (Espa: 8,000)**

"All right…" said Karen, drawing five cards. "Now we can… huh?"

Espa closed his eyes and held his fingers to his temples.

"Beem, beem, beem, beem, beem…" he said.

"What on Earth…" muttered Karen.

Espa threw his arms out.

"I feel the energy of the cosmos…" he muttered. "Passing through my body… Becoming one with me! At this time, at this place…_ I will win this duel!_ It is destiny… It is the law of the cosmos!"

"You're weirding me out, buddy…" muttered Karen.

"Oh, sorry," said Espa. "Were you talking?"

Karen frowned and drew her first card.

"I summon this guy in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed, placing a card on her Disk. "Go, Homunculus, the Alchemic Being!"

In a flash of light, a tall form appeared, resembling a man with rubbery skin and strange symbols on it. (1,800/1,600)

"That will do for my turn…" she said.

"Interesting…" said Espa, holding his chin.

He drew a card.

"I'll place one card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"And summon Cyber Raider in Defense Mode."

A tall android dressed in spandex with a strange helmet appeared, kneeling in Defense. (1,400/1,000)

_All right…_ thought Karen, drawing a card. _That facedown card worries me… But I have the right cards to hit him hard if I risked it…_

"Homunculus!" she shouted. "Transform! Turn from Light, to Wind!"

Homunculus glowed, and then transformed into a cloudy humanoid form.

"How'd he do that?" asked Espa.

"That's Homunculus's special ability," said Karen. "Once per round, I can switch his Attribute to any that I want.

"And the reason I changed him to Wind is due to the special effect of my next Monster… Element Dragon."

She threw a card on her Disk, and a small Dragon with orange scales and a mane of fur around its head appeared. (1,500/1,200)

"See," said Karen, "when there's a Wind Monster on the field, like there is right now, Element Dragon can attack twice, so long as he destroys one Monster first. So once he takes care of your Monster, both he and Homunculus will take care of you!

"Element Dragon, attack with blazing breeze!"

Element Dragon breathed a cloud of fiery wind at Cyber Raider, and he shattered.

"Now, attack directly!"

The Dragon fired again, and Espa shielded himself.

"I activate… Des Counterblow!" shouted Espa.

His facedown card lifted…

And then the fiery breeze turned back on Element Dragon, and he groaned before he shattered as well!

"What?" asked Karen.

"That may have cost me some Life Points," said Espa. "But when Des Counterblow is active, any Monster that attacks directly will pay with its life!"

He grinned.

"And by the way, it's a Continuous Trap…

"Feel free to attack me with your Homunculus if you'd like…"

Karen paused. She frowned.

_Darn…_ she thought. _Losing Homunculus at this point would be too costly…_

"Well, the same goes for your Monsters if they attack me," she added.

"I'm not too worried about that," said Espa, closing his eyes.

"I end my turn…" said Karen.

**(K: 8,000) -------------------- (E: 6,500)**

"Good," said Espa, drawing a card.

_Oh, look…_ he thought. _I just drew Magical Merchant! Could come in handy…_

"I place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode," he said, placing a card on his Disk.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"I see…" said Karen. "I'll bet that card has a nasty flip-effect…"

She drew.

"Well, too bad! Homunculus, transform again! Turn from Wind, to Earth!"

Homunculus solidified, and turned into a blocky, muscular humanoid made of stone.

"Now I summon… Element Soldier."

She played a card, and a tall soldier in golden armor appeared, holding a sword. (1,500/1,200)

"Sorry to nip your plans in the bud," she said, "but when there's an Earth Monster on the field, Element Soldier negates the effect of any Monster he destroys.

"Attack! Mire sludge blast!"

Element Soldier swung his blade, and shot forth a spray of mud and grime. A multi-armed creature appeared on the card and was blown away.

"Magical Merchant?" said Karen, with a smile. "Glad I countered it.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared in front of her.

Espa frowned.

He drew a card.

"Try dealing with _this_!" he said. "I summon Reflect Bounder in Attack Mode!"

He played a card, and a strange looking robot appeared. It had a space-age looking cranium, wore a cape, and its chest was covered with mirrors. Instead of legs, it was perched on a spire. (1,700/1,000)

"I know what you're thinking…" said Roba. "This guy is no match for your Homunculus. However…"

"If I attack it, I'll get blasted for damage equal to the Attack Score of whatever I attack it with," said Karen. "Yeah, I know how it works…"

"How perceptive…" said Espa. "But it can attack your Monsters easily. Reflect Bounder, attack Element Soldier! Mystery mirror beam!"

Reflect Bounder blasted a ray of light from its chest, and vaporized Element Soldier.

**(K: 7,800) -------------------- (E: 6,500)**

"So, what do you say to that?" asked Espa.

"You may think I'm afraid of that thing," said Karen, drawing a card, "but actually, it's just an annoyance…"

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon Element Doom in Attack Mode…" she said.

A Fiend that looked like a cross between a bear, bat, and snake appeared in front of her. (1,500/1,200)

"Now, Homunculus, transform! Turn from Earth back to Wind again!"

Homunculus reverted to its gaseous form.

"And now…" continued Karen, "I activate my Trap Card… Spiritual Wind Art – Miyabi!"

The Trap Card lifted, and a young girl in a brown robe with long, green hair appeared on the field. She carried a staff with a white gem on the end.

"Who in…" muttered Espa.

"Meet Wynn the Wind Charmer!" exclaimed Karen. "The absolute master of all things Wind!"

"I expected such a person to be a little… stronger looking," said Espa, grinning again.

Wynn gave him a dirty look.

"Don't joke," said Karen. "Miyabi is a powerful spell of Wind that she can use to destroy any card on your side of the field if I sacrifice a Wind Monster first.

"Show him what you can do, Wynn!"

The Charmer raised her staff, and it and Homunculus glowed…

Homunculus flew forward, and slammed into Reflect Bounder! Both Monsters shattered!

Wynn crossed her arms and vanished.

"By the way," said Karen. "When a card is destroyed by Miyabi, it doesn't go to the Graveyard, it goes to the bottom of your deck. So you likely won't be using that guy again for a _long_ time!"

"Are you done?" asked Espa.

Karen hesitated. She looked at Element Doom, and then at the Des Counterblow card…

"Yeah, I'm done…" she said with a sulk.

Espa drew.

He looked at the Monster Card.

_I may have lost Reflect Bounder,_ he thought, _but she had to sacrifice that annoying Homunculus to get rid of him. Odds are, she's planning not to attack until she amasses enough Monsters to finish me off…_

_But she's in for a surprise…_

"I choose to pass this turn…" he said, crossing his arms.

_Nuts,_ thought Karen, drawing. _Gotta get rid of that Des Counterblow…_

She played a card.

"I summon Element Saurus in Attack Mode," she said.

A Dinosaur with rocky skin and plates on its back appeared. Puffs of flame spouted from its jaws. (1,500/1,200)

"I'll end my turn," she said.

Espa smiled wickedly.

"You fell for it just like I planned!" he said with a laugh.

He drew a card, and then took one from his hand.

"Since you have two Monsters on the field, and I have none, I can summon this guy with no sacrifice," he continued. "I summon The Fiend Megacyber!"

A huge, hulking Warrior with a fiendish face dressed in bronze armor with blades on his arms appeared! (2,200/1,200)

"Attack Element Saurus!" he shouted "Mega-slash!"

The Fiend Megacyber swiped with its blades, and cut Element Saurus in two.

"Ugh…" muttered Karen.

**(K: 7,100) -------------------- (E: 6,500)**

"The laws of Fate are clearly written!" laughed Espa. "You are toast!"

"I don't believe in fate…" said Karen, drawing a card.

"I'll play my Pot of Greed."

She drew two cards.

_All right!_ she thought, looking at the Spell and Trap Card. _This doesn't solve the immediate problem, but now I can bring my star out!_

"This duel is as good as mine, Espa Roba!" she said. "And it all starts with this card!"

She held up a card.

"A Ritual Card?" said Espa, confused.

"Yes," said Karen, "and it's called Doriado's Blessing!"

She played the card, and dark clouds started to form overhead…

"And to perform this ceremony, I'll invoke the power of someone who _has_ Doriado's Blessing!" she said, holding a card aloft. "Come forth, Aussa the Earth Charmer!"

A bespectacled girl with short hair and brown clothing appeared, holding a staff with a white stone. A small creature that looked like a woodchuck with horns and batlike wings sat at her feet.

Aussa held her staff to the sky, and lightning struck…

Then she vanished.

"I summon Elemental Mistress Doriado!" shouted Karen.

A beam of light broke through the clouds, and a beautiful woman appeared. She had strawberry-blonde hair and deep green eyes. She wore a long, blue robe, and a fancy headdress. (1,200/1,400)

"That's weak!" said Espa.

"True…" said Karen, taking a card from her hand. "Weak enough for me to Equip her with this… Heart of Clear Water."

She played a card. Doriado touched her chest, and a crystal amulet appeared around her neck.

"This can only be Equipped to weak Monsters, but it makes them invincible in battle, and immune to all Spell Cards that target," said Karen.

"Now, I'll place two cards facedown…"

She fit her last cards into slots. They appeared.

"And that will end my turn."

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Espa.

He drew a card.

"You made one big error, Karen!" he laughed. "Heart of Clear Water may prevent her from dying, but she's in Attack Mode, and you'll still lose Life Points is she's attacked!

"Not to mention the fact that your last move forced you to deplete every card in your hand, while yours truly has a full hand… Who has the advantage now?"

Karen stared at him.

"Fiend Megacyber, attack Doriado!"

The Fiend Megacyber slashed at Doriado! She gasped and fell over.

**(K: 6,100) -------------------- (E: 6,500)**

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do, you green haired goon!" laughed Karen. "Since you attacked when I had no hand, I can activate this!"

Her Trap Card lifted, showing the image of a hand holding five cards reaching out of a grave shaped like a cross.

"It's a rare Trap called Card of Last Will…" she said. "Now I can draw five cards…"

She drew five.

She looked at one of them – a powerful, very exotic-looking Monster.

"Now, about that crack about having the advantage…"

"Big deal!" said Espa. "You still have yet to defeat my Megacyber!"

"Well, it's my turn…" said Karen.

She drew a sixth card.

"And I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

She played the card, and the cyclone whipped across the field, blowing away Des Counterblow.

"Next I activate my other Trap…" she continued. "Go, Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan!"

The Trap lifted, and a kneeling, grim-faced Samurai appeared in the center of the field.

"Fah-Re-what?" said Espa, raising an eyebrow.

Thunder clapped…

"The fabulous phenomenon with the funny name," said Karen with a grin. "This Trap can only be activated when I have an Earth Monster, a Fire Monster, a Wind Monster, and a Water Monster on my side of the field."

"You don't even have four Monsters!" protested Espa.

"True," said Karen, "but Doriado is special. She's considered to be all four of those Attributes at the same time.

"And Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan can have four effects… One of which lets me destroy all opposing Monsters!

"So… wipe out his Megacyber!"

The Samurai's eyes glowed, and The Fiend Megacyber burst into flames! He shattered.

"Well…" muttered Karen. "Now that he's out of the way…

"Element Doom, attack with diabolic sandstorm!"

Element Doom blasted forth a stream of sand and grit, hitting Espa directly! He staggered back.

"Doriado, you attack too…" she said. "Nature's fury!"

Doriado clasped her hands in prayer, and the clouds overhead rumbled…

A bolt of lightning crashed down and smote Espa!

He panted for breath…

**(K: 6,100) -------------------- (E: 3,800)**

"You're losing…" said Karen, with a sweet smile.

Espa drew…

"Not for long…" he said.

He played a Spell Card.

"I play… Fiend's Sanctuary," he said.

An ominous glow descended on the arena, and a glowing pentagram appeared in the center. A fiendish stone gargoyle appeared in front of Espa…

And then a small figure that looked like a stickman made of metal beads appeared. (0/0)

"Now I get one Metal Fiend Token," he continued. "And now I'll sacrifice it…"

It vanished…

"To summon… heh, heh, heh…

"Jinzo!"

A frightening form arose. The dreaded android with the enlarged cranium, dark goggles, and ominous grill for a mouth, dressed in a dark robe appeared. (2,400/1,500)

"Oo-kay…" muttered Karen. "That might be a problem…"

"You bet it is!" shouted Espa. "Jinzo, attack Doriado! Cyber energy shock!"

A ball of back energy appeared in Jinzo's hands. He threw it forward, and Doriado screamed as she was hit in the stomach.

**(K: 4,900) -------------------- (E: 3,800)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Eh, I don't get it, boss," said Cassius. "I thought Wheeler won that card from Roba."

"He did," replied Fortunado. "However, that card never truly became Wheeler's card on a spiritual level. It was too close to Espa. To the day Espa Roba stopped dueling, it was connected to him by a sort of silver cord.

"So when he died, it was kept in his spiritual vault. And when the specter was created, so was his favorite card."

"I… see…" muttered Cassius.

He really didn't understand what was just said at all, but it sounded convincing.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Karen slowly drew a card.

_Jinzo,_ she thought_. Who'd have guessed?_

_It's trouble… Not only is its Attack Power greater than almost everything I have in my deck, but my Trap Cards are worthless…_

"I move Element Doom and Doriado into Defense Mode…" she said.

Element Doom curled up in Defense, and Doriado lifted up her dress and sat down.

"That's my turn…" she said.

Espa drew his next card.

"I summon Helping Robo For Combat in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

He played a card, and a rickety Machine appeared. It moved on tank treads, had a hammer for one hand, and a round, flat tool for the other. (1,600/0)

"Robo, destroy Element Doom!" he shouted. "Hammer smash!"

Helping Robo For Combat rolled forward, and clobbered Element Doom, shattering it.

"And now its effect activates," said Espa. "Since it destroyed a Monster, I get to draw one card…"

He drew.

"…and put one that I don't need at the bottom of my deck."

He placed a card under his deck.

"It's your move."

Karen drew.

_Have to get rid of that Robo…_ she thought.

"I summon Element Valkyrie in Attack Mode," she said, playing a card.

A beautiful woman in a skimpy one-piece, gloves, boots, a blue cape, and a winged helmet, carrying a flaming spear appeared. (1,500/1,200)

"And due to Doriado's Fire nature, she gains 500 Attack Points!"

Valkyrie grew up to 2,000 Attack.

"Attack Helping Robo For Combat! Scalding steam blast!"

Element Valkyrie shot forth a blast of burning steam from her spear, blowing the Robo to shards.

**(K: 4,900) -------------------- (E: 3,400)**

"Humph," said Espa. "Is that the best you could do?"

He drew.

"Jinzo, attack the Valkyrie!"

Jinzo blasted its cyber energy shock. Element Valkyrie screamed and was vaporized.

**(K: 4,500) -------------------- (E: 3,400)**

"Now then," said Espa, choosing another card, "I'll Equip Jinzo with this… Amplifier!"

He played a card, and a dome-like machine soldered to Jinzo's cranium.

"Since I've done that," he explained, "I'm no longer affected by Jinzo's special ability, and I can play all the Trap Cards I want…"

He fit a card into his Disk and it appeared behind Jinzo.

"…so you can probably just _guess_ what kind of card _this_ is!" he laughed.

"I end my turn."

_I've got to do something…_ thought Karen. _Now I'm behind on Monsters and Trap Cards…_

She drew.

"I activate Dust Tornado!" shouted Espa.

His Trap Card lifted, and Doriado's Heart of Clear Water shattered.

Karen looked the Monster on the card she had just drawn. Not exactly the best for this situation, but she couldn't risk losing it.

"I pass for this turn," she said.

"Fine," said Espa. "My draw…"

He drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn!" he exclaimed. "And I'll bring back The Fiend Megacyber."

He played the card, and the Dark Warrior arose again. (2,200/1,200)

"Megacyber, attack Doriado!" shouted Espa.

The Fiend Megacyber lashed forward, and Elemental Mistress Doriado shattered.

"Well then…" said Espa, closing his eyes. "Now that I've gotten rid of her, I see no reason not to…"

He paused.

"…just kill you! Go, Jinzo! Attack directly!"

Jinzo fired its lethal cyber energy shock and Karen screamed bloody murder. She fell backwards.

_Ooh… that really hurt!_ she thought.

**(K: 2,100) -------------------- (E: 3,400)**

She thought back to that joke she had made before the duel had started.

"_So you're either an imposter or… some restless ghost who's going to trap me in some deadly Shadow Game!"_

She realized at this point that he had made no effort to deny it… And the pain from that attack seemed so real…

She slowly got up.

"I won't lose, Roba…" she said.

She drew a card.

It was her Kuriboh.

_Well, hello there,_ she thought_. Now where you just a minute ago when I needed you?_

"I may not be able to beat Jinzo's Attack yet," she said, adding it to her hand, "but thanks to that last move, I can equal it…"

"You have a Monster powerful enough to match Jinzo's Attack?" asked Espa. "How will you summon it? You have no Monsters to sacrifice."

"I have a very special Monster in my hand," said Karen. "One that can only be summoned when Doriado is in the Graveyard.

"I summon Doriado's lesser known sister… Dark Mistress Yamiado."

She placed a card down, and the clouds above churned. A dark shape arose. She resembled Doriado in general outline, but wore a fancy black dress and headdress, and had jet black hair. She wore a necklace set with a large ruby. In general, she was Doriado's evil twin. (2,400/1,400)

"Yamiado represents the dark side of the elements," said Karen. "The part of Earth that causes landslides, the part of Fire that ruins forests, the part of Wind that can uproot trees, and the part of Water that floods coastlines after disastrous rains.

"Yamiado, attack The Fiend Megacyber with tempest fury!"

Yamiado concentrated, and the wind started to pick up…

A blast of elemental energy shot forward, and The Fiend Megacyber exploded!

**(K: 2,100) -------------------- (E: 3,200)**

"And I'm not done…" said Karen. "Since she was a Special Summon, I can also summon Element Magician in Defense Mode."

She placed a card down, and in a swirl of sea spray, a young girl in a fancy costume and hairstyle appeared. She shielded herself in Defense. (1,500/1,200)

"It's your move…"

Espa drew a card.

"You think I can't take down your Dark Mistress?" he said with a laugh. "Well, I can! I Equip Jinzo with Machine Conversion Factory."

He played a card.

"This gives Jinzo and extra 300 points for both attacking and defending, not that I'm going to defend with it."

Jinzo rose to (2,700/1,800)

"Jinzo, attack Dark Mistress Yamiado!" he shouted.

Jinzo powered up its attack…

"Not so fast, Espa," said Karen. "Yamiado has a special ability. When she's attacked, I can redirect the attack towards any other Monster on my side of the field who has the word 'Element' or 'Elemental' in its name…"

Jinzo fired its blast. Yamiado started to glow with dark energy.

"So now, Element Magician will be the one taking that hit."

The blast plowed into Element Magician, and she was blown to pieces.

"Even better," continued Karen, "if that ability is used to redirect the attack to a Monster who isn't a Dark Monster, and Element Magician certainly wasn't one, I get to Special Summon Doriado back from my Graveyard."

Doriado reappeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,400)

"Fine," said Espa. "It's your move…"

_You think I don't know your strategy?_ he thought_. It's incredibly clear…_

Karen drew a card.

_Scroll of Bewitchment…_ she thought, looking at it.

She added it to her hand, and chose another card.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be my turn," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Well…" said Espa, drawing a card. "I know what you think I'm going to do… You think I'm going to try to attack Yamiado again…

"But I'm smart, Karen, and I see what would happen. If I did that, you would have her redirect the attack to Doriado, and since Doriado is clearly no Dark Monster, that would result in her coming right back…

"So… I'll just get rid of Doriado first! Jinzo, attack Elemental Mistress Doriado!"

Jinzo fired his cyber energy shock, and Doriado was blown to pieces again.

"I'm ending my turn," said Espa. "And I'll just get Yamiado on my next turn."

Karen smiled as she drew a card.

"I'm afraid you won't be getting a next turn, Espa," she said. "I have a combo that will win me the duel right now…

"And it starts with this Spell Card… Scroll of Bewitchment!"

"And what does that do?" asked Espa.

"It's an Equip," said Karen, "that lets me change the Attribute of the Equipped Monster to any one I want."

"Heh, heh," chuckled Espa. "What good would it do you to change the Attribute of Yamiado? It won't raise her Attack Points…"

"You misunderstand," said Karen. "I'm not Equipping this to Yamiado…"

She played the card.

"I'm Equipping it to your Jinzo, changing its Attribute from Dark… to Fire."

Jinzo raised its arms, and became surrounded by flames!

"What?" said Espa, surprised. "Big deal! So it's a Fire Monster now! It's still powerful enough to destroy you!"

"Or destroy _you_…" added Karen. "I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Go, Hiita the Fire Charmer!"

The facedown Monster flipped, revealing another young girl. She had red hair, and was dressed in a brief girdle and green cape. She carried a long staff with a flaming ruby. A small fox sat by her feet. (500/1,500)

"Hiita is the uncontested master of all things Fire," said Karen. "And all Fire creatures obey her without question. In game terms, when she's flip-summoned, I can brainwash one Fire Monster…

"And since I changed your Monster's Attribute to Fire…"

Hiita chanted and cast a spell, and her staff blazed. Jinzo looked confused, and then floated over to Karen's side…

Espa Roba gulped…

"Dark Mistress Yamiado…" ordered Karen, "attack directly with tempest fury!"

Yamiado cast her dark spell, and raw elemental energy blasted forth, stabbing into Espa.

"And now, Jinzo, attack with fire energy shock!"

Jinzo formed a ball of flame in its hands, and hurled it forward! Flames covered Espa and he fell to his knees…

He groaned…

**(K: 2,100) -------------------- (E: 0)**

Espa Roba looked up. He paused, as if he was listening for something.

"I…" he muttered. "I… I hear my brothers calling me… I have to go…"

And then he simply vanished into mist…

Karen rubbed her eyes, and stared at the spot where he had been.

"Creepy…" she muttered.

She looked at her hands.

"But at least I didn't break a nail…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado watched as the duel between Silver and Bandit Keith ended.

"Hmmm…" he said.

He finished the last of his martini.

He turned towards the Three Swordsmen.

"Folks," he said, "sometimes, if you want something to happen, you have to _make_ it happen…"

"What do you mean?" asked Cassius.

"I was considering something…" said Fortunado. "Russell was the first student from the school to survive an Orichalcos duel, but then, he went up against a poor duelist…"

He paused.

"Is Ouka still willing to accept the challenge?"

"Are you kidding?" asked Sebastian. "She's wanted to for weeks."

"Then tell her that tomorrow, her victim will be waiting," said Fortunado. "It's time we made something happen."

"What do you mean?" asked Cassius again.

"If it happens," said Fortunado, "you'll see when it happens."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

That night, rain clouds blew into the city, and rain fell upon New York.

Working late, Dr. Artemis watched from her office as the rain fell.

_Trouble is coming,_ she thought. _But I can sense that something good is about to come too…_

_I sense it in my bones… Tomorrow will be a day of reckoning for the last one…_

_I wish I could stop it…_

_But it has to be done, or the nightmare might never end…_

_Monday, September 20th, 2106, 8:37 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DARK MISTRESS YAMIADO (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,400  
**DEF: **1,400

**Card Description:** The dark twin of Elemental Mistress Doriado, this sorceress represents the dark side of the elements. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned. This Monster can be Special Summoned from your hand if at least one "Elemental Mistress Doriado" has been sent from the field to your Graveyard. If this Monster is targeted by an attack, you can redirect the attack to a face-up Monster on your side of the field who has the word "Element" or "Elemental" in its name. If the new target of the attack is not a Dark-Attribute Monster, that Monster is automatically destroyed (ignore damage calculation) and you may Special Summon one "Elemental Mistress Doriado" from your Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CARD OF LAST WILL (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A hand holding a hand of cards reaching out of the ground in front of a cross-shaped tombstone in a cemetery.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack when you have no cards in your hand. Draw five cards from your deck.

_Note: "Card of Last Will" was used by Marik in the multi-part anime episode "The Darkness Returns". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**FIEND'S SANCTUARY (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A demonic gargoyle on a colorful pentagram.

**Card Description:** Special Summon one "Metal Fiend Token" (Fiend/Dark/1 star/0 ATK/0 DEF) in Attack Position. A "Metal Fiend Token" cannot attack. A "Metal Fiend Token" cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. Battle Damage done from a battle involving a "Metal Fiend Token" is taken by your opponent rather than you. Pay 1,000 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases that you have a "Metal Fiend Token". If you do not pay, the "Metal Fiend Token" is destroyed.

_Note: "Fiend's Sanctuary" is a Japanese card that, unfortunately, has not yet been released in the United States. It was used first in the anime by Yugi in "The Final Face-Off" (where he used it as a Quickplay, which was technically incorrect)._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**Karen's Elemental Deck **

_Karen has researched the stranger parts of Duel Monsters history; one of her reasons for wanting to attend the school was to research the mysterious Shadow Games that have achieved mythic reputation. She has studied Egyptian history, and the darker parts of the careers of many historical duelists._

_Karen thus possesses a great deal of smarts, and her dueling strategy is more complicated than beatdown or control, or any other simple strategy. All her Monsters are special, and all of them work together in an Elemental Deck._

_The deck has numerous strategies. One is to use the various effects of Doriado's six servants. These Monsters require Monsters of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water to use their effects, so Karen has three copies of Homunculus (who can change to any) and three copies of Doriado (who is all). Homunculus is also useful in triggering her Spiritual Art Trap Cards, and she has a copy of each one except the Earth version. (That one is used to Special Summon an Earth Monster from the Graveyard, and she doesn't have many to use it on.)_

_Karen also carries the four Elemental Charmers in her deck, who can be used to take control of a powerful Monster if she uses them at the right time. Scroll of Bewitchment can be used in a combo with any of the Charmers to brainwash nearly anything. _

_Dark Mistress Yamiado is a card that isn't exactly common. She's a powerful Monster who's easy to summon if Doriado is first summoned and then destroyed, and can be used to get Doriado back if Yamiado is attacked. Of course, the main problem at that point is trying to defeat whatever attacked Yamiado. _

_Finally, Karen carries three copies of Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan. She usually can only activate this powerful Trap if Doriado is on the field, but it's worth it, because it can have four different effects, all of them incredibly useful. She uses whatever effect best suits the situation._

**0**

**0**

**0**

_**Coming up next:**_

_**Another Orichalcos duel begins, and the victim unfortunately must face it alone, without support from any allies. **_

_**Or will he?**_

**_In the cursed darkness, a single candle bears the light of hope. Be here soon, because it will be one to remember…_**


	19. Arsenal Summoner

_**My father once told me, that in a perfect world, even a war would have rules, and opposing forces would follow something that people in the military call "The Rules of Engagement".**_

_**But then he said that it's rarely that simple, and in a perfect world, there wouldn't be any wars to begin with. And ours, as we know, is not a perfect world…**_

_**He told me that in history, some outlaw nations didn't care about The Rules of Engagement, or The Geneva Convention for that matter, and terrorist armies didn't fight fair. They fought dirty. After all, a terrorist's goals are to create terror for some twisted reason, usually a distorted understanding of their religious or political beliefs.**_

_**Are these duelists who hold the Orichalcos terrorists? I think they match the description. They use a weapon that tips the odds in their favor, use innocents as hostages to further their goals – whatever they are – and don't play fair.**_

_**And now I have to face them for the second time…**_

…_**and fighting fair is the only way I can do so…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Arsenal Summoner**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Tuesday, September 21st, 2106, 4:45 PM_

In the Obelisk dining hall, Sersei (who had pretty much recovered by now), was sitting at a table with Anthony, a concerned look on her face.

"I heard a few Ras talking about it," she said. "One of them was forced into a duel by someone claiming to be Bandit Keith."

"Bandit Keith…" muttered Anthony. "Rings a bell somewhere…"

"He was one of the finalists in the original Duelist Kingdom!" exclaimed Sersei. "Remember that video we watched?"

"But how?" asked Anthony. "He'd have to be over a hundred years old!"

Sersei gave a small look of fear.

"After that horrible duel with that guy with the Frog Deck…" she muttered, "it seems anything is possible. Even ghosts…"

"Ghosts?" said Anthony. "Sersei, please, next thing you'll be telling me that Shadow Games are real…"

"I'm not ruling anything out," said Sersei, clutching her head. "But after I lost that duel…"

She paused.

"It's hazy, but I know I was somewhere else, and I didn't like where I was…

"What if this happens again?"

"Ah, yes…" said Anthony with a chuckle. "That… Seal of Okrachalos thing. Sersei, are you sure that the whole thing wasn't just from… I dunno, a bad case of gas that you got from eating chili?"

Sersei glared at him, an annoyed look on her face.

"I think I'll go sit somewhere else…" she said, as she got up.

"What'd I say?" asked Anthony.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

An hour later…

Russell was in his dorm room typing on his computer.

A familiar list appeared on the screen – the decklist for his most usual dueling deck and side deck.

He stared at it.

_The first big test of the year is on Friday,_ he thought, _and while getting a good mark on the written test shouldn't be difficult, the field test that follows is going to be the challenge…_

Every student in the school prepared for this. Every month they had one of these tests. They consisted of a written section, which was pretty much a standard exam…

But the field test was an actual duel, in which your opponent was chosen randomly from your grade level. Winning or losing the duel could mean the difference between an A or a B.

Russell stared at the screen and then at a very common Spell Card on the desk.

_That Monster Card that dad sent me would make a potent addition to my arsenal, but using it requires this,_ he thought. _And the question is, what to remove to make room for it?_

_Maybe I could do without…_

"**You've got mail!"** said the computer.

Russell's eyebrow rose.

He switched to the internet screen and clicked on the mailbox.

The e-mail was from a sender named Ouka23.

He read:

_**Dear Russell,**_

_**If you want information that would be incredibly useful in your conflict with the Orichalcos, I have answers. **_

_**Come to the athletic pool in half an hour, and bring your Disk. I'll meet you there.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**A Friend**_

Russell's eyes narrowed.

_The athletic pool?_ he thought. _That place is closed for repairs…_

_I've seen four-day-old fish that smelled better than this…_

He picked up his cell phone and speed-dialed a number.

"Hello," said Jason's voice. "This is Jason. I'm not available right now. Please leave a message, and I'll get back to you when…"

"Nuts…" said Russell.

He speed-dialed again.

"Hi!" said Trisha's voice. "I can't pick up right now, so leave a message, and I'll call when I…"

"Crud…" muttered Russell.

He picked up his Disk.

"If it's those three kooks again," he said, "they might find some other poor student to pick on if I don't go there… Well fine… Here I come…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Russell walked towards the gymnasium that housed the pool, he didn't realize at first that Raphael, Valon, and Alister were following him.

"This isn't going to work, Raph," warned Valon.

"It's worth a try, Valon," said Raphael. "Besides, what harm could it do to try?"

"You might scare him good!" warned Alister.

"A kid who repeatedly takes blows from some of the nastiest things ever to come out of a holographic generator?" asked Raphael. "That seems unlikely…"

As Russell walked up to the gymnasium doors, it seemed he was already scared.

"Get a grip…" he said. "Sure this will likely be another jerk with that Orichalcos card, but you can handle it…

"I just wish I wasn't alone…"

_Hey, kid…_ said Raphael's voice.

"Huh?" said Russell. "Who's there?"

_Good, you can hear me,_ said Raphael. _I'm trying to speak telepathically, and I'm rather new at this. Listen…_

"Who are you?" asked Russell.

_I'm… a duelist, like yourself,_ said Raphael. _Well, I… used to be one, at least…_

"Are you a ghost or something?" asked Russell.

_Not sure…_ answered Raphael. _If I am, I'm a sorry excuse for one. Ghosts tend to be able to form manifestations, cause trouble, scare the living… I can't do much…_

_But know that I can give you encouragement. Yes, a minion of Orichalcos is waiting for you, but if all I can do is stand by your side and give you support, I'll help in that manner. _

_I want you to win. I want this threat ended as much as you do…_

"Any particular reason?" asked Russell.

_It's a long story,_ said Raphael. _Just go in there and beat the Hell out of this guy. I'll be as close as I can._

"Gotcha…" answered Russell.

Russell opened the doors of the dark gymnasium, where an Olympic-sized pool, currently drained of water, predominated the center.

"All right, I'm here," he said. "And I know you're all here too…"

The lights came on…

He saw Cassius, Sebastian, and Cleo sitting in a high part of the bleachers.

"Hi, cutie!" said Cleo, waving.

"I knew it," said Russell. "You three have been driving us crazy for almost three weeks, and it is going to stop!"

"And stop all the fun?" asked Sebastian.

"You have two choices…" said Russell. "You can come down from there, or I can come up and get you."

Without waiting for an answer, he started to walk up the stairs to the bleachers…

"Oh, Ouka…" said Cassius.

"YA!" shouted a voice.

A dark blur rushed towards Russell…

…and the next thing he knew, a sword was at his throat!

In front of him was a young woman, about eighteen years old, with Japanese features. She had long, black hair, worn loose, and wore tight, black leather, and a headband. She also wore one of the sinister Duel Disks.

"Uh… Ouka, I presume?" said Russell, nervously.

"That's right," she said with a smile. "It's a Japanese term that means 'cherry blossom'. I'm the one who sent you that e-mail…

"And I'm also your opponent…"

"Suppose I say no?" asked Russell, nervously.

"Not a good idea," said Sebastian. "Ouka is trained as an assassin – she kills for a living, and if you refuse, you won't live much longer…"

"You guys are something else…" muttered Russell.

"I could use some help here…" he whispered.

_I told you Russell,_ said Raphael, nervously. _I'm a sorry excuse for a ghost. I can't even touch her…_

"Hey…" said Ouka. "Just because I'm an assassin doesn't mean I'm not a nice girl. In fact, I make it a point always to give my victims a sweet kiss before they die…

"And yes, I do have the Orichalcos, but I'll promise you a kiss just before it takes you!"

"Fine…" muttered Russell. "It isn't like this is my first Orichalcos duel… Just put the sword away…"

Ouka sheathed the sword on her back.

"Then step into the pool," she said. "In its drained state, it will make an excellent arena…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

From his penthouse, Fortunado watched.

_Time to see if my plan works,_ he thought. _If it doesn't, I might just edit this scene out. _

_Russell will find Ouka to be far more formidable than Fang was, and hopefully, that will bring the desired result…_

He paused.

_Hey… wait a minute… Is that…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Russell and Ouka stood in the center of the pool facing each other, with Raphael standing unseen behind Russell, Sebastian opened a bag of snack food.

"Pork rind?" he asked, motioning it toward Cassius.

"Ugh…" said Cassius. "How can you eat that junk?"

"I put it in my mouth and chew," answered Sebastian. "It's that simple."

"Well don't ask me," answered Cleo. "If I eat one potato chip I gain a pound."

"Just pay attention people!" shouted Cassius.

Russell and Ouka took the top five cards off their deck.

"Okay…" muttered Russell. "Atten… shun!"

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Ouka: 8,000)**

"I always say ladies first," said Russell. "You don't seem like much of one, but I have to give you the first turn anyway…"

"Why thank you," said Ouka, with a sweet grin.

She drew a card.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will do," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Russell drew a card.

_All right…_ said Raphael, _not the best hand, but not the worst… The one Monster you have is pretty good…_

"I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight!" shouted Russell, playing a card.

The powerful Iron Knight appeared. (1,800/1,600)

"Attack!" he shouted.

Gearfried ran forward, blade first…

A winged cherub with a bow and arrow appeared on the card, and was slashed in two.

"You flipped my Skelengel," said Ouka, "and that means I get to draw one card…"

She drew once.

"Yeah, you'll need it," said Russell. "Let's see if you can beat Gearfried…"

Ouka drew again.

"I summon this guy in Attack Mode," she said. "Meet Ninja Commander Ikusa!"

She played a card, and a ninja clothed in a green outfit and veil appeared. (700/700)

"What the…" muttered Russell.

And then a sound like a gong sounded, and Ikusa faded into a blur. A second ninja, this one dressed in blue, appeared next to him. (400/400)

Ouka smiled.

"Practitioners of Ninjitsu such as myself can command special powers," she said, "such as the Art of Multiplicity. When Ikusa is summoned in Attack Mode, I can Special Summon his partner, Ninja Soldier Katana, from my hand or deck."

"Please…" said Russell, drawing. "Two weak Monstersare hardly better than one…"

_Careful…_ warned Raphael. _Weak Monsters often lead up to powerful ones…_

Russell placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Shining Knight!"

A Warrior who looked like the traditional knight in shining armor appeared, holding a longsword aloft. His armor glowed with radiance. (1,500/1,400)

"Heh," said Russell. "Since I was fighting the forces of darkness, I thought I'd add someone bright to my deck… See how shiny he is?

"And your two already-weak Dark Monsters are not going to like his Benevolent Light ability too much…"

Shining Knight held his sword aloft, and Ikusa fell to 400 Attack, while Katana fell to 100 Attack.

"Attack, both of you!" shouted Russell.

Shining Knight leapt forward, and cut down Ikusa.

Gearfried charged, and destroyed Katana.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (O: 5,200)**

"Your side is looking a little empty, Ouka," said Russell. "Maybe you should play a Monster…"

Ouka smiled as she drew.

"I'll place one card facedown on the field…" she said.

A facedown card appeared.

"And I'll summon a second Ikusa!"

She played a card, and Ikusa appeared again. (700/700) –) (400/700)

The gong sounded, and a second Katana appeared. (400/400) –) (100/400)

"I don't know what your game is…" said Russell, "but if you think you can win using minor-league Monsters, you're sadly mistaken…"

_Hopefully I can end this before she even draws the Seal…_ he thought.

He drew a card.

It was Freed the Matchless General.

_Think I'll save this guy for later,_ he thought.

"I activate a Trap!" said Ouka.

Her Trap Card lifted.

"Gift of the Mystical Elf! Now I gain 300 Life Points for each Monster on the field. That's 1,200 total, not to shabby."

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (O: 6,400)**

"You'll need them…" said Russell. "Shining Knight, Gearfried, attack!"

The two Warriors made short work of the ninja again.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (O: 3,300)**

"Well, I certainly hope you're a better assassin than you are a duelist," said Russell. "Your Monsters aren't even as good as the ones you find in a starter pack."

"Heh, heh, heh," said Ouka. "Truth be told, Russell, I wanted you to destroy those weak Monsters…

"Time to get serious…"

She drew a card.

"I summon Strike Ninja in Attack Mode!" she shouted.

She played the card, and a more fearsome ninja appeared. He was dressed in black with gold trim, and carried two daggers. He stared at Russell through his mask with piercing eyes… (1,700/1,200) –) (1,400/1,200)

"I'll place four cards facedown, and that will end my turn…" said Ouka.

She threw four of her cards into her Disk, and four facedown cards flashed into view.

Russell drew a card.

"Pal, you know what this guy can do?" whispered Russell.

_Uh… Ninja Monsters weren't really my thing…_ muttered Raphael.

"What sort of deck did you play?"

_Well… It was a Guardian Deck…_

Russell's eyes opened.

Guardian Decks were not for amateurs. Those guys couldn't be summoned at all unless the corresponding Equip Spell Card was on your side of the field.

Who was this guy?

"You going to stall all day, or are you going to move?" asked Ouka.

Russell chose a card.

"You said it was time to get serious," he said. "Well, I couldn't agree with you more…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play… Release Restraint!"

Gearfried leapt into the air, and his armor started to crack…

"Gearfried, break free from your curse and become Gearfried the Swordmaster!"

In a burst of light and broken iron, the powerful barbarian Warrior appeared! (2,600/2,200)

"And now…" he said, "I'll Equip Gearfried with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!"

He played the card, and the large sword appeared in Gearfried's hand. His Attack rose to 3,400!

"And that means he can destroy one Monster!" shouted Russell. "Like your Strike Ninja!"

Gearfried's sword glowed… He raised it into the air…

"I don't think so…" said Ouka. "Ninja! Vanish!"

Strike Ninja clasped his hands together, and vanished in a puff of smoke!

Gearfried shot a wave of energy forward, but it hit nothing.

"Where did your Monster go?" asked Russell.

Ouka grinned and held up two cards, her Ninja Soldier Katana cards.

"Ninja can disappear into the shadows like a spirit," she said. "And by removing two Dark Monsters in my Graveyard from play, I can remove Strike Ninja from play until the end of the round.

"And since the target of Gearfried's effect was no longer there, the effect was rendered invalid."

Russell raised an eyebrow.

"Fine with me…" he said. "Gearfried, attack her directly!"

Gearfried leapt towards the assassin…

One of Ouka's facedown cards flipped up, showing a Negate Attack Trap. Gearfried bounced off an invisible shield.

"What do you think I am, stupid?" asked Ouka. "Would I really take my only Monster off the field without some protection?"

"Fine," said Russell. "I'll get him next turn…"

Strike Ninja reappeared in a puff of smoke.

Ouka drew a card.

"Now, let me show you a little trick," she said. "First, I play Pot of Greed…"

She played the card, and the Duel Monsters embodiment of avarice appeared in front of her.

"Next," she said, "I'll activate another facedown card, Serial Spell."

Her facedown Quickplay lifted, showing a sorcerer casting images of magical pentagrams.

"Now, I simply discard all the cards in my hand," she said, "i.e., this one…"

She discarded the last card in her hand.

"…and Serial Spell duplicates the last Spell Card I played. And since chains work in reverse of order of cards played, I can draw four times!"

A second Pot of Greed appeared. Both shattered into pixels, and she drew four cards.

She looked them over, and grinned…

"And now I'll play the card that will seal your fate!" she said with a wicked smile.

"Not that…" muttered Russell.

Ouka's Field slot opened.

"I play the Seal of Orichalcos!" she shouted.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the library, Jason was studying.

A chill passed through him.

_Something's happening…_ he thought.

He reached into his side deck, and took out The Eye of Timaeus.

…_something bad…_ he thought, looking at it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I called ahead," said Trisha. "A large with extra cheese, pepperoni, and Canadian bacon?"

"Oh, right…" said the guy at the counter. "One second…"

As he went back to get the pizza, a chill passed through Trisha.

_Strange…_ she thought.

She reached into a pouch, and took out The Fang of Critias.

_There's evil in the air…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In her office, Dr. Artemis stared out the window…

A look of incredible worry crossed her face as she sipped coffee.

_Whoever you are,_ she thought, _may the forces of good walk with you…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ouka smiled evilly, as the Seal branded on her forehead.

"Now you've done it…" said Russell. "No turning back now… Do you realize what happens if you lose?"

"Let's get serious…" said Ouka. "Me? Lose? I told you, Russell, I'm not just a duelist, I'm an assassin, and I can kill people with my cards as easily as I can with my knives."

"Let me point something out to you," said Russell. "The Seal gives your Strike Ninja a total Attack Score of 1,900, and I have a Monster with an Attack Score of 3,400! Just how do you intend to gain control like that?"

"It's still my turn," said Ouka.

Another facedown card lifted.

"I'll Equip my Strike Ninja with Fuhma Shuriken."

The Ninja's daggers vanished, and a throwing blade appeared in his hand.

His attack rose to 2,600.

"That's not enough!" said Russell.

"I'm still not done," replied Ouka. "He'd be stronger than Gearfried if Gearfried didn't have his Fusion Sword and Shining Knight weren't there…"

"I hate to break this to you…" said Russell, "but Fusion Sword Murasame Blade can't be destroyed."

"I don't intend to destroy it," said Ouka, choosing a card from her hand.

She placed it on her Disk.

"I summon Lady Ninja Yae in Attack Mode," she said.

A female Ninja with long, green hair, dressed in a purple jumpsuit, carrying a long dagger appeared. (1,100/200) –) (1,300/200)

"And now I'll activate her special ability," said Ouka. "By discarding one Wind Monster from my hand…"

She discarded a card.

"…I can send all your Spell and Trap Cards back to your hand!"

Lady Ninja Yae made a push with her hand, and Fusion Sword Murasame Blade flew from Gearfried's hand.

"By the way…" said Ouka, taking her deck. "That Wind Monster I discarded to use her effect was a special Winged Beast called Roc From The Valley of Haze. When it's discarded from my hand, I reshuffle it back into my deck…"

She reshuffled.

"…so you might see it again.

"Anyway… attack Shining Knight… Shuriken swarm!"

Strike Ninja wound up, and a blizzard of throwing blades flew forth. Shining Knight was blasted to pixels.

Strike Ninja rose to an even stronger 2,900 Attack, and Yae rose to 1,600.

**(R: 6,800) -------------------- (O: 3,300)**

"Now my last card," she said, playing her last card. "Card Destruction! This will ensure you can't use that Fusion Sword again…"

Russell grimaced. He discarded the cards in his hand and drew a new hand.

"Buddy, you still there?" he whispered.

_Uh, yeah…_ said Raphael, now sounding like he was speaking up. _The Seal kind of pushed me backwards a few feet, and I'm going to have to watch from a distance now…_

"The Seal can keep out spirits?" asked Russell.

_Yes, apparently,_ replied Raphael. _But I can still hear you just fine. Keep it up. Don't let her dirty tricks distract you…_

"Okay, Ouka…" said Russell, drawing a card.

"My move will simply consist of moving Gearfried… to Defense Mode…"

He turned his card, and Gearfried knelt.

"I draw one card…" said Ouka.

She drew and looked at it.

"And I couldn't have asked for better! I play Mirage of Nightmare!"

Her card appeared.

"Now, Strike Ninja, destroy Gearfried!"

Strike Ninja threw a burst of shuriken, and Gearfried shattered.

"And next," she said, "Lady Ninja Yae attacks you directly! Go! Praying mantis leap!"

Lady Ninja Yae leapt up, did a flip, and delivered a kick across Russell's face! He fell over and groaned.

**(R: 5,200) -------------------- (O: 3,300)**

"Don't feel too bad, Russell," she said. "I'll keep my promise… The last thing you'll get before the Seal claims you will be my kiss – not a bad way to go."

"This gal is crazy," muttered Cleo.

"Hey, so she's a little… eccentric…" said Sebastian. "That's how professional assassins are. She's doing a great job."

"Yeah, well, keep quiet about that," said Cassius.

"How come?" asked Sebastian.

"If she knows we think that, she might ask for more money," replied Cassius.

"Mmm… Good point…" said Sebastian.

"All right…" muttered Russell, wiping his mouth.

"My draw…"

He drew a card.

"Hold it…" she replied. "My Mirage of Nightmare now lets me draw until I have four cards…"

She drew four.

"Of course, I'd have to discard four when I started my next turn," she added, "but luckily I have this…"

Her last facedown card lifted.

"Emergency Provisions!"

The Mirage card vanished.

"I told you, Russell, I'm a professional…"

**(R: 5,200) -------------------- (O: 4,300)**

"We'll see…" said Russell. "I place a card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"Then I'll summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Defense Mode."

He played a card, and Grepher appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,700/1,600)

"And now I'll destroy your Fuhma Shuriken," he said, playing a Spell Card. "Go, Mystical Space Typhoon!"

The powerful wind whipped forward, and the Ninja's weapon shattered.

"Well…" said Russell.

Then he was startled as a flurry of shuriken flew towards him! He shielded himself as they cut into his flesh!

"Did I forget to mention?" said Ouka. "When Fuhma Shuriken is sent to the Graveyard, my opponent loses 700 Life Points."

"Yeah, you forgot to mention…" muttered Russell.

**(R: 4,500) -------------------- (O: 4,300)**

"My move!" said Ouka, drawing a card.

"Strike Ninja, attack Grepher!"

Strike Ninja wound up…

"I activate… Shadow Spell!" shouted Russell.

Two chains sprouted up, and clasped on the Ninja's wrists. His Attack Score fell to 1,500.

"All right…" said Ouka. "I'll end with a facedown card…"

She played a card, and it appeared facedown.

Russell drew.

"I play my own Pot of Greed," he exclaimed.

He played the card, and drew two.

_I think that "later" is now…_ said Raphael.

"I agree," whispered Russell.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive," he said. "To retrieve a Monster you made me discard with Card Destruction… Freed the Matchless General!"

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now, I sacrifice Grepher…" he said, switching cards.

Warrior Dai Grepher shattered.

"And I _summon_ Freed the Matchless General!"

With a war cry, the mighty general appeared, and drew a huge sword! (2,300/1,700)

"Freed…" said Russell, "attack Strike Ninja! Blade of the battle-scarred!"

The Matchless General leapt forward, and smote the Strike Ninja, blasting him out of existence!

_Strange…_ thought Russell. _Why didn't she use Strike Ninja's ability? She still has those two Ninja Commanders in her Graveyard…_

"I'll end my turn by placing one card facedown…" he said.

A facedown card appeared.

**(R: 4,500) -------------------- (O: 3,500)**

"Well, it's my move…" said Ouka, drawing a card.

"And now I'll activate my Trap Card…"

Her facedown card lifted, showing Lady Ninja Yae surrounded by mystical energy.

"It's a rare card called Ninjitsu Art of Transformation," said Ouka, as Yae started to glow. "Here's how it works… I can now sacrifice any Ninja Monster for a Beast, Winged Beast, or Insect from my deck who has up to three stars more than the Monster I'm sacrificing. And Yae has three stars…"

Mystical energy surrounded Yae. She grew feathered wings, and started to transform into a birdlike shape…

"Remember when I said you might see Roc From The Valley Of Haze again?" asked Ouka. "Well, here you go…"

The huge bird, looking like nothing less than a huge hawk or eagle, hovered over the pool, and gave a loud screech! It's eyes glowed, and the Seal branded to its forehead. (2,400/1,400) –) (2,900/1,400)

"2,900 Attack Points?" gasped Russell.

"That's right…" said Ouka. "Roc, blow Freed away!"

The Roc started to flap its wings…

"Not so fast!" shouted Russell. "I activate Reinforcements!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"This raises Freed's Attack Score to 2,800," he said. "Your bird might still win this battle, but I'll only lose 100 measly Life Points."

General Freed staggered backwards, trying hard to withstand the windstorm… Finally, he shattered.

**(R: 4,400) -------------------- (O: 3,500)**

"Clever…" said Ouka, taking another card. "I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will end my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Russell is faltering…" said Sebastian.

"The Seal of Orichalcos is draining to both participants," said Cassius. "Even though Russell isn't the one using it, a Shadow Game is difficult for anyone who's new at it.

"If Russell actually wins, he might become more accustomed to it…

"But I'd still put money on Ouka at this point."

Russell drew.

"Now what do I do…" he muttered.

_Russell!_ called Raphael. _That Transformation card is a Continuous Trap! Why don't you destroy it, and see what happens?_

Russell looked at the Trap.

"Good idea…" he said.

He took a card from his hand.

"Time to get rid of that Roc!" he shouted. "I play… Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and a storm ripped across the field! The Ninjitsu Art of Transformation card shattered, and so did the huge Winged Beast!

"Now then…" he continued. "I'll play a Monster in Defense Mode, and one card facedown."

A facedown Monster appeared, followed by a facedown card.

He looked at the last card in his hand.

_Hopefully, Big Shield Gardna will be adequate defense for one round…_ he thought.

"Well…" said Ouka, drawing a card. "You may have destroyed one Monster, but I've got lots more…"

She played a card.

"I summon Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke in Attack Mode," she said with a laugh.

A ninja in a silver bodysuit and cowl, with his hair tied in a ponytail holding two daggers appeared, holding two kunai. (1,800/1,000) –) (2,300/1,000)

"And in case you're counting on that facedown Monster to defend you," she said, "forget it. I also Flip-Summon… White Ninja."

Her facedown Monster flipped face-up, revealing a ninja clad completely in – naturally – white, holding a katana. (1,500/800) –) (2,000/800)

"And his flip-effect destroys one Monster in Defense Mode!" she said with a laugh.

White Ninja raised his hand and a ripple of energy flowed forward. Big Shield Gardna's card shattered.

"Go, my two ninja!" laughed Ouka. "Sasuke, Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke closed his eyes and put his hand together, and then faded into a blur… Then he split into ten Sasuke! All of them flew forward and started slashing at Russell!

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, OW, **OW!**" shouted Russell as he staggered under the onslaught.

"White Ninja! White lotus blade!" shouted Ouka.

White Ninja leapt forward and made a deep cut across Russell's chest.

He fell over.

"Ooh…" he muttered.

**(R: 100) -------------------- (O: 3,500)**

_Russell!_ shouted Raphael. _You've got to continue!_

"I have every intention to…" moaned Russell.

He got up…

"Eisenhower never said die, Patten never said die, McArthur never said die, and no member of the Majors family ever will either!"

He glared at Ouka.

"I still have 100 Life Points left…" he muttered. "This duel isn't over yet…"

"It might as well be…" said Ouka. "You also have a paltry hand. Nothing can save you!"

Russell drew.

"One card can," he said, "and I just drew it!"

He played a card.

"I play… Snatch Steal!"

The Spell Card appeared. Ghostly tentacles grabbed Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke and pulled him over to Russell's side.

"Now I activate, Call of the Haunted!"

His facedown card lifted, and Warrior Dai Grepher appeared. (1,700/1,600)

"And now…" he said, "I'll sacrifice both Monsters…"

Grepher and Sasuke vanished.

"To summon a Warrior of such fame, his name is legend! I summon Gilford the Legend!"

A powerful, hulking Warrior appeared. He was clothed in splendid armor and wore a mask and a cape, and was armed with an enormous sword! (2,600/2,000)

"And when Gilford the Legend is summoned," continued Russell, "I can take all Equip Spell Cards from my Graveyard and Equip them to my Warriors on the field."

Fusion Sword Murasame Blade appeared on Gilford's belt, and his Attack Score rose to 3,400.

"Attack White Ninja!" shouted Russell. "Legendary blade!"

Gilford roared, and charged forward, slicing White Ninja in half!

**(R: 100) -------------------- (O: 2,100)**

"This guy just doesn't know when to say uncle!" said Sebastian.

"Don't worry, Ouka still has her trump card to play," said Cassius.

Ouka drew a card.

"I'll play a Monster in Defense Mode," she said, "and that will be all."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"I draw one card…" said Russell.

He looked at it.

"Since I have no way to use him again, I'll remove Gearfried the Swordmaster from play to use Pot of Charity," he said.

He played the card, and Gearfried's card fell out of his discard slot.

"Now I can draw three cards…"

He drew three, and looked at them.

"First I'll place two cards facedown…" he said.

He played two cards.

"And then I'll play… Double Spell!"

He played another card.

"Now, by discarding my Armed Changer card…"

He discarded his last card.

"…I can duplicate any Spell Card in your Graveyard. And I think I'll duplicate Mirage of Nightmare!"

The image on Double Spell changed, becoming that of Mirage of Nightmare.

"And now, Gilford will attack your Monster!"

Gilford slashed with his huge blade. A ninja dressed all in red appeared on the card and shattered.

"That was my Crimson Ninja!" laughed Ouka. "And that means I can destroy one of your Trap Cards!"

One of Russell's facedown cards, revealed to be Ready For Intercepting, lifted up and shattered.

"It's your move…" growled Russell.

"Then I'll draw…" said Ouka, drawing.

"And I will too!" added Russell, "thanks to my copied Mirage card…"

He drew four cards.

"Lovely…" said Ouka. "Don't forget you have to discard four of them on your turn."

"I don't think so…" said Russell.

His other facedown card lifted.

"See?" he said, as the Mirage card vanished. "I had an Emergency Provisions too. After all, most experienced soldiers would agree that one of the most vital pieces of their equipment is their K-rations…"

The Mirage Card shattered.

**(R: 1,100) -------------------- (O: 2,100)**

"Well, it hardly matters," answered Ouka, "because now I drew a card that will bring me the most powerful creature in my deck!"

She showed him the card.

From the outline and symbol, it was a Continuous Spell Card. The title said Servant of Darkness, and the image showed a Monster that had to be a Fiend, but none that he recognized. It was using a portal to conjure something.

"A Card of Sin…" gulped Russell.

She played the card.

"Let me explain," she said. "Servant of Darkness lets me add to my hand any Dark Attribute Monster from my deck or Graveyard. And it only has one little condition… If the Servant of Darkness card leaves the field, all Monsters I have on the field and in my hand are removed from play.

"But as you'll see, that condition will actually benefit me!"

She got what she wanted from her deck.

"Now, I play Monster Reborn, to bring back one of my Ninja Commanders…"

She played the card, and Ninja Commander Ikusa appeared on the ankh. (700/700)

"…which, as you remember, lets me summon a Ninja Soldier from my deck, and I have one more."

The gong sounded, and Ninja Soldier Katana appeared. (400/400)

"And then…" she said, taking a card, "I'll sacrifice both of them…"

They vanished, and a shadowy shape started to form…

"…to summon my Servant of Darkness… the mighty **_Ninja King_**!"

A tall, powerful-looking ninja in black clothing with gold trim appeared, holding two shining katana. His eyes glowed with evil light as the Seal appeared on his forehead. (2,600/1,900) –) (3,100/1,900)

"And finally," said Ouka, "since it worked so well before, I'll Equip him with another Fuhma Shuriken!"

Ninja King's swords vanished, and the throwing blade appeared in his hand. His Attack Score rose to 3,800!

"Attack Gilford the Legend!" she shouted. "Ninjitsu fury!"

Ninja King hurled the shuriken, and it split into a blizzard of throwing stars! Gilford the Legend staggered under the onslaught, and then shattered.

**(R: 700) -------------------- (O: 2,100)**

"Are you beginning to see the picture, Russell?" she asked. "There's no way you can win now. Even if you destroy Ninja King, in an attack, with a card effect, or by destroying my Card of Sin, doing so will send Fuhma Shuriken to my Graveyard, meaning you'll lose 700 Life Points…

"…and you'll lose.

"Why not just admit defeat?"

Russell looked at the four cards in his hand.

He hated to admit it, but she pretty much had him. He would need a miracle draw to save himself…

But he would not surrender…

He drew.

_Gotta pray she has nothing to summon on her next turn…_ he thought.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a Monster in Defense Mode appeared.

"End turn…" he muttered.

"Gonna fight out some more, huh?" asked Ouka.

She drew.

"Eh," she said. "Ninja King, take out whatever that is…"

Ninja King hurled his shuriken…

A woman appeared on the card, wearing a green halter, short skirt, and knee-high boots. She wore a black, ragged cape and a flat, fedora-style hat with a feather in the brim.

She screamed as she was cut down by the blades.

"That's one gal who needed a lesson in fashion," chuckled Ouka.

"Yeah?" said Russell. "Well, when Warrior Lady of the Wasteland is defeated in battle, I get to summon an Earth Attribute Warrior from my deck who has 1,500 Attack Points or less.

"So come on out, Marauding Captain!"

Marauding Captain appeared, swords at ready. (1,200/400)

"What is the point?" asked Ouka. "He'll just die next round, and I'll likely have someone who can attack _you_ by then. Even a good general knows when he's outmatched, Russell."

Russell's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not though yet!" he cursed.

_But the truth is,_ he thought, _I don't know what I'm gonna do. The only solution to this problem I can see would be by using Giant Trunade…_

_A card that I simply don't have in my deck…_

He reached for his deck…

His vision started to blur…

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It was like a dream, but Russell knew he was awake. He looked around, and saw himself in a large hall, with weapons and armor piled on racks everywhere.

"Where am I?" he said. "Some sort of armory?"

"You're in a sacred place," said a voice.

Russell turned and saw…

"Marauding Captain?" he said with surprise. "Did… did you bring me here?"

The aged veteran nodded.

"The Commander wishes to speak to you, Russell," said the Duel Monster. "It is urgent."

"I'm… not sure…" said Russell, nervously.

"Russell," said the Captain, "since you were a Freshman, you've altered and reworked your deck several times, but since the very start, I've always been a part of it. Would I try to deceive you?"

Russell paused.

"Bring me to him…" he said.

Marauding Captain led him into a great hall, decorated with banners depicting powerful Warriors, some of which were present in his deck.

The Captain knelt.

"Lord Hermos…" he said. "He is here…"

From out of the shadows of the great hall came a powerful-looking knight dressed in crimson armor, with a flowing cape and a sword by his side.

"Yes…" said the Knight. "He is the one…"

"Who am I?" asked Russell.

"The last one that I and my brothers desire to bond with, Russell," said Hermos. "You have seen them previously… Jason holds Timaeus, and Trisha holds Critias…

"I am the last, and once we are all present in the mortal plane, the true fight can be fought, and we can come closer to finding the Dark Messiah, and ending the threat of the Orichalcos forever.

"But it can only happen if you are willing… And if you accept, Russell, there is no turning back…"

Russell paused.

"How can I say no?" he said. "The fate of the very world is at stake…

"I'll do whatever it takes…"

"Then," said Hermos, drawing his sword, "kneel…"

Russell knelt on the floor.

"Russell Majors…" said the knight, "I grant you the power of Hermos!"

He struck him with the sword. Energy flowed through him.

"Arise!"

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Jason dropped the books he was carrying back from the library.

He took a card out of his pouch. It was glowing.

"Timaeus…" he muttered.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trisha started to choke on the bite of pizza that she had suddenly swallowed without chewing.

She got up, and took a card out of the pouch on her bedside table. It was glowing too.

"Critias…" she whispered.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Russell drew a card and glared at Ouka.

"What's this?" asked Ouka.

"_This_ is my move!" shouted Russell, taking a card from his hand.

"I summon… King's Knight!"

He played another card, and King's Knight appeared. (1,600/1,500)

"Go ahead!" laughed Ouka. "I'm not scared of him!"

"Well let's see if you're scared of this…" said Russell, throwing a card on his Disk. "I play… **_The Claw of Hermos_**!"

Lightning flashed, and a huge form flew into the gymnasium! It was a huge dragon with dark scales, and giant wings! It let out a great roar!

_Omigod…_ thought Raphael.

"Not again…" muttered Sebastian.

"Hermos, merge with King's Knight to form the Monarch's Mask!" shouted Russell.

The Dragon and the Warrior swirled into pools of light, and in a brilliant flash, a mask made of pure gold, shaped like a dragon's face appeared!

The mask floated in front of Marauding Captain, and he took it. He placed it over his face, and his eyes became pools of golden light. He glared at Ninja King…

"You think I'm scared of that?" asked Ouka. "No matter what bonuses it gives him, need I remind you what happens if the Shuriken is destroyed?"

"Well, let me explain," said Russell. "First, a Monster of three stars or less Equipped with the Monarch's Mask gains 1,000 Attack Points."

Marauding Captain rose to 2,200 Attack.

"But that's not all," he continued. "By spending half my Life Points, I can send any card on the field back to the owner's deck.

"So I'll do it once to get rid of your Fuhma Shuriken, and since I'm not sending it to the Graveyard, it won't hurt me squat!"

The Shuriken vanished, and Ninja King's Attack fell to 3,100.

**(R: 350) -------------------- (O: 2,100)**

"If you think that will work on the Seal…" said Ouka.

"I know it won't," said Russell. "But let's see if Servant of Darkness is just as durable. I cut my Life Points in half again!"

Servant of Darkness vanished…

Ninja King groaned, and then he shattered!

"Didn't think so…" said Russell. "Now, since it left the field, Ninja King and all Monsters in your hand are removed from play.

Ouka gazed in horror at the spot where Ninja King was…

"Marauding Captain, attack her directly!"

Ouka screamed as the masked Warrior slashed at her with his sword.

She fell to her knees…

**(R: 175) -------------------- (O: 0)**

"At ease…" said Russell.

Ouka looked up as the Seal started to glow…

"Well…" she said with a nervous smile. "I'm beaten… I can accept defeat…"

The Seal started to close around her…

"But I have to admit… It was nice to go… On such an exciting note…"

She collapsed on her stomach.

"Live by the sword, die by the sword…" muttered Russell.

Russell looked up. The three spectators were gone.

"Pal?" he called. "Are you still there?"

He paused.

But Raphael was gone…

He walked out of the pool, and looked at the card.

_I'll do my best, Hermos…_ he thought. _You won't regret your decision…_

Jason and Trisha ran into the gymnasium.

"Russell!" screamed Trisha. "Were you…"

"Yeah…" said Russell, "but it's all under control…"

He stared at the card.

"But things have gotten a great deal more complicated…"

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"This is terrible…" said Cassius. "Now all three of them are here…"

"Why, my dear Cassius…" said Fortunado. "My whole goal in orchestrating that duel was to draw Hermos out!"

The three Swordsmen looked at him.

"I don't get it, boss…" said Cassius. "You Iwanted/I Hermos to show up?"

"Yes…" said Fortunado. "Sadly, we had to sacrifice poor Ouka to do so, but it was not in vain…

"I suspected from the point where Timaeus showed up that those three would come to hold those cards, so all it took was a little persuasion to bring them out…

"And now that the three main protagonists are here, the new storyline can begin in earnest:

"The Fall of the Legendary Dragons!"

He paused.

"Unfortunately, we first must attend to another matter. Three meddlers must be disposed of…"

"Who?" asked Cleo.

"You didn't see him…" said Fortunado, "but Raphael was coaching that kid…

"This I cannot allow… Those three know secrets about the Orichalcos that I don't want known…

"…so we'll call up the one person in my employ who can deal with such things…

"Why don't I handle that… You three just find something to do…"

As they left, Fortunado looked at the card that held Ouka's soul for a minute…

"Thanks for the help, Ouka…" he said. "Afraid it's time for you to serve your last purpose now…"

He gestured, and the card burned with black fire. Then it transformed into a small globe of light…

And then it vanished.

At the same moment, in a dark place, a darker figure was relaxing on a throne made of what looked like obsidian.

The figure looked up, as the globe of light darted towards it.

The figure grinned. It opened its mouth and swallowed the light.

The figure paused. It put a hand to its torso.

"Mmm," it said. "Tasty…"

_Tuesday, September 21st, 2106, 7:25 PM_

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**SHINING KNIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,500  
**DEF: **1,400

**Card Description:** This heroic knight lives by a code of honor, and strives to topple the forces of evil and defend the innocent. Decrease the ATK of all Dark-Attribute monsters on your opponent's side of the field by 300 points for as long as this Monster remains on your side of the field. While this card remains face-up on your side of the field, WARRIOR-Type monsters on your side of the field with ATKs of 1000 or less are not destroyed as a result of battle (damage calculation is applied normally).

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**NINJA COMANDER IKUSA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **700  
**DEF: **700

**Card Description:** This stealthy fighter is a master of the Ninjitsu technique known as "multiplicity." If this Monster is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned or Special Summoned in Attack Position, you can special summon one "Ninja Soldier Katana" from your hand or deck in Attack Position.

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**NINJA SOLDIER KATANA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **2  
**ATK: **400  
**DEF: **400

This assassin is a longtime partner of Ninja Commander Ikusa, and is seldom far behind him.

_Note: "Ninja Commander Ikusa" and "Ninja Soldier Katana" were used by Jean Claude Magnum in the anime episode "Lights, Camera, Duel!" All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**NINJA KING (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,600  
**DEF: **1,900

**Card Description: **This evil warrior of darkness is unmatched in the arts of Ninjitsu. When this Monster is face-up on your side of the field, all Monsters on your side of the field with the word "Ninja" in their name (aside from this one) have their ATK doubled.

_Note: "Ninja King" first appeared in "The Mandate of Heaven"._

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**SERVANT OF DARKNESS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin:** Pride

**Image:** A fiendish monster summoning something through a portal.

**Card Description:** Take one Dark Attribute Monster from your deck or Graveyard and add it to your hand. If this card is leaves the field, all Monster Cards on your side of the field and in your hand are removed from play.

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**THE CLAW OF HERMOS (Special Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Special  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A powerful dragon with dark scales.

**Card Description:** This card can fuse with any Monster to form an Equip Spell Card of great power.

_Note: "The Claw of Hermos" first appeared in the multi-part anime episode "My Freaky Valentine". It was one of the main focuses of "Waking the Dragons"._

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**MONARCH'S MASK (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description:** This card is descended by activating "The Claw of Hermos" and offering one "King's Knight" as a Tribute. This card can be Equipped to any Monster with three stars or less. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 1,000. If you pay half your Life Points, you can return one card on the field to the owner's deck. This effect can be used multiple times during your turn.

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**Ouka's Ninja Deck**

_As a practitioner of Ninjitsu, Ouka was trained as an assassin. Thus, her martial arts style was designed not for fighting, but for killing, with the least amount of fuss. It makes sense that she would adapt her deck to reflect her own style. _

_Ninja Monsters are odd cards – a lot of them do well in different decks. Strike Ninja is a good addition to a Chaos Deck, while Lady Ninja Yae works well in decks that focus on the Wind Attribute. However, a pure Ninja deck can work if used right._

_Strike Ninja's effect is easily used by using Ikusa and Katana as sacrificial lambs. Ouka had three of each copy of these three Dark Warriors in her deck. She also had three Lady Ninja Yae cards, who can be used as a one-sided Giant Trunade by discarding Roc From The Valley Of Haze or a second Yae. The Roc is also a powerful Monster that can be summoned instantly with Ninjitsu Art of Transformation._

_Ouka also had three copies of Fuhma Shuriken. This Equip is a nasty surprise to anybody who tries to disarm a Ninja Equipped with it._

_Ninja King was her most powerful weapon. His ability to double the Attack Score of any Ninja Monster, especially while using the Orichalcos, was a power to be respected. _

_In short, Ouka's deck was well constructed. She would often promise to spare a victim who could defeat her in a duel, but while she would keep her word whenever she made that offer, she seldom had to./I_

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_**Coming up next:**_

**_The three original Knights of Orichalcos are hunted by someone who may know more about their situation than even they do! Unfortunately, he isn't there to help – quite the opposite. One of them is forced to duel again… But after ninety years, is his skill still up to par? Don't miss "Spiritualism" coming up next._**


	20. Spiritualism

_**When I was young, death was on my mind all the time. I always wondered when and how it would happen… I entertained the thoughts of stepping on mines, being caught in mortar fire, or being shot by some trigger-happy soldier who fired at everything that moved.**_

_**I wanted to survive, of course. And yet, I prayed that if someone was to die, it would be me and not my brother…**_

_**Whoever I made that prayer to didn't listen…**_

_**And so, when I grew up, I vented my rage in the worst way possible. I didn't realize that in my goal to avenge the evil that had been done, I had become evil myself. **_

_**And as a result, when I finally did die, something happened…**_

_**Rejected by Heaven and Hell alike, isolated from humanity, and living under some vile curse for so long, I don't know how I've stayed sane over the decades…**_

_**And now, something new has happened…**_

_**Has an answer appeared?**_

_**If I want to find out, I have to hope my skills as a duelist haven't slipped…**_

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**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

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**Spiritualism**

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_Wednesday, September 22nd, 2106, 12:30 AM_

In the year 2106, modern technology could do almost anything…

…but it seemed mankind would never control nature.

Sometime after eleven thirty, thunder started to roll, and fifteen minutes later, rain poured down on New York in a driving downpour. As lightning flashed in the sky, the few folks who were out did their best to seek cover.

In their usual spot in central park, three folks didn't have to. A hurricane could strike, and they wouldn't get wet – one of the benefits of being immaterial phantoms.

Valon watched as the rain simply passed through him. He wondered if he'd ever get used to it.

"Strange…" he muttered.

"What's strange?" asked Raphael.

"Notice that I'm sitting down on this bench?" he asked. "How can I do that? My hand passes right through it…"

He passed his hand through the bench.

"…and yet I can sit on it…"

Alister gave a shrug.

"Valon, maybe it's levitation," he said. "If gravity still affected us, we'd pass right through the ground, and not stop until we hit the center of the Earth…"

He paused.

"But then, if gravity _didn't_ affect us, we'd just float into space, and then…"

"You guys are making my head hurt!" shouted Raphael.

There was silence for a few minutes…

And then they saw a man walk towards them, dressed in an expensive-looking coat and holding an umbrella, which hid his face.

They were surprised… Few people were dumb enough to come into Central Park alone at this time of night, especially when you were so splendidly dressed.

Valon shook his head.

"That bloke must be barmy!" he said.

The man paused.

"Barmy?" he said. "Mmm… That's one possibility…"

The three of them were startled.

"Incredibly dangerous is another one," he said.

"You can hear us?" said Alister, nervously.

The man folded his umbrella, and they saw him clearly. He had a haircut that a professional stylist had clearly done, and his hair was raven-black. The coat wasn't the only pricy-looking thing he owned – his watch was a Rolex, and he had silver cufflinks on his sleeves.

"Who are you?" asked Raphael.

"Call me Beowulf," said the man. "My card…"

He held a Duel Monsters card out in front of them…

Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer.

The card started to glow.

"Glad to meet you, Knights of Orichalcos…" said Beowulf. "Sadly, this will be a short meeting…"

Lightning flashed…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

That last remark was almost an insult – they didn't want nor like to be called by their old title anymore…

But they soon saw they had other problems…

Central Park was gone, and they were in some dark place. The ground was foggy, and the sky was grey and starless. There were no features at all.

Beowulf was standing in front of them. He had ditched the coat, and was wearing a black, three-piece suit and a tie. On his left arm…

"An Orichalcos Disk!" exclaimed Raphael.

His eyes narrowed.

"Look pal, just who are you?" he demanded. "Are you some sort of ghost yourself?"

"No, I'm quite alive," said Beowulf. "See, Raphael, by profession, I'm a medium and a spiritualist.

"When I was young, I studied, and found ways to see and hear unliving spirits… ghosts, if you may…

"And I made it my career to find them, communicate with them…

"…and, if necessary, eradicate them…

"As you can see, it pays quite well. Most folks in my line of work are charlatans, frauds, con-artists who milk gullible slobs out of their money… But I'm the real thing."

They stared at him.

"And, when I was hired by Mr. Fortunado, there was only one part of my job description…

"Disposing of _you_ three if you ever became a problem. He knew for years that you've been here, and he feared you might try to intervene…

"And I fear you have… if you hadn't poked your noses where they didn't belong, you could have just gone on with your pathetic existence without us bothering you… But now you have to be dealt with…"

"And how do you intend to do that?" said Raphael, crossing his arms. "Even we don't know how to leave, so if you can make us…"

"Oh, I know more about the three of you than even you know," said Beowulf, "you and this little… 'condition' you have…"

They gave him dirty looks.

"Condition?" said Valon, angrily. "Try spending almost ninety years living like this, and see if it's a 'condition'!"

"Heh, heh…" said Beowulf. "Fine. This is usually the point where I would perform a séance, followed by an exorcism, which would banish the three of you to Hell. But you three can't be banished due to your… heh, condition…"

Alister paused.

_Does he know what happened to us?_ he thought.

"Anyway, since we're all duelists…" said Beowulf.

"Oh!" said Alister, almost laughing. "So, you want to duel us…"

"No, Alister, just _you_," answered Beowulf.

"In case you didn't know this," said Alister, raising his hands, "I can't touch anything that I'm not already carrying! No way to even pick up a Disk, and I can't just create one…"

"Yes you can," answered Beowulf.

Alister looked at him strangely.

"You three think you're weak," he said. "But you have a great deal of potential power in you… You just needed help to awaken it. Let me give you a little push…"

Beowulf raised his hand.

Alister closed his eyes, and started to glow with a soft light…

Hardly knowing what he was doing, he raised his left arm, and a Duel Disk appeared on it, the typical model used by the students in Duel Academy. His deck appeared on it.

"How'd you do that?" gasped Valon.

Alister looked though the deck.

"Don't know…" he said.

He grinned at Beowulf.

"Oh, gee pal," he said, feigning being upset. "I'm terribly sorry… I almost forgot. I gave three of my cards to Trisha! I simply can't duel you if my deck has only thirty-seven cards! That would be an illegal deck!

"Well, guess I must decline… Sorry…"

Beowulf grinned, as if he had been expecting that…

He reached into his coat and pulled out three cards, and then tossed them to him.

Alister picked them up…

…and stared in disbelief…

These were copies of Junk Dealer, Sky Union, and Air Fortress Ziggurat!

"These cards…" he muttered. "I searched for them for years! They're rarer than… How did you get copies?"

"Mr. Fortunado is incredibly wealthy, and he has many contacts," said Beowulf. "He could get almost any card he wanted to, given enough time…

"And like I said, my job was to specifically dispose of you three, so I studied you all intently. It helps to study your cards…"

"I don't get it…" said Alister. "You could have just given me three weak cards from a starter pack. Why give me access to my most powerful Monster?"

"I have my reasons…" said Beowulf.

Alister _really_ didn't like the way he said that.

"Why me?" asked Alister.

"Yeah," said Raphael. "Why don't you duel me, if you have the nerve?"

"Oh, ho, ho, ho!" laughed Beowulf. "Right. Like I'm going to duel a guy who could outduel the Pharaoh! What do I look like, _stupid_?"

"You want to get rid of all three of us, you'll have to deal with all three of us," snapped Valon.

Beowulf glared at them.

"If Alister does not accept my challenge," he said, "I can easily leave you behind in this in-between place, and it might take years for you to find the way back to New York. You thought you were lonely before, trying spending some time here…"

"I think you're bluffing…" said Alister.

He paused.

"But I'm not going to take that chance… Fine, I'll duel you. It may have been a while, but who knows…

"I just might enjoy this."

He shuffled his deck, and then activated the Disk.

"Then let the Duel of Lost Souls begin!" laughed Beowulf.

He activated the dark Disk. Thunder rolled…

**(Alister: 8,000) -------------------- (Beowulf: 8,000)**

"You think Alister can beat this bloke?" asked Valon.

"Well…" muttered Raphael, "all kidding aside, I've only known him to lose twice – the first time was when I dueled him for practice, and the second was the final confrontation with Kaiba…

"But if this Beowulf guy knows him as well as he says, it could be trouble…

"After all, that's exactly how Alister tried to defeat Kaiba… Learning his strategy…"

"As I've said, Alister," said Beowulf, making his first draw. "I've studied you extensively…"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"…and I know that among the original three Knights, you were the most… unbalanced."

"Oh, is that a nice way of saying I was _crazy_?" answered Alister, rather annoyed. "Well, let me tell you something… I won't deny it. I was driven mad by the war, and madder by Dartz… Mad as a hatter, frankly…

"But if there's one thing I've been able to do since I ended up in this mess, it's been think, and do some soul-searching. One of the benefits of not having much to do for a long time. Being isolated can do wonders for the mind.

"Guess what, Beowulf? By now, I've got a grip on reality. I'm fully sane now, and I can think like a rational duelist, and I'm fully capable of beating you."

He drew a card. Then he set one on his Disk.

"And opening moves don't get any better than this! I summon the mighty KC-1 Clayton in Attack Mode!"

The ground shook, and with a loud rumble, a huge army tank rolled into view. It slowly rolled to a stop, and with a loud creak, aimed its mighty cannon in Beowulf's direction. (2,000/1,200)

"Bringing out the big guns early, I see…" said Beowulf.

"Oh, was that a joke?" asked Alister. "Laugh at this!

"Attack his facedown Monster! Blitzkrieg blast!"

The tank's cannon fired with a thunderous blast, the recoil causing it to skid five feet backwards. Beowulf shielded himself as little shards of what was once the Monster in front of him were scattered all over the landscape.

"Heh, heh," said Beowulf. "Since you obviously didn't even see my Monster before your tank blew it to smithereens, Alister, I'll tell you that it was a Sangan…

"So… tanks a lot."

He took his deck.

"Funny…" muttered Alister. "You should try stand up comedy."

"Thanks for the career advice," he said, choosing a card. "But I had my heart set on paranormal study. Anyway, I'll use its effect to search for Lord of Dragons."

He showed him the card.

"Scared?" he asked.

"Heh," answered Alister. "Scared of _that_? Don't make me laugh. Or is that your goal?"

He took two cards from his hand.

"I'll place two of my cards facedown, and I'll end my turn…"

Two facedown cards materialized.

"And I'll start mine…" said Beowulf, drawing a card.

He grinned.

"Since you obviously like starting things off with a bang," he said, "so will I, by playing Meteor of Destruction!"

He threw the card into his disk…

The clouds, parted above, and a blazing ball of fire fell from the dark sky, leaving a trail of cinders and smoke in its wake. I struck Alister with an explosion that only barely drowned out his scream.

"You're lucky your true body is gone," said Beowulf, "or that would have hurt even worse."

**(A: 7,000) -------------------- (B: 8,000)**

"Next I play Polymerization…" he said, playing a card. "To fuse Lord of Dragons, with Divine Dragon Ragnarok!"

The caped, helmeted, draconic sorcerer appeared on the field, striking a pose. Then a wispy, cloudy Dragon made of pink fog with tendrils on its face suggesting moustaches appeared next to him.

"Oh, great…" muttered Raphael. "With those two, he can summon…"

The two Monsters swirled into a vortex.

"That's right!" shouted Beowulf. "King Dragun!"

A giant form emerged from the vortex. It looked like a cross between a dragon and a centaur, with the lower body of a serpentine dragon, and the upper body resembling Lord of Dragons in a more majestic state. A wispy, cloudy mane around his neck fluttered in the wind. He clutched a rod that looked like The Flute of Dragon Summoning that burned with like a torch. (2,400/1,000)

"I'm not scared of him," said Alister.

"Well, wait until you see his ability," said Beowulf. "Every round, he lets me Special Summon a Dragon-Type Monster from my hand… So I can summon the seven-star Hyozanryu without so much as a sacrifice."

He placed a card on his Disk, and another huge Dragon with brilliant diamond scales, a long horn on its snout, and magnificent wings made of crystal appeared. It glowed in a soft light. (2,100/2,800)

"Scared yet?" asked Beowulf.

"It's going to take more than that…" said Alister.

"Well, maybe this will be enough," said Beowulf.

The Field slot on his Disk opened…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The largest bolt of lighting since the storm started flashed across the New York skyline.

In the dorms of NYC Duel Academy, many students who had been able to sleep in the first place woke up.

Russell had barely been able to sleep, his ordeal with Ouka still on his mind.

He sat up in bed, and then noticed a glow.

He picked up The Claw of Hermos.

"Something's wrong…" he said, looking at it. "I can feel it…"

Jason woke up too. He lay listening to the downpour for a while.

Then he noticed that The Eye of Timaeus was also glowing. He picked it up.

"You're restless tonight…" he muttered. "Something is happening…"

As for Trisha, she hadn't been able to sleep at all. In front of her was a desk, on which was spread all her cards.

Her eye caught The Fang of Critias, which was also glowing…

She picked it up, and the glow shone on her copy of Air Fortress Ziggurat.

She picked it up, and held the two cards side by side.

Strangely, there was a feeling a pain coming from the rare Monster Card…

It wasn't causing her any pain…

It was more like the Monster on the card was in pain…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…" snickered Beowulf, as the Seal appeared on his forehead.

The eyes of the two Dragons glowed with evil energy, and King Dragun's Attack rose to 2,900, while Hyozanryu's rose to 2,600.

"Tell me something, Alister," he asked, "how does it feel? How does it feel to be on the receiving end of this sort of duel for the first time? Truly a taste of your own very foul-tasting medicine, isn't it?"

Alister frowned.

"Actually," he replied, "it explains a lot. Now I'm beginning to see why Kaiba called me crazy… I mean, if I was acting anything like _this_… Frankly, I can't blame him."

He frowned again and crossed his arms.

"Are you even certain that the Seal will work on me, Beowulf?" he asked. "Maybe I don't even have a soul for it to take anymore."

Beowulf smiled.

"You're forgetting that I'm a paranormal expert," he replied. "And I know for a fact, that the Seal of Orichalcos will work on you even _better_ than it will on a living person."

"And why is that?" asked Alister. "I have a feeling you're going to tell me…"

"Because if you lose this time, you won't escape," said Beowulf. "You see, you might think you don't truly have a body, but you do have one of sorts…

"It's a spiritual form made of something that people in my line of work call ectoplasmic matter, or just ectoplasm, if you prefer. It's what spiritual manifestations are made of.

"If you were human, and your body were made of flesh, losing this duel would leave your body behind and catatonic, making it possible that you could be revived, like last time…

"But not now… Losing this duel at this point would cause your current form to disintegrate into nothing. It would truly be a one-way trip, because your soul would simply have nothing to ever go back to.

"Unnerving, isn't it?"

Alister's eyes narrowed.

"King Dragun, attack the KC-1 Clayton! Flaming scourge!"

King Dragun reared up on his coils. Flames appeared in his staff…

"I activate… Tank Corp!" shouted Alister.

One of his facedown Trap Cards lifted, showing a picture similar to an old black and white photo of a parade of tanks on a city street.

A whir sounded, and three smaller tanks rolled out of the card, pulling up beside the larger one, miniature versions of KC Clayton. (800/1,200 x3)

"This Trap gives me three Tank Tokens," said Alister. "And each one raises the Attack Score of KC-1 Clayton by 500 points."

The larger tank grew to 3,500 Attack.

"Clever…" said Beowulf. "But it still won't save you. I'll simply destroy the tokens, and your tank will be easy to destroy next turn."

"King Dragun, attack one of the smaller tanks!"

King Dragun prepared to renew his attack. Then he blasted forth a stream of fire from his staff…

"Did you forget about my other Trap?" asked Alister. "I activate Amorphic Barrier!"

His Trap lifted, and a wall of rubbery columns rose up. They bent a little under the blast and steam rose from the impact, but it held the attack back.

"Since I have at least three Monsters on the field," he said, as the columns disintegrated, "this Trap blocks your attack and ends the Battle Phase right away…"

"Nice going, mate!" shouted Valon.

"Valon, if you call me 'mate' one more time…" grumbled Alister.

"All right, I end my turn," said Beowulf, with a frown. "You win round one…"

Alister drew a card.

"KC-1 Clayton, attack King Dragun!" he shouted.

The tank blasted its cannon with a huge roar, and without even having time to react, King Dragun was blown into particles.

Hyozanryu slunk back nervously…

**(A: 7,000) -------------------- (B: 7,400)**

"No fantasy creature is a match for the raw power of the modern age," he said. "Your move…"

Beowulf drew a card.

He looked over towards Valon and Raphael.

_There was one little thing I didn't mention to Alister,_ he thought. _He's not just dueling for himself, but for his two companions…_

_It's true that the Seal can't consume more than one soul most of the time…_

_But the key word there is "most of the time"._

_The nature of the curse that three of them are under connects them all in a link that can't be broken. So if one of them is imprisoned, the other two go with him._

_I might tell him right before the last blow lands…_

"I'll shift Hyozanryu to Defense Mode…" he said.

The Dragon curled up in Defense.

"And next, I'll place a card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

Alister made a draw.

"Hmm…" he said.

"Get a good draw?" asked Beowulf. "Well, while you're thinking about it, I'll activate this facedown card…"

His Trap Card lifted.

"Just Desserts?" gasped Alister.

"Uh huh…" said Beowulf.

Two ghostly arms shot out of the card, and grabbed Alister by the throat!

"This Trap crushes 500 Life Points out of you for every Monster you have on the field," said Beowulf. "You said you had a grip on reality, but can you handle a more forceful one?"

Alister clutched his throat, as the hands let go. It had been a long time since he had truly felt pain, and he didn't like feeling it again…

**(A: 5,000) -------------------- (B: 7,400)**

"Oh, that was another joke…" he muttered. "You are just _full_ of laughs…"

"If heroes can be full of witty one liners, than so can villains," said Beowulf with a grin.

"You're nuts…" said Alister, getting up.

"And you're predictable," said Beowulf. "I knew you used cards that created tokens… Why do you think I put that Trap in my deck?"

"KC-1 Clayton…" growled Alister. "Destroy Hyozanryu…"

The tank blasted its cannon, and Hyozanryu exploded into a blast of crystal shards.

"I end my turn…" he said.

Beowulf drew a card.

"Then I play… Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card. "I'll draw two cards…"

He drew twice.

"And these will do nicely… I place one card facedown…"

He played a card, and it appeared.

"And next, I'll summon Cave Dragon in Attack Mode…"

He played another card, and a more hulking Dragon appeared. This Dragon seemed both strong and sluggish at the same time, with a tired look on its face and a blunt expression. (2000/100) –) (2,500/100)

"Next, I believe I'll play… Stamping Destruction."

He played a card.

"This Spell Card can only be used when a Dragon is on my side of the field, and then I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card, and stomp 500 points off your Life Points."

Cave Dragon stomped his foot down, and a shockwave blasted forward, ripping through Alister, and shattering the Tank Corp card. The Tank Tokens burst in three small explosions, and KC-1 Clayton's Attack Score fell down to 2,000.

**(A: 4,500) -------------------- (B: 7,400)**

"Do you think that overweight lizard scares me?" said Alister. "I happen to know that Cave Dragon can't attack unless you have another Dragon on your side of the field, and since you have no cards left in your hand, the chances of you summoning one in the immediate future aren't too great…."

"I know how my own cards work," said Beowulf. "It's your move…"

"You seem to like Dragons a lot, Beowulf," said Raphael. "I hope you realize that it was a fight with a dragon that killed your namesake…"

"True…" said Beowulf. "He defeated Grendel, a murderous man-eater who descended from Cain. Then he defeated Grendel's dam, who was twice as murderous as her offspring.

"But Grendel and his dam were spawned from human stock, while the supernatural fury of dragons held the power of nature itself. Against the awesome might of the greatest of mythical beasts, my namesake lost his life…

"And few Monsters in this game have greater power…"

"Yeah, yeah…" said Alister. "My move…"

He drew.

"And my Trap activates!" shouted Beowulf. "Bust Breath!"

His Trap lifted, and Cave Dragon grumbled. It belched out a cloud of sickly green gas, covering the field.

When the smoke cleared, both Monsters were wiped out.

Alister smirked.

"Okay, who can tell me what he did wrong?" he asked.

"Huh?" asked Beowulf.

"You should have waited until he summoned another Monster, you wanker!" laughed Valon. "Now you're defenseless!"

"You know…" said Raphael. "I have a feeling that you're a _much_ better spiritualist than you are a duelist. You may have powerful cards, and you seem to be pretty wealthy…

"But while money can buy cards, it can't teach you how to use them right…"

"You got that right," said Alister. "Burst Breath is a powerful Trap, but using it is always risky.

"Let me show you why… I summon Cyber Soldier of Darkworld in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and a dark android covered with wires and plating with a laser gun for its right arm appeared. It stared at Beowulf with glowing, soulless eyes. (1,400/1,200)

"Attack directly…" ordered Alister. "Shadow blast!"

Cyber Soldier aimed its weapon, its left eye glowed intently, and a red crosshairs appeared on Beowulf's chest. It fired a ray of rippling dark energy at his foe. He grunted as it hit him in the torso.

**(A: 4,500) -------------------- (B: 6,000)**

"Lucky shot…" muttered Beowulf. "Is that your turn?"

"Yes…" said Alister.

Beowulf drew a card.

He smirked…

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

He waved his hand to signal the end.

Alister drew a card.

_Humph…_ he thought.

"I'll place this facedown," he said, playing it.

A facedown card appeared.

"Cyber Soldier, attack his facedown!" he shouted.

"Alister, wait!" shouted Valon. "It might be a…"

Cyber Soldier of Darkworld aimed his weapon for another shot…

…a Morphing Jar appeared on the card… It spun around one-hundred and eighty degrees and laughed a wicked cackle.

"…booby trap…" groaned Valon.

Cyber Soldier fired and it smashed like a broken piece of pottery.

"Heh, heh…" said Beowulf. "There are perks to being wealthy. When a Morphing Jar is flipped, both players discard their hands and draw five new cards…"

"I _know_ that!" said Alister, angrily.

"It does nothing but help me…" said Beowulf, "seeing as I currently have no cards in my hand. But you unfortunately have five cards in your hand, so you lose five and come up with the same."

Alister discarded, and they both drew five.

"And yet," said Alister, "that still managed to help me…"

He played a card.

"I summon Science Soldier in Defense Mode…"

He played a card, and a soldier like something out a _Star Wars_ movie appeared. He wore a helmet with a visor and silvery armor, and was carrying a laser rifle. He knelt in Defense. (800/800)

"And next, I'll place two cards facedown, ending my turn…"

Two facedown cards appeared in front of him.

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Beowulf.

He drew a card.

"I know what you're up to, Alister, you put it all out in front of me. Did you really think that would work?

"One of those three cards is Soldier Revolt… The other two are Traps to protect your two Monsters from an attack."

"Actually," said Alister, "one of them is just a little something to help me out…"

He gestured, and one of the cards lifted. It was Jar of Greed.

A red jar that looked somewhat like the Pot of Greed, but rounded on top with no handle appeared, and chuckled.

Alister drew one card.

"Well, fine, but it's still obvious," said Beowulf. "On your next turn, you'll summon Kinetic Soldier, and activate Soldier Revolt, which will destroy every card on my side of the field and in my hand, right?"

Alister didn't answer. He stared at Beowulf in stony silence.

"I'll take your failure to respond as an affirmative," said Beowulf. "Well, it would be a pity if something were to happen to those facedown cards…"

He played a card.

"Like my Heavy Storm!"

A fierce wind blew over the arena…

"Looks like your master plan is gone with the wind!" he laughed.

Alister grinned a wicked grin as the two Trap Cards – neither of which was Soldier Revolt – lifted up and shattered…

"Wait a minute…" said Beowulf, in surprise. "Those aren't…"

Then _two_ explosions burst where he was standing! He was thrown against the wall of the Seal!

"What was _that_?" he shouted.

"My way of saying that I'm sick of your dumb jokes," said Alister. "It was high time I put you in your place.

"I figured someone who claimed to know my deck as well as you did would be wary of my Soldier Revolt card. So I knew if I summoned two of the necessary Monsters and placed two cards facedown, you'd try to destroy the facedown cards… In fact, I was counting on it.

"Those two cards that you destroyed were special Traps called Kozaky's Self-Destruct Button. Like a proximity mine, they can only be triggered if my opponent destroys them, and when that happens, you lose 1,000 Life Points for each of them.

"This is an example of how I've changed, Beowulf. If I was like you, I wouldn't have been so tricky, but since I can think like a rational person, I have more than a good chance of coming out of this unscathed.

**(A: 4,500) -------------------- (B: 4,000)**

_This is getting to be annoying…_ thought Beowulf, looking at the Trap Card in his hand. _But I'll have the last laugh… He has no idea of the terror lurking in my deck…_

He played a card.

"I summon Troop Dragon in Defense Mode," he said.

A small lizard man with green scales, pointed ears, and a draconic face wearing armor and holding a sword appeared, and knelt in Defense. (700/800) –) (1,200/800)

"And it's your move…"

Alister drew a card.

"I play my own Pot of Greed," he said, playing it. "And I'll draw twice…"

He drew two cards.

"Next I'll summon… Overdrive…"

He played a card. The sound of motors echoed over the arena, and large jeep colored in army fatigues with all terrain wheels and with a turret on its front rolled into view. It aimed its weapon at Troop Dragon. (1,600/1,500)

"And now I'm going to show you just how much of a fool you truly were…" he said, taking another card. "I'm going to use the cards you gave me…"

He played a card.

"I sacrifice my three Monsters to play Sky Union…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trisha watched as the rain poured.

A strange feeling came over her.

She looked at the powerful Monster Card again.

It didn't seem to be in pain any more…

It seemed much happier…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The gargantuan form of Air Fortress Ziggurat loomed over Alister… Its eyes glowed with burning energy.

(2,500/2,000)

"All right!" shouted Valon. "His strongest Monster!"

"You're in trouble now, pal!" called Raphael to Beowulf.

"You don't scare me…" said Beowulf.

"Don't have to," said Alister, motioning to the huge Monster. "That's _his_ job.

"Obliterate his Troop Dragon!"

Air Fortress Ziggurat glowed with burning flames, and with an uproar of artillery fire, blasted what seemed to be a thousand rounds of ammunition, blasting Troop Dragon to a scorch mark on the ground.

"Nice try," said Beowulf, "but when Troop Dragon is destroyed in battle, I get to summon another one, hence the term 'troop'."

Another Troop Dragon appeared. (700/800) –) (1,200/800)

"Then I end my turn," said Alister, "which activates its effect…"

The Fortress opened its maw, and with a loud whir, a Toy Robot Token fell to the ground, crouching in Defense Mode. (0/0)

Beowulf drew a card.

"I choose to pass this turn…" he said.

Alister drew a card.

He looked at the Spell Card. Not exactly something he could use now…

"Well then…" he said. "Since I know you'll summon a third Troop Dragon when I destroy that one…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Oni Tank T-34 in Attack Mode."

Another tank rumbled to his side of the field, this one with a demonic mask with horns and a large grin on the front. The eyes on the mask glowed blue, and it swung its cannon towards the Dragon. (1,400/1,700)

"Attack his Troop Dragon, with Oni artillery!"

Oni Tank blasted a flamethrower burst from its cannon, lighting up the dim place, and the Troop Dragon howled as it was incinerated.

Beowulf threw a card on his Disk, and a third one appeared.

Alister pointed, and Air Fortress Ziggurat opened fire, blowing it to pieces.

"My turn is over…" he said.

Another Toy Robot Token fell beside the first one.

Beowulf drew.

_There it is,_ he thought. _The final piece of my strategy that will end the legacy of these three has-beens forever…_

"I summon Luster Dragon in Attack Mode," he said.

A large Dragon that seemed to be made entirely of sapphire gems appeared. It sparkled in its own light, like one sculpted gem. It roared! (1,900/1,600) –) (2,400/1,600)

"Luster Dragon, attack Oni Tank T-34 with sapphire flame!"

Flames appeared in Luster Dragon's jaws. It blasted fire from its mouth in a thin stream, and the tank exploded into metal scrap.

**(A: 3,500) -------------------- (B: 4,000)**

"Now…" he said. "I'll place two cards facedown, and that will end my turn…"

He threw two cards into his Disk, and they appeared.

Alister drew.

"Beowulf…" he said. "Before you gave me this card, did you perchance read the text on it? If you had, you'd have seen that Traps don't work on it.

"So your Luster Dragon is toast…"

The Ziggurat fired on Luster Dragon, and it roared as the lasers and missiles honed in on it. It shattered into pixilated remains.

**(A: 3,500) -------------------- (B: 3,900)**

"Heh, heh…" said Beowulf. "Actually I knew that. But then, your Fortress doesn't stop me from activating Traps just by being there… And since you destroyed my Monster, I can activate this…"

A Trap lifted.

"It's called The Grave of Enkindling," he explained. "Now, each of us can Special Summon a Monster from his Graveyard in Defense Mode. And the one I choose is Hyozanryu."

In a burst of energy, Hyozanryu reappeared, curled up in Defense. (2,100/2,800) –) (2,600/2,800)

"Fine…" said Alister. "I'll summon someone that I discarded when you triggered that Morphing Jar… Kinetic Soldier!"

In a burst of light, an android with a grim face, blue armor, and a laser-device on its shoulder appeared. Its eyes shone briefly, and then it knelt down, crossing its arms. (1,350/1,800)

"Oh, blimey…" muttered Valon. "With the Seal, that Dragon is stronger than Air Fortress Ziggurat!"

"Read the fine print…" said Raphael. "It says that the Special Summoned Monsters have to stay in Defense Mode. Unfortunately, that's bad news for Alister, because that Dragon has a Defense that even the Fortress can't crack."

"Okay, I end my turn…" said Alister.

A third Toy Robot Token formed.

"Then I'll draw…" said Beowulf.

He quickly drew a card.

"And then I'll activate the card that will seal your fate…" he said, evilly.

His other Trap lifted.

It was a frightening picture, showing an evil sorcerer in a fright mask blasting Archlord Zerato with burning lightning.

"I activate the Card of Sin known as… Curse of the Summoned!"

Lightning flashed…

"Raphael?" said Valon, getting nervous. "What does Curse of the Summoned do?"

"Uh… I never heard of it either…" muttered Raphael.

"Oh, I forgot…" laughed Beowulf, "you three don't know about Cards of Sin. Well, let me explain…"

"When this Continuous Trap is active, when each duelist starts their Standby Phase, they lose 500 Life Points for every Monster they control that was Special Summoned."

Alister's eyes opened in fear.

"Get the picture now?" asked Beowulf. "I'll only lose 500 Life Points per round, because I have only one Monster who was Special Summoned…

"But look on your side of the field, Alister… You have a full field of five Monsters, and they ALL were Special Summoned. And you have 3,500 Life Points left…

"If you can't find a way to defeat me on this next turn, you lose on the turn after that!"

"And my turn is over now…"

He stabbed his thumb down.

Alister paused…

"Raph…" muttered Valon. "Tell me he still has a chance…"

Raphael bowed his head.

"If he has any chance…" he said. "His next draw had better be the best one in his career…"

Alister looked at the four cards in his hand…

He looked at his deck…

He reached into his pocket, and pulled out the battered old Dyna Dude action figure…

And then he looked to the sky…

_Only one card in my deck can save me…_ he thought. _And my only chance of ever possibly seeing you again rests on whether or not I draw it… now…_

_Mikey, I know you're watching…_

He slowly reached for his deck…

_Guide me…_

He drew the card.

The Curse of the Summoned card glowed…

A bolt of lightning crashed down and struck him, and he winced in pain. Then another struck, followed by three more! He fell to his knees.

**(A: 1,000) -------------------- (B: 3,900)**

"Give it up," gloated Beowulf. "Nothing can save you!"

Alister looked at the card he had just drawn.

"Wrong…" he muttered. "There's one card in my deck that can, and I just drew it…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play… Token Thanksgiving!"

A card that showed a gremlin gleefully collecting Scapegoats in a basket appeared.

The gremlin walked out, and held its basket out. The three Toy Robot Tokens in front of him turned to light, and were sucked into it.

The gremlin reached into it, and tossed a handful of golden dust into the air, which sprinkled upon Alister.

"This Spell Card destroys all Token Monsters on the field," he said, "and for every one, I gain 800 Life Points.

"What's more, with the Tokens gone, so are three of those five Monsters that would have done me in, so the effectiveness of your Trap is greatly reduced."

**(A: 3,400) -------------------- (B: 3,900)**

"Grrr…" growled Beowulf. "Fine. You're only delaying the inevitable. I'll just…"

He reached for his deck.

"Did I say my turn was over?" shouted Alister. "DID I?"

Beowulf stopped.

"You don't need to yell…" he said.

"Apparently, I do," said Alister, playing another Spell Card. "I play Dark Factory of Mass Production. Now I can return two Normal Monsters from the Graveyard to my hand…"

A Spell Card showing a worker in a white cloak on an assembly line appeared.

Two cards slipped out of his discard slot, and he took them.

"And next, I'll summon one of them… Cyber Soldier of Darkworld, in Attack Mode."

Cyber Soldier arose again, once again aiming its rifle. (1,400/1,200)

"Finally…" he said, "I'll place two cards facedown, and I'll end my turn… And I'll choose not to have my Fortress create another token…"

He threw two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

Beowulf drew.

"Don't forget," said Alister, "thanks to your own Trap Card, you now lose 500 Life Points."

Thunder rumbled again, and a bolt of lightning crashed down, striking Beowulf.

"A necessary evil…" he muttered.

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Premature Burial, to bring back Luster Dragon."

Luster Dragon reappeared, now very angry. It hissed and steam rose from its closed jaws. (1,900/1,600) –) (2,400/1,600)

**(A: 3,400) -------------------- (B: 2,600)**

"Attack his Cyber Soldier!" he shouted.

Luster Dragon fired his flame…

"I activate… Covering Fire!" shouted Alister.

One of his Traps lifted, showing the image of a Mechanicalchaser charging while a Cannon Soldier supported it from the rear.

"Now I can add the Attack Score of one of my other Monsters to that of the one you're attacking," he said. "So I'll add the Ziggurat's Attack Score to Cyber Soldier's!"

The Ziggurat's eyes glowed… It aimed its multitude of weapons.

Cyber Soldier of Darkworld shot up to 3,900 Attack! Both it and the Ziggurat returned fire, pushing back the Dragon's attack, and blowing the Dragon to atoms.

**(A: 3,400) -------------------- (B: 1,100)**

Beowulf gulped.

"I still have Hyozanryu!" he cursed. "And not even your Ziggurat can destroy him!"

Alister drew.

He looked at the powerful Trap Card…

Lightning flashed again, and two bolts of lightning crashed down and struck him.

He cursed under his breath.

"He won't have to," said Alister. "I'll move my Cyber Soldier into Defense Mode…"

Cyber Soldier of Darkworld shielded itself.

"Then I'll summon Science Soldier in Defense Mode… Who I got from my Dark Factory card."

Science Soldier appeared again, and knelt.

"And finally…" he said, "I'll activate Soldier Revolt!"

His Trap Card lifted, and his three Soldiers glowed…

"Since you were so paranoid about this card," he said, "I'm sure you know how it works… Every card on your side of the field and in your hand is destroyed!"

The three Soldiers shot burning beams of light from their eyes, coalescing into a burst of light on Beowulf's side of the arena. Hyozanryu and Curse of the Summoned shattered into pixels, and Beowulf's cards were yanked from him.

"Be thankful that I'm not allowed to attack on the round I activate that card," said Alister. "I'll end by playing a card facedown…"

He placed his card in a slot.

"And since your Trap is gone now…"

Another Toy Robot Token appeared.

**(A: 2,400) -------------------- (B: 1,100)**

"Make your move…" he dared.

Beowulf shivered as he drew a card.

Then he grinned…

"Well Alister…" he said. "Time to bring King Dragun back…"

"Oh? How?" asked Alister. "That guy is immune to effects that target, so summoning him from the Graveyard is impossible."

"I'm going to summon a new one…" said Beowulf. "By playing this…"

He showed him the card.

"Dragon's Mirror! This card lets me fuse together Monsters in my Graveyard if I remove them from play, so long as I'm summoning a Dragon-Type Monster!"

He played the card…

"And now…" he said, as it appeared.

"I don't think so!" shouted Alister.

His Trap Card lifted.

"I activate… Solemn Judgment!"

Lightning flashed and thunder rolled…

An old man with a beard, dressed in a white robe and carrying a cudgel appeared, followed by two beautiful muses wearing togas. They glowed with intense light.

"I figured I'd use this against Kaiba," said Alister, "but I never drew it… My way of passing 'judgment' for the crimes his stepfather had committed that I blamed him for…

"Anyway, it may cost me half my Life Points, but I can counter your Dragon's Mirror, and destroy it."

The card shattered…

**(A: 1,200) -------------------- (B: 1,100)**

"You don't seem to be all full of jokes now… Beowulf…" he said. "Since that was your only card, it's my move…"

He drew a card as Beowulf slunk back in fear…

The card he drew was a Spell Card that wasn't of any good now…

"Well…" said Alister, "it ends now…"

He lifted his hand… He was about to order an attack…

Then he paused… He lowered it.

_Hold on…_ he thought.

He paused again.

_Maybe this egotistical blowhard is worth more to us intact… Lord knows, he deserves to be sacrificed to the Seal, but…_

He looked at the two cards in his hand.

_This will work, if this guy is like I think he is…_

"Beowulf, listen up," he said.

"What?" said Beowulf, almost panicking.

"I suggest a deal," said Alister. "Your soul in exchange for information."

"What do you mean?" asked Beowulf.

"Well," said Alister, "you are going to lose this duel, and you know what will happen then… But if you accept my offer, you'll be able to save your worthless skin…

"I may not know half as much about my 'condition' as you claim you do, but I know LOTS about the Orichalcos, and I know that the one way we both can escape unharmed is for this duel to end in a draw…

"Well, the two cards in my hand can do just that, IF you do _exactly_ what I say…

"However, after all you've put us through tonight, I don't exactly feel like showing mercy… So I'm only going to show it if the three of us get something in return. Once we're done, you will tell us _everything_ you know about our 'condition'. Call us crazy, but we're a little sick of this after all these years, and since you claim to be an expert…"

"All right! All right!" shouted Beowulf. "Anything you say! I'll do it!"

"Figured as much…" said Alister. "You're just like Gozaburo and other rich snobs… nothing but a big coward when things turn against you… Pathetic. Now listen, I'm ending my turn. When you take your turn, this is only going to work if you do NOT play whatever card you draw. I mean it. Just draw your card, and end your turn…"

Beowulf drew.

It was The Dragon's Bead.

_Well, it would only have been good for a bluff anyway…_ he thought.

"All right…" he said, nervously. "I pass…"

"Good…" said Alister, drawing a card.

He looked at the card.

"All right Beowulf, since I really don't trust you, I'm going to show you the card I just drew before I set it."

He flipped the card around.

"A little thing called Magic Jammer. I'm sure you know what that does…"

He fit the card into his Disk, and the facedown card appeared.

"Next I play… Exchange."

He played the card.

"Huh?" said Beowulf.

"Normally," said Alister, "this lets us each look at each others hand, choose a card, and trade them, but since we each have only one card left in our hands, let's cut to the chase…"

They walked to the center of the arena, and swapped the cards.

"Thank you…" said Alister, sarcastically.

Beowulf looked at it.

"What do I do with this?" he asked, nervously.

"You're the supposed genius, you figure it out!" shouted Alister. "I'm ending my turn now, but I plan to attack you with my Fortress on my next turn, so you'd best figure it out. Don't forget, I have Magic Jammer and one card to discard, so don't try anything if your next draw is a mega-powerful Spell Card."

Beowulf drew.

Then he looked at the card Alister had given him.

"Uh, Raphael," said Valon. "I kinda got lost a few turns ago… What is Alister planning?"

"Beats me…" said Raphael. "I mean, I'd expect Ring of Destruction, but if that were the case, he wouldn't have given it to Beowulf, he could have done it himself."

Beowulf placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…" he said, nervously.

Alister snapped the top card off his deck.

"Air Fortress Ziggurat…" he ordered. "Attack him directly!"

The giant Machine's eyes glowed…

It opened fire…

"I activate Contagion of Madness!" shouted Beowulf.

A Quickplay Spell card lifted.

"Of course!" gasped Raphael.

Beowulf screamed as the massive attack plowed into him. Alister was struck by a wave of energy. Both of them slammed against the opposite walls of the Seal…

And then the Seal itself vanished…

**(A: 0) -------------------- (B: 0)**

"What happened?" asked Valon.

"Alister's Spell Card," said Raphael. "That attack went through, but because of Contagion of Madness, Alister took half the damage that Beowulf did."

The sky of the foggy in-between dimension started to churn…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The three phantoms were back in Central Park, and the exhausted minion of Orichalcos was kneeing on the ground.

He was completely winded, the strain from using the Card of Sin and the powerful direct attack having quite taken the fight out of him.

Alister grabbed him by the collar and forced him to his feet.

"You'd best keep your side of the bargain pal," he said. "We want answers…

"Hey look guys, I learned how to pick up things…"

"All right, all right…" said Beowulf, in a scared voice. "You win…"

He sat on a park bench…

"First and foremost, you're cursed," he said. "The Seal was designed to imprison souls, so it has a side effect on the souls of anyone who uses it. Without special protection, this sort of thing happens to everyone who uses the Orichalcos. Dartz knew about it, he knew how to protect himself, but he wasn't too keen on sharing…"

"We can chalk that up as another lie he told us," muttered Raphael. "Who's behind the curse? Leviathan?"

"It's like a side effect of the Orichalcos magic," said Beowulf. "Use it, and you eventually contract a magical disease of sorts. If you die from it, your spirit becomes incapable of leaving the mortal plane. And because you guys were partners, the curse had the added effect of connecting you together.

"It happened to a few other minions… Weevil and Rex haunted Domino for about ten years before someone had mercy on them… Of course, the one who did it had… conditions which I won't get into…

"Here's how it works – by using the Seal without protection, the disease it causes not only kills the user, it makes the Astral Plane inaccessible to him. The Astral Plane is a sort of a pathway that a soul needs to take to get to the afterlife. Without being able to enter, you're trapped on Earth. And the curse simply made you unable to open the right pathways.

"In a way, the curse steals the key to the Astral that all mortals have."

"Wait a second…" said Valon. "What about Mai? Didn't she…"

Beowulf held up his hand.

"Mai did _not_ escape the curse," answered Beowulf. "But fortunately, it was detected early, before the disease hit. Joey did what was needed to remove it, so she was spared."

"What about the Pharaoh?" asked Raphael. "He used it once…"

Beowulf paused.

"Let me explain this in… simplest terms," he said. "Curses are complex things… He was already suffering from one – the one that had bound him to the Millennium Puzzle and stripped him of his memories. It is impossible to be inflicted with a major curse if you are already cursed by another source.

"It's one of the fundamental laws of magic. No one can suffer two curses at the same time. And the Seal's curse may have tried to displace his, but it could not break the rule any more than other curses could."

"Wait a second…" said Raphael. "The Orichalcos was stronger than the Millennium Items. That Puzzle couldn't…"

"Wrong," interrupted Beowulf. "Dartz may have told you that the Orichalcos was stronger, but that was simply another bold-faced lie. You guys are just going to have to accept that he only told the truth when it benefited him to do so. Think about it… You were going up against one who held a Millennium Item, so Dartz knew you'd have more confidence if you believed the magic he held was superior. So he lied.

"The Orichalcos was older, yes, but older doesn't mean stronger. I mean, would you use a new computer, or one that was twenty years old? There was one simple reason why the Puzzle's magic couldn't counter the Seal…

"The Puzzle's magic and the Seal's magic were two _completely_ different _kinds_ of magic. It's like comparing escargot salad to Peking duck. Both good to eat, both considered gourmet, but they have absolutely nothing in common. It was the magical equivalent of oil and vinegar. And since that was the case, Dartz's lie was easy to believe.

"If the Puzzle was truly powerless against the Orichalcos, the Pharaoh would have fallen in the final battle with Dartz. But the source of his power did not desert him then, and he was victorious."

There was a long pause.

"So why the heck did _you_ use the damn thing?" shouted Valon.

"Because Mr. Fortunado IS keen on sharing, and he's not a liar!" replied Beowulf.

He made a sulk.

"Not that it's going to do me much good now… When he finds out about this, I'm going to have to start looking for a new job, and this one is NOT the type I can put on a resume!"

"How can we break the curse?" demanded Alister.

"Well, _you_ can't," said Beowulf. "Since the Seal is evil, the curse can only be undone if someone performs a noble act in your name, using something that carries your influence. Three cards aren't enough – when Joey lifted Mai's curse, he had to duel someone using her entire deck!

"And, since the Orichalcos is active again, that noble act would likely have to do with opposing it.

"Now I've told you everything I know. Can I please leave? Maybe if I apologize to Mr. Fortunado…"

"All right, fine," said Alister. "But keep this in mind – if you come back, we'll have no reason to be merciful a second time!

"Get lost…"

As he ran off, they looked at each other.

"Well," said Raphael, "we have work to do…"

_Wednesday, September 22nd, 2106, 3:10 AM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**AMORPHIC BARRIER (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A cluster of white, rubbery pillars.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have three or more Monsters on your side of the field, and your opponent declares an attack. Negate the attack and end the current Battle Phase.

_Note: "Amorphic Barrier" was used by Bastion in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Formula For Success". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CONTAGION OF MADNESS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A man screaming with a desolate wasteland in the background.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you take battle damage. Inflict half the damage you receive to your opponent's Life Points.

_Note: "Contagion of Madness" was used by Alister in the anime episode "Deja Duel! (Part 2)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**KC-1 CLAYTON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description:** A heavy-duty tank used for offensive military maneuvers. If this Monster is in face-up Defense Position on the field, destroy this Monster. The controller of this Monster must attack with this Monster whenever possible.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TANK CORP (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A parade of tanks on a city street, in black and white.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when at least one "KC-1 Clayton" is face-up on your side of the field. Special Summon three "Tank Tokens" in Defense Position. (Machine/Earth/2 stars/800 ATK/1,200 DEF). For each "Tank Token" on the field, each "KC Clayton-1" on your side of the field gains 500 Attack Points. When this card is removed from the field, all "Tank Tokens" are destroyed.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SOLDIER REVOLT (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A circle divided into three sections, one showing Science Soldier, one showing Cyber Soldier of Darkworld, and one showing Kinetic Soldier.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card during your first Main Phase, when you have at least one "Science Soldier", at least one "Cyber Soldier of Darkworld", and at least one "Kinetic Soldier" face-up on your side of the field. Destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field, and in his hand. Skip your Battle Phase on the turn in which you activate this card.

_Note: "KC-1 Clayton", "Tank Corp", and "Soldier Revolt" were used by Alister in the multi-part anime episode "Flight of Fear". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (The version of "KC-1 Clayton" given here takes fanfiction liberties designed to keep it from being a broken card. As far as the anime was concerned, it was not an Effect Monster.)_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CURSE OF THE SUMMONED (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin: **Wrath

**Image:** A sorcerer in a dark robe and a demonic mask blasting Archlord Zerato with burning lightning.

**Card Description:** When this card is active, during each player's Standby Phase, he loses 500 Life Points for every Monster on his side of the field that was Special Summoned.

**0**

**0**

**0**

_**Coming up next:**_

_**The school day starts with an unexpected surprise, but there's little time to consider it – the first big test of the year is upon them!**_

**_AND see Trisha's alternate deck! It's a chapter called "Card Shuffle", coming soon._**


	21. Card Shuffle

_**The monthly exams have never been easy. The written tests are a piece of cake, but the field tests…**_

_**And now it has become even harder. Out of pure bad luck, my opponent is a guy who beat me badly the last time I dueled him, all because of a very powerful, very rare Monster in his deck. **_

_**Still, when life throws you a curveball, you have to learn how to hit it. My regular deck would fall before this guy's usual strategy…**_

_**So I guess it's time for me to delve, like William Shatner and Patrick Stewart once did…**_

…_**into the Final Frontier.**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY**

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**Card Shuffle**

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**0 0 0 0 0**

_Wednesday, September 22nd, 2106, 5:45 AM_

"Attack directly!" shouted Cassius. "Dark fire inferno!"

Beowulf stared in horror as the shadowy Monster loomed up in front of him…

He screamed as he was engulfed in black flames!

He collapsed. Cassius crossed his arms as the Seal around him started to glow and shrink around Beowulf…

Fortunado was watching closely. He walked up to the fallen duelist.

"Apology accepted, Mr. Daniels…" he muttered.

"So now what do we do about those three?" asked Cassius, putting his deck back together.

"We'll figure something out later…" sighed Fortunado. "Right now, I've got other fish to fry. A big day is coming up at the Academy…

"It would be a shame not to prepare a gatecrasher or two…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At breakfast, Trisha simply picked at her plate of waffles.

"Not hungry, Trish?" asked Russell.

"Yeah…" muttered Trisha. "I know that doesn't make much sense to you…"

"Hey," said Russell, "like my dad said, an army moves on its stomach. A good soldier has to eat. It keeps up his strength."

"Well, yeah…" she replied, "But I'm so worried about that exam on Friday, I don't have much of an appetite."

"Test anxiety…" said Jason. "Well, that's nothing new. Ever think about using your other deck? It might give your opponent a big surprise."

Trisha leaned on her arm.

"Well…" she said. "It's an idea… But it's a difficult deck to use… Using the Monsters depends on a lot of factors, and…"

"Excuse me?" said a voice.

They saw a hulking delivery man standing over the table holding three parcel boxes.

"Uh, I'm looking for Jason Conrad, Trisha Moise, and Russell Majors…" he said.

"That would be us," said Jason.

"Uh huh," said the man, putting down three packages.

Whoever had sent them had taken no chances. They had been shipped first class, with insurance, and were marked with several special packaging options…

…but no return address.

"If you three will just sign this…" he said.

Not knowing what else to do, they signed the sheet.

"Good day," he said.

The three of them looked at the packages.

Quickly, they tore them open, and rooted through the packing chips…

They gazed in wonder.

"BEN!" shouted Jason.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour later…

Chancellor Artemis was typing in-between sips of coffee in her office, when a buzz sounded on her speaker.

"Dr. Artemis," said a voice. "Ben is here to see you with some students. He says it's important."

"Eh, send him in," said Artemis.

Ben walked into the office, with Jason, Trisha, and Russell behind him.

"Uh, ma'am," said Ben, "we have a little… situation."

"That's what I'm here for," replied Artemis.

"Well, uh…" said Ben. "You know when a student gets a Disk that isn't school issue, his headmaster has to approve it?"

"I trust your judgment Ben," said Artemis. "I take it you'd recognize a Disk that isn't legal…"

"Well… ma'am… see…" he said nervously. "These three… someone sent them Disks that I've never seen before, and I don't know whether to approve them or not…"

Artemis looked at the three students for a minute.

"Let me see them," she finally said.

They put the three Disks in front of her…

They were odd, certainly. They were each shaped somewhat differently, but all had strange runes on them. Trisha's didn't seem to even have a tray, and the deck holder looked vaguely like it had been made out of a computer disk drive.

Artemis studied the runes.

_Hmmm,_ she thought_. Haven't seen these for a while…_

She put Trisha's on her arm, and gestured. One zone came out of the main cabinet and then extended into a deck tray with a soft whir. It was rectangular with flared edges, and had a silvery, reflective sheen.

_A Disk that's more of a machine than ever,_ she thought, _very suiting for one with a Machine Deck…_

"Any idea who sent you these?" she asked, putting it back.

"No," said Jason. "No return address."

"Well, you certainly have someone out there who cares for you a great deal," she said. "Use them with my blessings. In fact, try them during your exams. You'll find that they handle much better than your old ones."

"Thanks!" said Trisha.

They gathered them, and left the room.

As Ben left, Artemis crossed her arms.

_I didn't want to frighten them,_ she thought, _but those Disks are of the type that Duel Spirits use, and they have the symbols of Light – clearly a benign Spirit sent them to them after discovering that they had the Dragons._

_I hope that they can help…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trisha wasn't the one who would cram for a test. That was asking for trouble. The best way to prepare for a test was to get a good night's sleep the night before. After all, she didn't doubt that she could pass the written part.

Still, when the lists for the field tests were posted, her face fell.

"Ooh…" she moaned. "Sean…"

"What's wrong?" asked Jason.

"I'm going up against Sean Kishore…" muttered Trisha.

Jason knew what she meant…

Sean played a Fire Deck, and he was very good with it due to the powerful Monster in his deck – Horus the Black Flame Dragon. Once the LV 8 form was summoned – which he seemed able to do very easily – his opponent was unable to play any Spell Cards, and it seemed no-one could defeat that creature without them.

"So what are you gonna do?" asked Jason.

Trisha paused.

"I'm _definitely_ gonna use my second deck…" she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

From nine that morning to ten, the campus would be rather quiet.

Jason, Trisha, Russell, and almost every other student poured over the written portion of the test, and while some found it easy, others had to work hard on it.

The true fireworks would start at ten. When almost the whole school had to duel, the arena wasn't nearly enough. Several sections of the campus, both indoors and outdoors, were set aside for the field test.

So at ten-thirty, Trisha made her way to the gymnasium where she had been assigned.

She saw that Sersei was already taking her field test, and she seemed to be in trouble. As she watched, Sersei's Cyber Harpie Lady was blown away by Dark Ruler Ha Des… Then her opponent attacked her with an Opticlops…

Then, as Trisha watched, Sersei activated a Trap, and all three Harpies appeared on the field. Then she played a card that must have been Phoenix Formation, blowing both Fiends to pieces and reducing her opponent to nothing.

_Well, she's given me a tough act to follow,_ thought Trisha. _Hmmm, a Trap that can revive all three Harpies at once? Wonder how it works?_

She turned and saw Sean waiting below the basketball net, with Dr. Ting.

Sean was an intimidating figure, standing six-foot-one and somewhat muscular. He had the skin tone of an Asian-Indian, and had jet-black hair that was spiked up in style and hazel eyes. He wore a silver hoop earring on his left ear and black fingerless gloves on both hands.

"Sean…" said Trisha.

"Trisha…" he said. "I should warn you, this won't be pleasant…"

"Just give me all you've got, Sean," she said. "I'm not going to give you anything less."

"All right you two," said Dr. Ting. "Let's start this… We haven't got all day…"

The two swapped decks and started to shuffle.

Trisha looked, and saw the Sersei was watching from the bleachers…

_Well, Trisha,_ thought Sersei, _let's see if that same trick works this time…_

"It's going to be different than it was last time," said Trisha to Sean. "I assure you of that…

She activated the strange Disk.

"Game… start!"

They each drew five cards.

**(Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (Sean: 8,000)**

"Think it's going to be different?" asked Sean, drawing a sixth card. "Well here's something different…

"I summon Tenkabito Shien in Attack Mode."

A flame appeared on his side of the field, and a galloping sound was heard. A figure mounted on a fiery trotted out on his mount. He looked like a lonely Samurai dressed in armor and silk clothing with his hair tied in a ponytail, holding a large scimitar. He urged his mount to stop and raised his sword as he looked at Trisha with fiery eyes. (1,500/1,000)

"A new one?" asked Trisha.

"Yes," said Sean. "And in case you're thinking of using a Trap Card, forget it – they don't work on Shien. Period."

"Thanks for the warning…" said Trisha, drawing a card.

She looked at the strange Monster Card.

"I summon… Robotic Angel in Defense Mode," she said.

A beam of light struck from above, and a strange creature appeared in it. It was a Machine in the shape of an angel, with a metallic robe, metal wings, and long, silvery hair. However, she had no face – where her features would be was a blank slate.

She silently crossed her arms over her chest. (0/2,000)

"Who's THAT?" asked Sean, nervously.

"_No one knows!"_ laughed Trisha. "This Machine fell from the sky on a distant planet, and the primitive natives there decided to worship her as a goddess. But her origins are a mystery…

"But let me shed some light on her powers… You can only destroy her when she's alone. She can't be destroyed in battle if I have another Monster on the field."

"Tricky…" said Sean.

He drew a card.

"I'll place a card facedown, and that will be all for my turn."

A facedown card appeared behind Shien.

Trisha drew a card.

She looked at three of them.

"All right…" she said. "I summon the mighty Vic Viper… Gradius in Attack Mode."

With a WHOOSH, a silvery fighter form flew into view. It was a jet fighter with a metallic hull and streamlined wings. It stopped in mid-air and hovered in place. (1,200/800)

"And…" continued Trisha, "I'll Equip it with Cyclon Laser!"

As she played the card, a hatch opened on Gradius's underside, and a set of cannons protruded. Its Attack rose to 1,500.

"And since I have Gradius on the field, I can Special Summon this… Gradius Option. And it copies the Attack and Defense of Gradius."

She played another card, and a… thing looking like a pointed spire appeared in the air. It turned into a blob of liquid metal and started to change shape, slowly changing into a clone of the original Gradius. After a few seconds, it was exactly the same. (1,500/800)

"Neat, huh?" said Trisha. "Gradius Option, attack Tenkabito Shien!"

The clone Gradius aimed its laser and blasted a burst of rounds of laser fire… Shien swung his sword forward and shot forth a blast of flame from the blade…

The two blasts met is a great explosion. Gradius Option exploded into shards, and Shien was thrown off of his horse. He shattered too, and his mount vanished in a burst of fire.

"Now," said Trisha. "AAHH!"

She screamed as fire erupted around her.

"Heh, heh…" said Sean, pointing to his Trap Card, which showed the image of a strange Warrior in a fiery cloud.

"I activated my Backfire Trap. Now you'll lose 500 Life Points whenever one of my Fire Monsters is destroyed."

"Clever…" said Trisha. "Gradius, attack him directly! Cyclon laser barrage!"

The true Gradius opened fire just as its clone had. Sean tried to shield himself as he was pelted by the fighter's artillery. He groaned.

**(T: 7,500) -------------------- (S: 6,500)**

"My move…" said Sean.

He drew a card.

"Time to shoot your plane down…" he said. "I summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita in Attack Mode!"

He played the card, and an older version of Hiita the Fire Charmer appeared, holding her flaming staff, and dressed in a brief skirt, a green jacket, and a girdle. She had a mean-looking fox in front of her. (1,850/1,500)

"Attack the Gradius!" ordered Sean. "Kitsune flame strike!"

Hiita pointed, her staff burned, and her fox blazed with fire. It ran forward, pouncing on the Gradius. Flames poured out of the plane's side, and it crashed, exploding in a cloud of flames and smoke.

**(T: 7,150) -------------------- (S: 6,500)**

_This might be hard…_ thought Trisha. _Sean has gotten better, and has made a more powerful deck… And I'd wager dollars to donuts that Horus is still lurking in it…_

She drew.

_However, the best way to defeat a super-strong Monster… Is to prevent your opponent from ever summoning it at all. And I think I can do just that._

"I play Pot of Greed," she said. "Now, I'll draw twice…"

She took two cards.

"And now, to use them," she said. "I sacrifice Robotic Angel…"

The mechanical seraphim vanished.

"And I summon… the Bacterion Elimination Squadron Tetran, or B.E.S. Tetran for short, in Attack Mode!"

A strange formation resembling a space-age vortex appeared in front of her, and a large spaceship flew out of it! It was wide, but flat, and had four tentacled "arms" on each edge. Strange lights flickered over it, and it hummed with an unearthly noise. (1,800/2,300)

Sean stared in surprise.

"All right!" said Trisha. "Activate deflector shields!"

B.E. S. Tetran glowed. A transparent energy bubble formed around the spaceship, and then two others formed around it.

"Now expend one of them," she said, "to wipe out that Backfire!"

One of the energy bubbles vanished, and the spaceship blasted beams of energy from its four arms, blowing the Trap Card to pieces!

"So what?" said Sean. "Hiita can shoot that ship down."

"Not once I'm done with her," said Trisha. "I play Rush Recklessly."

She played the card, and B.E.S. Tetran's Attack rose to 2,500.

"Attack Hiita!" ordered Trisha. "Photon torpedo barrage!"

B.E.S. Tetran blasted a volley of energy beams from its tentacles, and Hiita cringed as they exploded around her! She and her fox were thrown back and were blown into particles!

Another of the Tetran's shields vanished.

**(T: 7,150) -------------------- (S: 5,850)**

"You were right…" muttered Sean. "This _is_ rather different… But it will end the same…"

"We'll see," said Trisha. "To end my turn, I activate two Continuous Spell Cards…

"First, Boss Rush…"

A card bearing the image of three different spaceships in a battle with an unseen foe appeared.

"And then, Shield Generator…"

A second card, with the image of a futuristic energy generator glowing with violet light appeared.

"And I'll end my turn."

Sean drew a card.

"Perfect…" he said. "Now this duel is mine…

"I remove Tenkabito Shien from play, to summon Inferno…"

The card slipped out of his discard slot, and then a creature that was more or less a bonfire appeared in front of him. It stretched out two fiery arms, and gazed at Trisha with two flaming yellow orbs that suggested eyes. (1,100/1,900)

_Here it comes,_ thought Trisha. _Well Sean, you're in for a big shock this time…_

"Next," he continued, "I'll sacrifice it, to summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6!"

Inferno burned fiercely, and a large form appeared out of it…

It magnificent creature, who overpowered the place with his presence. A cross between a Dragon and a great bird, it seemed to be made out of golden metal. Dark flames surrounded it…

It gave out a great screech!

(2,300/1,600)

_You're in trouble now, Trisha…_ thought Sersei. _Once that thing crashes your spaceship, you'll never stop him…_

"Horus!" shouted Sean. "Attack the B.E.S. Tetran! Black flame blast!"

Horus spread out his wings, and shot a blast of dark fire from his beak. The spaceship was surrounded by a cloud of fire…

**(T: 6,650) -------------------- (S: 5,850)**

"And now…" said Sean.

"Not so fast, Sean…" said Trisha with a grin.

The smoke cleared…

And to Sean's surprise, B.E.S. Tetran was still there!

Its last shield faded, but it was still in one piece.

"But…" said Sean, in disbelief. "There were no Traps on the field! How…"

Trisha grinned.

"Bacterion Monsters don't work like any other Monsters, Sean," she said, "let me explain…

"Case in point, they _can't_ be destroyed in battle!

"When I summon one, it comes with a number of deflector shields – this one has three… or _had_ when I first summoned it. Whenever it battles, it loses one. If it battles without a shield, it's destroyed at the end of the damage step…

"But even that doesn't count as 'destroyed in battle'. And I'm afraid that destroying a Monster in battle is something that your Monster simply _must_ do if it ever wants to evolve into its most powerful LV 8 state…

"But as you can see… It can't. So it isn't going to happen."

Sean looked at the Trap Card in his hand…

Royal Decree.

_Maybe I won't set this right now…_ he thought_. I might need my other Traps…_

"So what the heck is a Bacterion?" he asked.

"It's history," said Trisha. "One hundred years ago, there was a popular video game called _Gradius_. A game with fighter planes and spaceships. Pegasus must have admired the game himself, because first he designed a simple Monster called Gradius… Then he created the Bacterion ships, the bosses of the game, and other Monsters representing the spaceships in the game. I based this deck on them."

"Well, fine," said Sean. "I end my turn. But while I wasn't able to summon the LV 8 form, the LV 6 form is no slouch either. In case you don't know, it's completely immune to Spell Cards."

"I'm aware of that," said Trisha, drawing. "But… It can't stop me from playing them!

"Anyway, I'm not allowed to Normal Summon a Monster when Boss Rush is on the field, so I'm going to pass this turn. Go ahead."

_Now why didn't she switch it to Defense Mode?_ thought Sean. _And what does this Boss Rush do? If it keeps her from summoning, it must be powerful…_

He drew a card.

"I summon Solar Flare Dragon in Attack Mode," he said.

A pool of lava appeared at his feet, and with a hissing noise, a creature resembling a flaming serpent rose out of it. It flicked its forked tongue like a snake. (1,500/1,000)

"Horus, attack that spaceship!" he shouted.

Horus shot flames at the Tetran again… The steel shell on it glowed cherry red…

B.E.S. Tetran started to shiver… Explosions started to erupt over its hull…

And then it burst into pixels.

"Like I said," said Trisha, "if it battles without a shield, it's destroyed… But like I also said, its own effect destroyed it, not the actual battle."

"Maybe so…" said Sean, closing his eyes. "But my Battle Phase isn't over…

"Solar Flare Dragon, attack directly!"

Solar Flare Dragon reared up on its coils, and breathed a stream of white hot flame from its mouth! Trisha screamed as it hit her!

"All right," said Sean. "I end my turn…"

"Not before Boss Rush activates!" interrupted Trisha, taking her deck. "See, on the round when one Bacterion is destroyed, This Spell Card lets me Special Summon another one from my deck.

"And I think B.E.S. Crystal Core will be the right one in this case…"

She threw a card on her Disk, and another vortex opened. A new spaceship flew out of it. This one was made completely of a clear, crystalline substance, almost like glass. It had two tentacles, and strange lights flickering within the crystal. (2,100/1,000)

"Now, normally, when a Bacterion is Special Summoned, it doesn't get shields," explained Trisha. "But my Shield Generator Spell Card creates them."

The Shield Generator card glowed. Three energy shields surrounded the new spaceship.

"Fine," said Sean. "You no doubt know what happens now… Solar Flare Dragon's effect kicks in."

Smoke poured from Solar Flare Dragon's mouth. It lunged forward and spit a ball of flame at Trisha, and she staggered back.

**(T: 4,150) -------------------- (S: 5,850)**

"All right…" said Trisha, drawing a card. "Time to take Horus down…"

"Your new ship isn't strong enough either!" said Sean.

"But it has a special ability," said Trisha. "Once per turn, it can switch one of your Monsters from Attack Mode to Defense Mode, and it doesn't cost me a thing. And while your LV 6 Dragon has a pretty good Attack, its Defense isn't so hot."

B.E.S. Crystal Core pointed its arms and a wave of rippling energy flowed forward. Horus folded its wings and crouched in Defense.

"B.E.S. Crystal Core," ordered Trisha, "attack with plasma cannons!"

The spaceship aimed its two tendrils and shot blasts of pulsating blue energy from its arms, and Horus was blown into vapor!

"HORUS!" shouted Sean.

_I always wondered who'd win a fight between a spaceship and a dragon,_ thought Sersei. _Well, now I know…_

The spaceship's first shield vanished.

"Your move…" said Trisha.

"Fine," said Sean, drawing a card. "I'll shift Solar Flare Dragon into Defense Mode…"

The Pyro curled up.

"And he doesn't have to attack to hurt you. I end my turn…"

The Dragon spit another ball of flame at Trisha, and she staggered back again.

**(T: 3,650) -------------------- (S: 5,850)**

Trisha drew a card.

"Now's the time to get serious," she said. "I'm going to Equip my Crystal Core with this, Big Bang Shot!"

She played a card, and Crystal Core's Attack went up to 2,500.

"It not only gives my craft 400 more Attack Points, but gives it a trampling effect on top of it."

"True…" said Sean, nervously. "But if I destroy that Equip, your spaceship will be sucked into a black hole."

"That's one risk I'm willing to take," said Trisha. "Crystal Core, attack Solar Flare Dragon!"

B.E.S. Crystal Core shot an even more intense plasma cannon blast, and Solar Flare Dragon was blown to shards. Sean cringed.

**(T: 3,650) -------------------- (S: 4,350)**

The second shield vanished.

Sean growled, and drew a card.

"Charcoal Inpachi in Defense Mode!" he shouted.

He played a card, and a huge statue made of burnt wood appeared, crouching in defense. Smoke rose from it, and the smell of mesquite filled the arena. (100/2,100)

"Not bad…" muttered Trisha, drawing a card.

She looked at the odd Monster she had drawn.

_Might be useful later,_ she thought.

"Crystal Core, take it down!" she shouted.

Crystal Core opened fire, and Charcoal Inpachi was blown to pieces.

**(T: 3,650) -------------------- (S: 3,950)**

The third shield vanished.

"Your move," said Trisha.

_Nuts!_ thought Sean, drawing a card. _The biggest problem with using a deck that uses Horus is, you don't put many Traps in it other than three copies of Royal Decree…_

_And unfortunately, with Horus taken out, my options are slipping fast…_

_If that… B.E.S. Crystal Core attacks again, it will be destroyed…_

_But what will she summon after it?_

_At least her Boss Rush means she can't Normal Summon a second Monster, so I'm safe from direct attacks… But if she manages to Special Summon one without Boss Rush…_

"I summon Flame Ruler in Defense Mode," he said.

A fiery man with a beard and a red jacket appeared, shielding himself. (1,500/1,600)

"That will do for now," he said.

"Okay…" said Trisha. "I've been waiting for this for a long time, Sean… Ever since you beat me with that 3,000-point direct attack from Horus…"

She drew a card.

"B.E.S. Crystal Core, destroy Flame Ruler!"

Crystal Core opened fire, and Flame Ruler was eradicated.

"Well, it battled without a shield…" said Sean.

"I know…" said Trisha, with a grin.

B.E.S. Crystal Core started to glow and shake, and like B.E.S. Tetran before it, explosions started to rock its hull.

It shattered.

"And that means that Boss Rush activates," continued Trisha, "and this time I'll summon my battleship… meet the very first boss of the Gradius video game… Big Core!"

A dark vortex opened, and an ominous spaceship flew out, far more sinister-looking than the previous two. It gave off an evil hum, and lights flickered on and off its hulking hull. Numerous cannons and other nasty weapons were all over it on various strategic locations. (2,300/1,100)

The Shield Generator card glowed, and three shields appeared around Big Core.

"And I forgot to mention…" said Trisha. "If I Special Summon a Monster using Boss Rush and it's my turn, Shield Generator has another effect – it lets the summoned Monster attack during the End Phase that I summon it!"

"What?" gasped Sean. "How can you attack outside of the Battle Phase?"

"Read the card," said Trisha. "Like I said… these Monsters are not like any other Monsters."

_This is gonna sting…_ thought Sean, looking at the huge craft.

"Big Core…" shouted Trisha. "Dark matter blast!"

Big Core's guns fired multiple blasts of dark energy, and Sean screamed as he was propelled backwards.

"Ooh…" he moaned.

**(T: 3,650) -------------------- (S: 850)**

Sean pulled himself up.

He slowly drew a card.

"I play… Apollo's Blessing…" he muttered.

"Huh?" asked Trisha. "What's that?"

Sean played the card, and in a burst of fire, a flaming chariot appeared, drawn by fiery horses! A man in golden armor with a shining helm was at the reigns.

_Apollo?_ thought Trisha. _The God of the Sun?_

"Here's how it works," said Sean, taking his deck. "By simply removing one Fire Monster in my deck from play…"

He held up his Horus LV 8 card.

"…I get to reshuffle…"

He shuffled his deck.

"…and draw three times!"

He drew three cards.

"Giving up on Horus?" asked Trisha.

"I might as well," said Sean. "And I just drew a card that will put me right back into this duel – the Spell Card, Flames of Renewal!"

He played the card, and a bonfire erupted around him!

"Now, I can remove any Fire Monsters in my Graveyard that I desire from play, and for each, I regain 500 Life Points!"

Images of Familiar-Possessed Hiita, Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6, Inferno, Solar Flare Dragon, Charcoal Inpachi, and Flame Ruler appeared, and they merged into the fire. It burned fiercely, and Sean raised his arms.

"AH!" he finally said. "Better than a suntan!"

**(T: 3,650) -------------------- (S: 3,850)**

"Next," he said, "I'll place this Monster in Defense Mode, and that will end my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared.

_All right…_ thought Trisha. _He's up to something…_

"Big Core, attack!"

Big Core fired its dark matter blast…

A creature appeared that looked like a… turtle. Well, one that looked like it had a metal machine for a shell. It was blown to pieces.

"Heh, heh…" said Sean. "You like spaceships so much, I thought I'd use one… That was UFO Turtle! And when it's destroyed, I get to Special Summon a Fire Monster with 1,500 Attack Points or less from my deck…"

He placed a card down.

"And I choose my second Solar Flare Dragon!"

Another Solar Flare Dragon, much like the first one, appeared. (1,500/1,000)

"All… right…" said Trisha. "I… end my turn…"

Sean drew.

"And it's time to take control of this duel," he said.

"First I'll place this facedown…"

He placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Next, I'll summon a second Solar Flare Dragon!"

A twin of the first Dragon appeared.

"See Trish," he said, "I'm not a one-trick pony. Defeat one strategy, and I can find a second.

"You see, if a Pyro-Type Monster is on my side of the field, Solar Flare Dragon can't be attacked. And guess what? Solar Flare Dragon _itself_ is a Pyro-Type!"

Trisha's eyes opened wide.

_It's a lock…_ she thought. _Just like Russell's Marauding Captain combo… only worse. Those things will each cost me 500 Life Points per turn!_

"My turn ends now," said Sean.

The two Dragons shot balls of flame at Trisha and she vainly tried to shield herself.

**(T: 2,650) -------------------- (S: 3,850)**

_Heh, heh…_ thought Sersei. _Let's see you get out of this one, Trish…_

Trisha drew a card.

"I play my Graceful Charity!" she exclaimed.

She played the card, and drew three cards.

She grinned.

She discarded a Gradius Option and a Monster called Victory Viper XX03.

"I play… Heavy Storm!" she shouted.

As she played the card, the fierce wind ripped across the field. Sean's Royal Decree lifted up and shattered, and then Boss Rush and Shield Generator shattered to pieces.

"Now why did you do that?" asked Sean. "You destroyed two of your cards to destroy one of mine!"

"My intent was to destroy Boss Rush," said Trisha. "Now I'm free to Normal Summon Monsters again.

"Say, Sean, you ever see the classic _Star Wars_ movies?"

"Uh, yeah…" said Sean.

"Maybe you'll remember one chilling scene from the first movie in the original trilogy," answered Trisha, choosing a card, "when Darth Vader used an intimidating robot called the Pain Droid to interrogate the captive Leia…"

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon Stabilizer in Attack Mode."

A strange Machine appeared.

It did look somewhat like the infamous Pain Droid; spherical in shape, made of black metal, with four spindly arms spaced evenly around it. It floated silently above the floor. (1,400/1,400)

"Oh, please," said Sean. "I don't care what it looks like. Even if that thing could attack right now, it's weaker than my two Dragons!"

"Well, I also have this Spell Card," said Trisha. "Maybe you've heard of it… It's called Wormhole."

"WHAT?" shouted Sean. "Are you nuts?"

He paused.

"That card will wipe out every Monster on the field, yours included! And you aren't allowed to summon anything after you use it! You'll be defenseless!"

"Well…" said Trisha, "I'm playing it anyway, discarding this Gradius to do so."

She played the card and discarded Gradius…

A powerful rumbling sounded over the field, and what looked like a black hole drawing in space dust and energy opened! Sean could almost feel it pulling at him, as his two Monsters were drawn through it. Trisha's Big Core fell apart, and the pieces flew through it as well.

"Well," muttered Sean, as the cosmic storm quelled. "I hope it was worth… hey…"

He stared in disbelief…

The Stabilizer had survived.

"HOW?" he shouted.

"Ever hear of Monsters like King Dragun and Freed the Matchless General who are immune to Spells that target?" asked Trisha. "Stabilizer is the opposite – it's immune to Spells that DON'T target, which Wormhole definitely doesn't, which is why I summoned it first."

"Ho… boy…" muttered Sean.

"Attack directly!" shouted Trisha.

Stabilizer raised its arms and blasted energy beams, striking Sean! He stumbled backwards.

**(T: 2,650) -------------------- (S: 2,450)**

"Your move…" said Trisha.

Sean drew a card.

"I summon Gaia Soul the Combustible Collective!" he shouted, playing a card.

A weird creature appeared, resembling a lumpy, orange sphere with a single eye in the center. Flames surrounded it. Its skin rippled and swelled constantly, like it was about to come apart at the seams. Literally. (2,000/0)

"Not the brightest idea!" laughed Trisha. "Sure, it will beat my Monster, but its life span is very short… As in, only until the end of your current turn."

"You let me worry about that," said Sean. "Gaia, reduce Stabilizer to slag!"

Gaia Soul glowed red, and a stream of flames shot from its central eye, melting Stabilizer into molten metal.

**(T: 2,050) -------------------- (S: 2,450)**

"Now, I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

"And that means Gaia goes boom," added Trisha.

Gaia Soul exploded into flaming pixels.

Trisha drew a card.

Monster Reborn.

She thought for a minute.

_If I brought back Big Core with this, a direct attack would bring him down to only fifty Life Points…_

_However…_

_I have no other Monsters in my hand that I can summon, and without Shield Generator, Big Core would be destroyed right after I made the attack… and without Boss Rush, there'd be no way to get a replacement…_

_Then I really would be defenseless, and he may well hit me with something on his turn._

_And there's still his facedown card…_

_This is an exam… It isn't good to take risks…_

"I play Monster Reborn," she said, "to bring back the gal who started it all… Robotic Angel in Defense Mode."

Robotic Angel appeared, crossing her arms over her chest again. (0/2,000)

"Go ahead, Sean…"

Sean drew.

"I activate Call of the Haunted," he said, "to bring back an old friend…"

His facedown card lifted, and Solar Flare Dragon. (1,500/1,000)

"I end my turn," he said. "You know how this works…"

"Not again…" muttered Trisha.

She gasped as the Dragon roasted her with its flame.

**(T: 1,550) -------------------- (S: 2,450)**

_Well,_ she thought. _This best be a good draw._

She drew.

She looked at the Spell Card.

"I play… Brain Control!" she said, playing a card. "I'll pay 800 Life Points to brainwash your Dragon!"

The fiendish brain appeared, and grabbed Solar Flare Dragon.

"Go ahead!" laughed Sean. "I'll still have Life Points left, and once it wears off, it will finish you off faster!"

"Oh, will it?" asked Trisha.

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I sacrifice my Robotic Angel and your Solar Flare Dragon…"

The two Monsters vanished.

"…to summon the mothership of the Bacterion fleet! The B.E.S. Covered Core!"

Once again, a portal appeared. The largest spaceship of all flew out of it. Saucer-shaped and bulky, it had armor, turrets, and weapons of all varieties built into its immense hull. It flashed with a multitude of lights, and hummed with ominous music. (2,500/800)

Sean gulped.

"Attack!" shouted Trisha. "Supernova flame fire!"

B.E.S. Covered Core glowed with uncanny light… It erupted into flame…

And then a blast of burning fire shot at Sean, and he howled!

**(T: 750) -------------------- (S: 0)**

"Game… over…" said Trisha.

Sean lay on the ground, with smoke rising from his body.

_Well, that's it until next month,_ she thought, _and the Gradius Deck seems able to hold its own…_

She looked at her new Disk.

_I can't believe how easier this thing made it! So lightweight, never off-balanced… It was almost as if it was a part of my body…_

She looked over at Sersei, who seemed to be thinking very hard.

_Impressed, old friend?_ she thought. _Maybe I'll bring it out the next time you want to mess with me._

_Say… I wonder how Jason and Russell are doing?_

_Friday, September 24th, 2106, 11:10 AM_

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**SHIELD GENERATOR (Spell Card)  
**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A futuristic generator, glowing with purple energy.

**Card Description:** When a Monster with the word "B.E.S." in its name, or that is named "Big Core" is Special Summoned to your side of the field, place as many counters on it as you would as if it had been Normal Summoned. If such a Monster is summoned through the effect of "Boss Rush" and it is your turn, it is allowed to attack during the End Phase of that turn.

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**ROBOTIC ANGEL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description:** In ages past, this machine fell from the sky on a primitive world. Although she has no power of her own, those who see her revere her as a goddess. This Monster cannot be destroyed as a result of battle if you have at least one other Monster face-up on your side of the field (damage calculation still applies).

_Note: This card was created by Man Called True. Creative credit goes to him._

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**STABILIZER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,400  
**DEF: **1,400

**Card Description:** This droid was designed for handling dangerous materials. This Monster is not affected by Spell Cards that do not target a specific Monster.

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**WORMHOLE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Big Core flying out of a spiraling vortex.

**Card Description:** Discard one MACHINE-Type Monster from your hand. Destroy all Monsters on the field. After using this card, you cannot Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon a Monster until your next turn.

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**APOLLO'S BLESSING (Spell Card)**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image: **Apollo in his flaming chariot, flying through the sky.

**Card Description:** Remove one Fire Attribute Monster in your deck from play and shuffle your deck. Then, draw three cards from your deck.

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**FLAMES OF RENEWAL (Spell Card)**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image: **Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys flying out of a burning pyre.

**Card Description:** Remove any number of Fire-Attribute Monsters in your Graveyard from play. For each Monster removed, increase your Life Points by 500.

_Note: "Flames of Renewal" first appeared in "The Mandate of Heaven"._

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**Sean's Fire Deck**

_Fire is a powerful force. Tamed, it provides light and heat, makes food edible, and shapes metal into useful tools. But if control of it is lost, it becomes a merciless monster that destroys everything in its path._

_Duelists know the power of fire well. After all, one of the Sacred Beasts was a Fire Monster. And some, like Sean, seek to tame it to make their foes cringe under burning heat._

_A lot of the Monsters in Sean's deck are low on Attack and useful in effect. He has three copies of Solar Flare Dragon, which isn't much of a threat by itself, but can slowly drain an opponent's Life Points if another Pyro is on the field – especially if said Pyro is another Solar Flare Dragon. The "Solar Flare Lock" is best done by setting UFO Turtle while he has one Dragon in his hand. _

_Recent additions to his deck include Tenkabito Shien, a Pyro who is impervious to Traps, and Familiar-Possessed Hiita. Sean does not have the original version of Hiita, so he can't make use of this Spellcaster's effect, but 1,850 Attack Points is much better than most four-star Fire Monsters._

_Horus is his greatest weapon. Curiously, he does not have the LV 4 version – it's much easier to bring out the LV 6 version, take out an opposing Monster, and use its effect to summon the LV 8 version. Inferno is the best way to do this, letting him do the whole thing in one round. (He has no copy of Level Up! or Level Modulation because this isn't truly a Horus Deck.)_

_Sean's deck does have some noted weaknesses. Although it isn't truly a Horus Deck, he takes a few precautions that only someone with a Horus Deck would. He thus has three copies of Royal Decree, and few other Traps – Backfire, Dust Tornado, Call of the Haunted, and that's it. Granted, Royal Decree is usually enough to protect Horus, but there are a few Monsters that can defeat it even when Royal Decree is out. _

_If Sean ever obtains a second copy of Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 8 (possible, although it is a rare card) he might consider building a real Horus Deck. Strategies like Trisha's are few and far between, so this defeat won't likely discourage him from using it._

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**Trisha's Gradius Deck**

_Even in the year 2106, no human space program has ever gone farther than Mars, or achieved contact with extraterrestrial life – it seems that such things lie in the far distant future. _

_As someone belonging to a family so fond of technological wonders, Trisha dreams of the day when mankind will break the bonds of Earth, and wander among the stars, free to explore the cosmos where only the gods have dared to tread…_

_It was these dreams that inspired her to build a deck centered around a different kind of Machine. Bacterion Monsters are hard to use right, but with the right accessories, they can be formidable. Trisha naturally has three copies each of the accessory cards Boss Rush and Shield Generator – this assures she only has to summon a Bacterion once, and when one of them is destroyed, another one quickly takes it place, possibly letting her get in an extra attack at the end of her turn. The limitation on Boss Rush often means that she can only have one Monster on the field at once, unless she uses Monster Reborn, or something similar. (And Shield Generator works if she Special Summons one of them via any means, not just via Boss Rush.) Thus, she uses ways to trample through Monsters, such as Big Bang Shot – a risky Equip, but necessary._

_Other Monsters in her deck fit the general theme of the Gradius video game. Gradius and Gradius Option fill in the gaps, and she also has two copies of Victory Viper XX03 – not exactly the strongest Monster, but one that can become very powerful if it does manage to win a fight. Robotic Angel and Stabilizer are thrown in to fit the extraterrestrial theme, and she sometimes uses them in her normal deck as well, as the mood fits her._

_Still, this deck is a difficult one that Trisha does not recommend to beginners. Besides, her real deck is the one she has the most faith in, so this second one does not see a lot of use._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Trisha has passed with flying colors… How did her two friends do while she was dueling?**_

_**Jason takes his own field test, against a student with a very strange deck theme, something that a member of the Trinity would have approved of. Not a user character, but someone I made up who's sure to grab some attention.**_

_**It's called "Heart of the Underdog" coming up next.**_

**_And no, this duelist does not use a Human Wave Deck._**


	22. Heart of the Underdog

_**Most duelists – including me – use Monsters that are big, scary, and intimidating. The theory is, the more frightening a Monster is, the stronger it is. And frightening doesn't always mean ugly – Guardian Angel Joan is a beautiful gal, and she's very intimidating. Yugi's Dark Magician doesn't truly have an aura of menace, but that Monster could scare a duelist simply with his reputation. Intimidation is a big part of winning…**_

_**But this isn't always the case. Sometimes, what seems harmless and even cute can be deadly. **_

_**I read once that Jaden Yuki once dueled a kid who used a Fairy called Maiden in Love. She looked about as dangerous as lemon custard, but Jaden soon learned that she was VERY dangerous. Any Monster who tried to oppose her fell under a love spell, and was turned against him. Fortunately, Jaden figured out her weakness. His Burstinatrix – a female Monster – was able to snap his other Heroes out of it. **_

_**Anyway, I'm facing another duelist whose Monsters don't look exactly scary…**_

…_**but I have a feeling that they aren't exactly as harmless as lemon custard either.**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

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**Heart of the Underdog**

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_Friday, September 24th, 2106, 10:15 AM_

_Got to hurry,_ thought Jason. _Dr. Andros really hates it when a student is late…_

He was thinking of what he was going to expect in the field test…

Of all the students he had gone up against since entering the school, Sally Belvins was one he had never actually dueled. However, he had seen her duel a couple of times, and he knew the gist of her deck…

It was a Ritual Deck, using three specific Ritual Monsters – the Cyber Angels.

These three girls were likely the most combative Fairies he had ever seen (he swore the strongest one looked more like a Fiend than any Fairy). And using them in the same deck was easier than you'd think, since all three of them were summoned using the same Ritual Spell Card.

He ran up the knoll of the green, where he saw his opponent talking to Dr. Andros.

Sally was so small for her age, she was almost petite. Her blonde hair was tied in a long ponytail, and her blazer was covered with decals, depicting cute flowers and cartoonish animals.

"…and then he stuffed thirty-two grapes in his mouth," she said, "but then he tripped and swallowed, and then vomited all over the kid next to him, and then the rest of the class did too, and that's when Jared's teacher decided to retire… Which is kind of strange, because she's only twenty-four."

"You don't say," said Dr. Andros. "How many teachers did he go through last year?"

"Four, if you count the music teacher," she said. "He quit after he let Jared play the drums…"

"I'm here!" shouted Jason. "Am I late?"

Dr. Andros looked at his watch.

"Actually, you're early," he said with a sigh, "but still…"

Jason smirked. Stories about Sally's kid brother were always bizarre.

"Hi Jason!" she said, sweetly. "This is gonna be good…"

"Please, Sally," he answered. "I'm not afraid of those Cyber Angels…"

"Not using them," said Sally, holding up her deck. "Made a new deck, and you're the first real opponent who's gonna go up against it. I totally owned Mai with it!"

"Mai… Valentine?" asked Jason. "In the VR pods?"

"Uh huh," she said, nodding.

_Wonderful…_ thought Jason. _She has a deck who beat someone I can't beat!_

"Yes, but this is a real person," said Dr. Andros. "Artificial intelligence can't compare with the real thing, Sally. If you want to use a trial deck for this test, that's your decision, but it isn't one that I'd make…"

"No, I can do it…" said Sally.

They swapped decks, and they shuffled.

Jason didn't see that he had attracted someone's attention.

A woman sat on a picnic table about thirty feet away, with a bottle of bottled water in her hand…

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Jason's Disk activated.

"As Jaden Yuki once said," he started, "get your game on!"

He looked at the strange new Disk as it activated, and noticed a difference when the tray extended – much smoother, the weight distribution was even – this device was almost perfect.

Whoever had built it had taken aesthetic in mind too. The tray was curved like a crescent moon, facing inwards, and the main console was shaped so that it appeared as though the deck was held by two white claws.

He shrugged. He just wished he could understand the runes…

They drew five cards.

**(Jason: 8,000) -------------------- (Sally: 8,000)**

"Eh," said Jason. "You can go first…"

"Okay!" laughed Sally. "Here we GO!"

She drew a sixth card.

"I play Pot of Greed!" she shouted.

The jar appeared in front of her, and she drew twice. It shattered.

"Perfect!" she laughed. "I summon… Watapon!"

She placed a card on her Disk, and a little creature that looked like a ball of pink fluff with eyes and antennae appeared. It grinned with its funny smile. (200/300)

"Watapon?" said Jason, in disbelief.

"That's right," said Sally, "and since I drew it using a card effect, summoning it is a Special Summon, meaning I can sacrifice it right now…"

Watapon vanished.

"…to summon Dark Witch!"

A dark shadow fell on her side of the field, and a figure appeared. It was a raven-haired woman with small horns, in a toga with black feathered wings, carrying a spear. She gave a stern look as she lifted her weapon. (1,800/1,700)

"What on earth?" said Jason, almost laughing. "You're kidding, right? Sally, that is the most pathetic Monster I have ever seen…"

"I totally agree with you," said Sally. "For a Tribute Monster, she is rather pathetic."

Dark Witch's head drooped…

"But I don't intend to keep her around for long…" added Sally.

She took another card from her hand.

"See, I needed a five-star Monster on the field, and now that I do, I can play this… Five Star Twilight!"

Dark Witch gave a slight smile…

"Five Star what?" asked Jason.

Sally played the card.

"This Spell Card lets me sacrifice a five-star Monster…" she said.

Dark Witch burst into an explosion of multicolored stars!

"…and summon five little guys from deck!"

The stars cascaded down in a colorful lightshow…

Five colored lights shot out of her Disk, and flew around the field!

After a few seconds, there were five small Monsters in front of her. One was instantly recognizable – it was a Kuriboh. The other four looked like Kuribohs too, but they had different colored fur – pink, green, white, and purple.

"Kuri! Kuri!" they squeaked.

(300/200 x5)

"Uh, yeah…" said Jason. "That's… uhm… certainly interesting…"

He almost laughed…

"Meet Kuriboh, Kuribah, Kuribeh, Kuribih, and Kuribuh!" laughed Sally.

_A parade of puffballs…_ thought Jason, snickering.

"I'll end by playing this other Spell Card," said Sally. "The Dark Door…"

The card appeared, showing an ominous door with a dark figure in it.

"And so long as this door is open, both of us can only attack with one Monster per round."

"Well, we'll see about that…" said Jason.

"Kuri! Kuri!" squeaked the Kuribohs.

_I get it…_ thought Jason, drawing a card. _Her strategy is to drive me nuts…_

He looked at the card.

"Well…" he said. "I'm going to bring out my big guns…

"I summon Cyber Dragon!"

He played the card, and the giant metal serpent burst out of the ground, and roared! (2,100/1,600)

"And I'm hardly done…" said Jason. "Since summoning him was a Special Summon, I'll summon this guy… Cyber Dragon Mechanic, in Attack Mode!"

He played a card, and a smaller figure appeared. It was a short man with blonde hair, wearing opaque goggles, an open jacket, and a silvery shirt and pants. He wore a tool belt full of wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, and a welding torch. His right arm was mechanical. He looked up at the huge Machine and grinned. (1,000/1,500)

"Huh?" said Sally. "What does he do?"

"You'll find out if I need to use him," answered Jason. "Now then…"

He looked at the five little Fiends.

"Sally, you might think you fool me, but I'm pretty sure your candy-colored Kuribohs aren't as harmless as they appear. They likely have some nasty effects hidden in them…"

He paused.

"However…" he said, "one of them is clearly a normal Kuriboh, and he has _no_ effect if you summon it to the field, which you've clearly done!

"So…

"Cyber Dragon, attack the regular Kuriboh with strident blast!"

Flames appeared in Cyber Dragon's mouth…

"Kuribih!" shouted Sally. "Five-star defense!"

The pink Kuriboh glowed…

As the blast of fire shot forward, a wall of sparkling stars shot up, and the attack was deflected!

"Huh?" said Jason.

"Heh," said Sally.

"Once per turn, Kuribih can negate an attack on itself or any of its siblings. You can't touch them!"

_That's why she used The Dark Door,_ thought Jason. _So long I can only attack once, those little guys are indestructible…._

_But she can't expect to defend all duel and hope to win… And she has all five of her zones full of guys with only 300 Attack Points…_

Something's up…

"All right, I can't do anything else," said Jason.

Sally drew a card.

"Perfect…" she said. "I play the Spell Card, One Times Two."

"Now what does _that_ do?" asked Jason.

She played the card, and it showed the image of a Mokey Mokey and a Haniwa separated by a slash.

"Simple," she answered. "For one round, the Attack and Defense Scores of all one-star Monsters on the field double."

The five Kuribohs glowed with golden light, and their stats changed to (600/400)

_What is she up to?_ thought Jason. _Cyber Dragon is still over three times as strong…_

"Next," she continued, taking a card. "I'm going to activate Kuribuh's special ability. I have to discard a Trap Card, like Penalty Game! here…"

She discarded a card. The white Kuriboh glowed…

"And then, the Attack Score of one your Monsters, like that Cyber Dragon, is decreased by the combined Attack Scores of all five of the siblings!"

"Wait…" said Jason, startled. "That would reduce it to…"

"Zero! Zip! Zilch! A big goose egg!" laughed Sally.

Cyber Dragon roared, and fell to an Attack of nothing.

"And I'm not done…" she said. "Now I sacrifice all five of my little Kuribohs, to summon one _big_ Kuriboh!"

The five siblings turned into colored lights again, and combined…

And in a flash, a creature appeared that was far less cute. It looked like a Kuriboh in general, with rough black fur, sharper claws, and a nasty, serrated horn on over its eyes.

Its eyes glowed with sinister light.

"WHA?" shouted Jason.

"It's called Kuribabylon…" said Sally, with a wicked grin. "And in case you were curious about its Attack Score, it has whatever those five smaller ones had when I sacrificed them to summon it, combined! Multiply it…"

(3,000/1,000)

"I hate being good at math…" muttered Jason.

"Mai actually laughed…" said Sally. "Until I did _this_ to her Harpie! Kuribabylon, attack Cyber Dragon!"

Kuribabylon flew forward, and rammed Cyber Dragon with its horn. The huge Machine exploded! Jason shielded himself from the debris.

**(J: 5,000) -------------------- (S: 8,000)**

"Hold on!" shouted Jason.

He raised his arm, and Cyber Dragon Mechanic crossed his arms. He shattered…

Then Cyber Dragon reappeared! (2,100/1,600)

"When Cyber Dragon or one of its fusions is destroyed," explained Jason, "I can sacrifice the Mechanic to bring it right back."

"In that case," said Sally, "I end my turn."

Jason drew a card.

_Nuts,_ he thought. _I may have made my Cyber Dragon last another turn, but I have nothing that can save it another turn…_

_Fortunately, she's as bound by that Dark Door as I am…_

"I'll move Cyber Dragon into Defense Mode…" he said.

Cyber Dragon curled up in Defense.

"And then I'll summon Vorse Raider in Defense Mode…"

The Dark Beast-Warrior appeared, kneeling and holding his axe in his lap. (1,900/1,200)

"And that's all I can do," he said.

"All right!" laughed Sally.

She drew a card.

"Kuribabylon, attack Cyber Dragon again!" she shouted.

Kuribabylon flew forward, and Cyber Dragon exploded into pieces of junk.

"Your move…" she said.

Jason looked at his hand.

_I don't have anything that even comes close to beating that thing…_ he thought. _Something will have to come up…_

He drew a card.

_This might help…_

"I play… Magical Mallet," he said, playing the card. "This lets me shuffle as many cards from my hand into my deck, and draw the same number…

"And I'm going to do that with all four of them!"

He shuffled the cards into his deck, and then drew four.

_Magic Cylinder…_ he thought, looking at the Trap. _Lets see how she handles it when her attack is blasted back at her!_

"I move Vorse Raider to Attack Mode…" he said.

Vorse Raider stood up.

"And then I summon another Monster in Attack Mode… Slate Warrior!"

A small whirlwind appeared on his side of the field, and a weird creature in a ruffled costume with a completely blank slate for a face appeared. (1,900/400)

"And finally, I'll throw down one facedown…" he said.

He played a card, and it appeared.

"Your move…"

Sally looked at him for a minute.

She drew a card.

"Kuribabylon…" she said, "attack the Vorse Raider!"

Kuribabylon bore its claws.

"Heh…" said Jason with a smirk. "You said attack… Can't take it back now…"

His Trap Card lifted.

"Activate Magic Cylinder!"

As Kuribabylon flew forward, the two Cylinders appeared in the air…

There was a flash of light and an explosion of stars!

"Huh?" said Jason.

He looked…

**(J: 5,000) -------------------- (S: 8,000)**

"It didn't work?" said Jason, in disbelief.

Then he saw what had happened…

His Monsters were still safe…

And as for Kuribabylon, it was gone…

…and the five Kuriboh Siblings had reappeared!

(300/200 x5)

"Aw, nuts…" muttered Jason.

"Kuri! Kuri!" they squeaked.

"What happened?" asked Jason.

Sally grinned.

"Well," she said, "your Trap negated the attack, which activated Kuribabylon's special ability, dividing it into the five siblings again. And since Magic Cylinder's target was no longer there, I escaped without a scratch!"

"And it's still my turn…" she said, taking two cards. "I'll place these two cards facedown…"

She played two cards, and two facedown cards appeared.

"And then I'll remove these five guys from play, to summon someone new… Kuri Bandit!"

The five Kuribohs vanished, and another creature appeared…

This one was even weirder. It was a Kuriboh with grey fur, wearing an earring, a bandana, and an eyepatch. It winked at Jason with its one eye. (1,000/700)

_A Kuriboh dressed as a pirate…_ thought Jason. _Just when I think that this game has shown me everything, I find out I was wrong…_

_But what can this one do?_

"I end my turn…" said Sally.

Jason drew a card.

He looked at it.

"I'm activating Kuri Bandit's ability!" laughed Sally. "I sacrifice it…"

Kuri Bandit vanished.

"And I get to draw five cards, on the condition that I discard any of them that are Monsters…"

She drew five cards, quickly looked over them, and discarded two.

Jason raised an eyebrow…

"Fine…" he said. "Vorse Raider, attack her directly!"

Vorse Raider lifted his axe…

"I activate…" exclaimed Sally. "Kuriboh Calling Flute!"

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"And I'll use it to summon Winged Kuriboh to the field!"

The tiny, furry Fairy appeared. (300/200)

"Vorse Raider, STOP!" shouted Jason. "Stop your attack!"

Vorse Raider lowered his axe.

"Heh, heh, heh…" said Jason. "You almost had me, Sally… Good thing that making that move triggered a replay, and I was even able to stop…"

He looked at her.

"I'll admit that most of your Monsters are… odd, and your strategies are original, but I figured out this one… After all, I have a Winged Kuriboh in my own deck.

"I'm willing to bet a secret rare that your other facedown card is the Quickplay Spell, Transcendent Wings. If I had attacked, you'd have used it to swap normal Winged Kuriboh for Winged Kuriboh LV 10, and then sacrificed it to destroy both my Monsters and deal me 3,800 points of damage.

"Well, nice try. I end my turn."

Sally frowned.

"You can't keep from attacking forever," she said.

She drew a card.

"So I'll pass for my turn…"

Jason drew.

"I play a powerful Spell called Card of Demise," he said. "Here's how it works. I get to draw five cards right now… But after five turns end, I have to discard my whole hand. A risk, but one that Kaiba never minded taking."

"He probably always assumed he'd win before those turns were up," said Sally.

"That's one possibility…" said Jason, drawing five cards. "So, the clock starts now…"

He looked over the cards.

"Well," he said. "I drew just what I need to get rid of your furry friend. Watch…

"First, I move Vorse Raider and Slate Warrior to Defense Mode, where they'd be safe from Winged Kuriboh's effect…"

The two Monsters knelt in Defense Mode.

"Then I summon this guy in Attack Mode… Meet my own Winged Kuriboh!"

In a flash of light, a twin of Sally's Monster appeared in front of Jason.

"What's the point?" asked Sally.

"Don't you get it?" asked Jason. "Winged Kuriboh is hardly a powerful Monster – in fact, he's a very weak Monster. But his Attack Score of 300 is strong enough to beat another Winged Kuriboh's Defense, which is 200.

"So, if you use the ability of Transcendent Wings when he attacks, all I'll lose is my Winged Kuriboh and 300 little Life Points, both of which are bearable losses.

"Winged Kuriboh, attack her Winged Kuriboh!"

Jason's Winged Kuriboh's eyes narrowed. It flew towards the opposing Fairy…

Sally's Winged Kuriboh burst into an explosion of fluff.

_She didn't use it…_ thought Jason. _That might mean something…_

_She has more than one Winged Kuriboh. I'll have to be careful._

"I'll end my turn by throwing down a facedown," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

Sally drew a card.

"Tee-hee…" she laughed.

She played a Spell Card.

"I play… Dimension Fusion!" she laughed. "Now, by paying 2,000 Life Points, we both can bring back all Monsters that have been removed from play!"

"But that means…" said Jason.

"That's right…" said Sally, as five colored orbs appeared on the field. "They're back!"

In another explosion of stars, the five Kuriboh Siblings reappeared! (300/200 x5)

"And remember… You can't touch them!"

**(J: 5,000) -------------------- (S: 6,000)**

"Kuri! Kuri!" they squeaked again.

"Shut up!" shouted Jason.

He paused to see if they took the hint.

_Nuts…_ he thought. _I've got to think of something before she powers them up again and summons another… what was that thing called?_

He drew a card.

_Yes!_

"I play… Brain Control!" he shouted.

He played the card, and the evil brain appeared.

"And since it's Kuribih who can negate my attacks, I'll brainwash that one!"

The brain gave off a ripple of energy, and the pink Kuriboh floated over to Jason's side.

"I suppose you think you're going to sacrifice it for one of your Monsters," said Sally. "BUZZ! Wrong! Except for the regular Kuriboh, these guys can't be sacrificed except to summon Kuribabylon!"

"Really?" said Jason. "Well, I thought that might be the case, so I had a backup plan…

"Kuribih, attack Kuribuh!"

Kuribih flew towards the white Kuriboh…

Sally gasped as the two of them burst!

"And my turn isn't over…" said Jason. "Let me tell you about the very rare Monster I'm about to summon… It was designed by Kaiba himself."

"Huh?" asked Sally.

"Kaiba ordered the Blue Eyes cards locked up upon his death," said Jason, "and also with those instructions was the design for a special card to be released as a promotional. This is the rarest card I have…"

He played the card.

"I summon Mage of the White Dragon!"

In a shining light, a tall figure appeared. He was a dead ringer for Kaiba, as far as his face and build was concerned, but his clothing was ancient, resembling Egyptian. He wore colored robes and a headdress, and golden jewelry.

Most notably, he carried a golden scepter in his hand with the end topped by a sphere with two flared crescents and the Eye of Wdjat on the front.

(1,000/1,000)

"You see, Sally," he said, "Kaiba's Dragons are sleeping in hibernation until a worthy duelist claims them, but this Spellcaster can communicate with their astral forms.

"Watch… I'll activate his effect by discarding two cards…"

He discarded Shrink and Cost Down.

Mage of the White Dragon held his staff aloft, and it glowed…

Dark clouds started to roll in…

A large form started to appear… It slowly took form…

It stood revealed. It looked like Kaiba's legendary Dragon… but transparent and wispy, like a ghost. It was completely silent, not making the usual roar that a Blue-Eyes often did when Kaiba had summoned one. (0/0)

"What is it?" asked Sally.

"It's a Blue-Eyes Spirit Token," said Jason. "And it's nothing to be trifled with…"

The Token glared at Sally with sinister blue eyes…

"What do you mean?" laughed Sally. "It has zero Attack Points and zero Defense Points!"

Jason stared at her.

"It's your move…" he said, slowly.

**(J: 4,200) -------------------- (S: 6,000)**

Sally nervously drew.

_That thing is making me really nervous…_ she thought. _He sacrificed two cards to create it – it has to do something…_

_Kuribuh is gone, so I can't defeat his other Monsters…_

_But 300 Attack Points is better than zero…_

"Kuriboh…" she shouted. "Take out that token!"

Kuriboh flew towards the token…

"I activate Negate Attack!" shouted Jason.

His Trap Card flipped up, and Kuriboh slammed into an invisible shield.

Sally sighed.

"That's my turn…" she said.

Jason drew.

_Finally…_ he thought.

"This duel is over, Sally," he said. "First I move Slate Warrior and Vorse Raider to Attack Mode…"

The two Monsters stood up.

"And now to get rid of that annoying Spell Card of yours… I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He played the card, and the cyclone shot forward, shattering The Dark Door!

"All right!" he shouted. "Winged Kuriboh, attack regular Kuriboh!"

The tiny Fairy flew towards it Fiend counterpart, and both of them burst into an explosion of fur.

"Mage of the White Dragon, attack Kuribah with white burst!"

The mage concentrated. He lifted his staff and fired a blast of lightning, eradicating the purple Kuriboh.

"Slate Warrior, take out the last one!"

Slate Warrior lunged forward and punched the green Kuriboh, and it shattered into a burst of fluff.

**(J: 4,200) -------------------- (S: 3,700)**

"And I'm not done…" said Jason. "Vorse Raider, attack directly!"

Sally screamed as the Beast Warrior bore down on her and sliced right down the middle with his axe.

"Ooh…" she moaned.

"And I guess I should spill the big secret now," continued Jason. "A Blue-Eyes Spirit Token has zero Attack Points only when it isn't attacking. When it makes an attack, it becomes just as strong as a real Blue Eyes."

Sally's eyes opened in fear…

"Spirit of Blue-Eyes, finish her off with white spirit lightning!"

The phantom roared… Its Attack shot up to 3,000, and it blasted a bolt of burning white lightning from its jaws, seemingly consuming the duelist in its path!

Sally collapsed.

**(J: 4,200) -------------------- (S: 0)**

"Well," said Jason. "That's game!"

The Monsters vanished.

Jason looked at his foe, who had apparently had the wind totally knocked out of her.

"Eesh… muttered Jason. "Maybe I was a little rough…"

"You want to be like Seto Kaiba?" asked a voice. "He was a man who didn't believe in restraint. For him, it was all or nothing…"

Jason turned, and saw Mayor Barna walking up.

"Your honor?" he said. "You've been here?"

"Of course," she said. "I always love seeing a good duel, and these monthly exams let me see some very good ones…

"I was very interested in you and your two friends, Jason… I heard you three obtained some… Very special cards?"

"Huh?" asked Jason. "Oh, the Dragons. Yeah, we each got one of those…"

"May I see?" asked Barna.

"Well, uh… I guess so…" said Jason.

He took The Eye of Timaeus out of his side deck and handed it to her.

"Interesting…" said Barna. "I can't even tell if this is a Monster or a Spell…"

"Uh… Well…" said Jason. "I guess it's _technically_ a Monster… It goes on the Monster Zone…"

"How did you even know that?" asked Barna. "There's no text on it…"

"Well… it told me…" said Jason, slowly.

She looked at him.

"Yeah, I know it seems crazy, and it seems like it doesn't make sense, but…" started Jason.

"Actually," said Barna, "it makes perfect sense…"

She handed it back to him.

"Jason, do you know why Sally failed to beat you?" she asked.

"Because I was the better duelist?" asked Jason. "Because my deck was better?"

"Your deck wasn't better," said Barna, "hers may have worked if she was more in tune with it. But you forget – that was a trial deck, not her real one. If she had been using the Cyber Angel Deck, she might have done better.

"Cards are an essential part of a duelist, Jason. They are connected to you in a way that is hard to understand. Sally's usual deck was one that used powerful Fairies – putting it aside and using Fiends, even cute ones, was a mistake. Her psyche couldn't adjust so soon.

"Now, taking that card you have, the bond you have with your cards is taken even further… you see, Timaeus is truly a living creature, and a very powerful one…"

She tapped him on the forehead.

"…and even when that card isn't in your deck, he's right here, closer than you think. He sees through your eyes, helps guide your hand…"

She smiled.

"Hug Trisha as close as you want, but he'll still be closer…"

"HEY!" shouted Jason. "How did you…"

"Sorry…" said Barna. "It's none of my business, I know, but it's hardly a secret.

"Anyway, Jason, I wish I could help find the Dark Messiah, but…"

Jason gave her a look.

"Oh, you want to know how I know?" she asked. "Sit down… It's a story you should know…"

They sat down at a picnic table.

"You know the story of how the Trinity was officially formed – the three-on-three duel between them and those three terrorists where the losers would perish.

"There's part of that story that most folks don't know.

"When Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey met them on that rooftop, the terrorists goaded them, as villains often do… and then they directed them to a strongbox in the center of the arena they had prepared. They told them that they intended to defeat them – but on the off chance that they lost, there was a message for the three duelists. Since the losers would die, they put the message in the box in advance.

"Naturally, the terrorists did lose, and when the last one fell, the box opened, revealing a DVD.

"When the Trinity played it, the video message was delivered by the three terrorists, who now seemed far less insane than they remembered them. They first apologized for everything.

"Then they stated their reasons. They were members of a sect of sorts, a secret society, one whose members could see things that others couldn't. The purpose of the duel was to test the three duelists as a team – I personally think that this sect wanted the Trinity to be formed. For Yugi and Kaiba's rivalry to end… And for Kaiba to finally respect Joey as a duelist.

"And if that was the case, as you know, they succeeded.

"They went on to say that the major purpose of the sect was to await the Dark Messiah, a hero who would come when an evil power appeared.

"This prophecy was spoken by a member who channeled a powerful Duel Spirit:

_**When cursed magic blights the land,**_

_**And Evil holds aloft its hand,**_

_**The Brothers will emerge once more,**_

_**And choose the ones to fight the war.**_

_**And when the Three can prove their worth,**_

**_They'll find the One who'll save the Earth._**

"What it meant at the time was open to interpretation…."

Jason gasped…

The haunting poem from his dream…

"Those cultists were willing to die to get this message through… Maybe they thought that 'the Three' were the Trinity… If that was the case, they were wrong…

"Most of the prophecy has already come to pass…

"The 'cursed magic' has appeared… The Brothers have emerged… They've made their choices…"

She paused.

"I can only hope that all of the theory is true… Whoever is behind the Orichalcos will try to make certain that whoever made this prophecy was a false prophet."

She got up.

"Good day, Jason…"

She walked away, leaving Jason with only one thought…

_I think I'll try to find Trisha…_

_Friday, September 24th, 2106, 10:55 AM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**FIVE STAR TWILIGHT (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image: **Five golden stars on an indigo background.

**Card Description:** Offer one five-star Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one "Kuriboh", one "Kuribah", one "Kuribeh", one "Kuribih", and one "Kuribuh" from your deck in face-up Attack Position.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**KURIBAH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **1  
**ATK: **300  
**DEF: **200

**Card Description:** Offer this Monster as a Tribute along with one "Kuriboh", one "Kuribeh", one "Kuribih", and one "Kuribuh" to summon "Kuribabylon" from your hand or deck. This Monster cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute summon except to summon "Kuribabylon".

**0**

**0**

**0**

**KURIBEH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **1  
**ATK: **300  
**DEF: **200

**Card Description:** Offer this Monster as a Tribute along with one "Kuriboh", one "Kuribah", one "Kuribih", and one "Kuribuh" to summon "Kuribabylon" from your hand or deck. This Monster cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute summon except to summon "Kuribabylon".

**0**

**0**

**0**

**KURIBIH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **1  
**ATK: **300  
**DEF: **200

**Card Description:** Offer this Monster as a Tribute along with one "Kuriboh", one "Kuribah", one "Kuribeh", and one "Kuribuh" to summon "Kuribabylon" from your hand or deck. This Monster cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute summon except to summon "Kuribabylon". Once per turn, if this Monster or a face-up "Kuriboh", "Kuribah", "Kuribih", or "Kuribuh" on your side of the field are attacked, you can negate the attack.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**KURIBUH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **1  
**ATK: **300  
**DEF: **200

**Card Description:** Offer this Monster as a Tribute along with one "Kuriboh", one "Kuribah", one "Kuribeh", and one "Kuribih" to summon "Kuribabylon" from your hand or deck. This Monster cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute summon except to summon "Kuribabylon". Discard one Trap Card from your hand during your Main Phase to reduce the ATK of one opposing Monster by the combined ATK of "Kuriboh", "Kuribah", "Kuribeh", "Kuribih" and this Monster on your side of the field.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**KURIBABYLON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **5  
**ATK: **?  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description:** This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned. This Monster must first be Special Summoned by offering one "Kuriboh", one "Kuribah", one "Kuribeh", one "Kuribih", and one "Kuribuh" on your side of the field as a Tribute. The ATK of this Monster is the combined ATK of the five Monsters used as a Tribute to summon it. When an attack this Monster makes is negated, or you offer it as a Tribute, you can send it to the Graveyard to Special Summon one "Kuriboh", one "Kuribah", one "Kuribeh", one "Kuribih", and one "Kuribuh" from your Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**KURI BANDIT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **700

**Card Description:** This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned. This card must first be Special Summoned by removing one "Kuriboh", one "Kuribah", one "Kuribeh", one "Kuribih", and one "Kuribuh" on your side of the field from play. Offer this Monster as a Tribute to draw five cards; any Monster Cards you draw as a result of this effect, discard to the Graveyard. You can activate this effect during your turn or your opponent's turn.

_Note: The preceding seven cards were used by Yugi in the multi-part anime episode "Fate of the Pharaoh". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**0**

**0**

**ONE TIMES TWO (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A Mokey Mokey and a Haniwa, with a diagonal slash in-between them, all on a white background.

**Card Description:** Double the base ATK and DEF of all face-up one-star Monsters on the field until the end of the current turn.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**KURIBOH CALLING FLUTE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A Kuriboh and a Winged Kuriboh above a set of panpipes.

**Card Description:** Choose one of the following effects:

- Search your deck for one "Kuriboh" or one "Winged Kuriboh" and add it to your hand.

- Special Summon one "Kuriboh" or one "Winged Kuriboh" from your hand or deck.

_Note: "Kuriboh Calling Flute" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States. It was first used in the anime by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Amnael's Endgame (Part 2)"._

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**CYBER DRAGON MECHANIC (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **1,500

**Card Description:** This engineer is the brains behind the blueprints that built the powerful Machines known as Cyber Dragons. If a face-up "Cyber Dragon", "Cyber Twin Dragon" or "Cyber End Dragon" on your side of the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you may offer this face-up Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute to Special Summon the destroyed Monster from your Graveyard in Attack Position.

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**MAGE OF THE WHITE DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description:** This sorcerer's soul was bonded to that of the Blue Eyes White Dragons. Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can discard two cards from your hand to Special Summon one "Blue-Eyes Spirit Token" (Light/Dragon/8 stars/ATK 0/DEF 0) to your side of the field in Attack Position. A "Blue-Eyes Spirit Token" cannot attack during the turn it is Special Summoned. When a "Blue-Eyes Spirit Token" attacks, its ATK becomes 3000 during the Damage Step only. If this Monster is removed from the field, destroy all "Blue-Eyes Spirit Tokens" on your side of the field.

_(In appearance, this Monster resembles High Priest Seto as Kaiba remembered him from Memory World.)_

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**0 **

_**Lots of cards…**_

_**Coming up next…**_

_**Remember that card that Russell got from his dad? Well, he'll finally get to use it next chapter, as he goes up against his opponent.**_

_**What's the method behind this particular duelist's madness?**_

_**Find out, in "Wild Nature's Release" coming up soon.**_

_**And no, he doesn't play a Beastdown deck.**_


	23. Wild Nature's Release

_**Some people are just plain eccentric. Some people say that being eccentric hides great talents or genius intelligence, but these people are just plain weird. **_

_**I guess in this line of work, you run into a lot of strange people. Pegasus himself, the creator of this game, was very eccentric. His own personal deck was a Toon Deck, full of watercolor-animated Monsters. He had two reasons for doing so – one, he was a big fan of actual cartoons, and two, he was an artist, and Toons represented art.**_

_**I could go on and list more examples, but I think I'll quit while I'm ahead…**_

_**Duelists like this tend to be annoying…**_

_**And when facing one, the best you can hope for is finish the duel with a minimum of fuss.**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

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**Wild Nature's Release**

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_Friday, September 24th, 2106, 10:20 AM_

Fate had decreed that Russell would do the field test in the Great Hall itself – not a bad place to duel, seeing as that inspiring photograph predominated the place.

Still, he was not looking forward to this… Jack Stuward was one of the most annoying duelists he knew.

Jack had a rather easy life. Both his parents were environmental scientists, and he was never in the same place for long. And his parents' love of nature rubbed off on him in a big way, turning him into an environmentalist…

He called himself an environmentalist. Russell thought it more like "tree-hugger".

There weren't many problems with deforestation and pollution these days, but in the rare times when there were, people like Jack spoke out. He objected to forests being "spoiled" as he called it.

He was so in tune with the outdoors that often, he didn't go inside at night, falling asleep under the stars. The headmasters tried hard to stop this habit (it wasn't safe) but it never seemed to help.

Russell had never actually dueled him until now, but the rumor was that his deck had an environmental theme; whatever that meant. Russell was clueless – building a deck based on Plant Monsters was nearly impossible.

Even worse, Dr. Peters was in charge of this station… A teacher who was nearly impossible to please…

_Might as well get this over with…_ thought Russell.

He walked into the Great Hall.

"What up, Russ?" asked a voice.

He turned, and saw Jack. He was a short kid, with brown hair and big, piercing green eyes. He wore torn jeans along with the blazer.

"Hi, Jack…" sighed Russell. "You seem in a cheerful mood…"

"Well, it's that time of year…" said Jack. "Summer's over, and pretty soon, the trees are going to start to change… Lose their leaves, sleep until the spring…

"That's the whole cycle, you know… Death and rebirth. It happens every year, and it's how it should be…"

"Much as I hate to interrupt a philosophical statement…" said Dr. Peters. "We're on a schedule, so each of you cut and shuffle each other's decks."

"Whatever…" said Jack. "Everyone's in a rush these days…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado rubbed his chin.

_Hmmm…_ he thought. _That one might be interesting… That one too…_

He picked up a cell phone and hit a number.

"Yes, of course it's me," he said. "Who's ready?"

He paused. He grinned.

"You don't say… Hmmm…"

He listened.

"Yeah, I have an idea. Listen closely… We'll go by two angles this time… Here are the instructions…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Strangely, facing him right now, Jack looked a lot taller…

"All right," said Russell. "Let's hope your cards are better than the condition of those sneakers… Atten…shun!"

His new Disk activated. Russell hadn't had much time to actually look at it, but it was gunmetal grey, the tray was rounded like half of an oval…

…and the deck holder, which was shiny gold, was shaped sort of like a star with a rectangle cut out of the space between the bottom two points, where the deck was held.

They both drew five cards…

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Jack: 8,000)**

"Righteous…" said Jack, drawing a sixth card.

"Well, I'm summoning my Charcoal Inpachi in Defense Mode."

He played the card, and the burned out Pyro appeared, crouching in Defense. Wisps of smoke rose from it, and a smell like an old grill filled the air. (100/2,100)

"And just like a mesquite barbeque grill in the summer," he added, "this guy makes me feel all warm inside… It's a nice feeling."

"Fine…" said Russell, drawing a card. "Playing defense, huh? Well I'm going on offense. I summon the Gemini Blades!"

He played the card, and a flame appeared in front of him…

Two red-haired fighters appeared, one dressed in red robes with punching daggers strapped to his wrists; the other wore blue armor and carried a long spear. Both had oriental features and wore their hair in ponytails. They struck a pose with their weapons. (1,800/800)

_Next round,_ he thought,_ I'll be able to use this Warrior's effect to fullest potential._

"All right!" said Jack. "Cool Monster… Well, let's see if I can get something cooler…"

He drew a card.

"Right, I'll play two cards facedown to start off…"

He played the cards, and they appeared in front of him.

"And then I'll summon Grass Phantom in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and a Plant appeared. It clearly did look like a phantom made of grass. It sort of had the shape of a large artichoke with a ghostly face and a mass of tendrils around its base. It let out a sad moan. (1,000/1,000)

_In Attack Mode?_ thought Russell. _What's he up to?_

"Too bad we don't have any hollandaise sauce," said Russell, drawing a card. "I believe it's my move…"

"And my Traps activate," said Jack.

The first Trap lifted, showing a Shining Friendship flying happily among the clouds while a second behind it was grabbed by a fiendish claw from below.

"First, Next To Be Lost," he said. "I choose one Monster I have on the field, take another copy from my deck, and discard it to the Graveyard… And I choose Grass Phantom."

He took his deck, found a second Grass Phantom, and discarded it.

"And then…"

The second Trap lifted, showing a woman holding a glowing orb of energy in her hands.

"Generation Shift," he continued. "This destroys one of my Monsters on the field…"

The Grass Phantom on the field shattered.

"…and then it lets me take another from my deck and add it to my hand."

He took his deck and took out a third Grass Phantom.

"Okay…" muttered Russell. "So… why did you purposely ditch two of your Monsters?"

"You'll see," said Jack. "But go on…"

"Fine…" said Russell. "I summon the Blue Flame Swordsman in Attack Mode."

A blue fire appeared on the field, and a look-alike of Joey Wheeler's signature Warrior appeared, only bare-chested and clothed in blue where orange should have been. His sword burned with blue fire. (1,800/1,600)

"And if you think he looks hot, wait until you see his special ability," said Russell. "I can lower his Attack Score to give the same amount to another Monster…

"So, I'll decrease his Attack by 400, and give that 400 to Gemini Blades…"

Blue Flame Swordsman dropped to 1,400 Attack, and Gemini Blades rose to 2,200.

"Bummer…" muttered Jack.

"Oh, I'm hardly done…" said Russell with a grin. "Now I'm going to use Gemini Blades' ability. Watch…"

He took the five cards in his hand, held them with their faces down, and quickly rearranged them. After making sure they were shuffled, he chose one…

He looked at it, and then discarded it.

"See, by discarding one card at random from my hand, I can have Gemini Blades attack twice! So get 'im, boys!"

The two fighters sprang up…

The one with the punch daggers drove one of them into Charcoal Inpachi, smashing it to pieces…

And then the one with the spear stabbed Jack in the gut! He winced in pain.

"And I'm still not done," said Russell. "My Blue Flame Swordsman still wants a piece of this… blazing blue flame!"

The Swordsman's blade burned with blue fire, and he slashed at Jack! He toppled over.

"I'd say you might be the next one on the endangered species list, Jack," said Russell.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (J: 4,300)**

"Yeah, good move," said Jack, drawing a card. "Still, a combo is only as good as the one who implements it…"

"What do you mean?" asked Russell.

"I'll give you an example," said Jack. "I'm going to summon that Grass Phantom I added to my hand…"

He placed the card on his Disk, and another Grass Phantom appeared.

"And by the way, the reason I sent those other two to my Graveyard was simple… Grass Phantom gains 500 extra Attack Points for every other Grass Phantom in my Graveyard. Consider the old ones compost that makes the new one healthier."

(2,000/1,000)

"That still isn't strong enough to beat Gemini Blades," said Russell.

"Strong enough to beat your other guy," replied Jack. "Grass Phantom, attack with phantom vines."

The Plant moaned, and shot forth a volley of tendrils, constricting Blue Flame Swordsman. They squeezed, and he shattered.

**(R: 7,400) -------------------- (J: 4,300)**

"Oh yeah?" said Russell. "Well, Blue Flame Swordsman has another ability. If he's destroyed, I get to summon the regular Flame Swordsman right from my Fusion Deck!"

A blazing bonfire appeared, and the powerful armored Warrior in purple and orange holding his bronze sword appeared! (1,800/1,600)

"I see…" said Jack. "Well, I guess I'll place another card facedown…"

He played a card, and it appeared.

"And to end my turn, I'll activate this… Spell Absorption."

A Spell Card appeared, showing an image of mage's hand drawing in purple energy.

_Oh no…_ thought Russell_. I know how that works… Every time either one of us plays a Spell Card, he'll gain 500 Life Points…_

_And I have nothing to get rid of it now…_

He drew a card.

"I activate my facedown card…" said Jack.

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of Warrior Lady of the Wasteland fleeing out of a portal.

"Your Gemini Blades are giving me some serious bad karma," he continued, "so I'm activating Karma Cut. I just discard one card…"

He tossed one card in his discard slot.

"And one Monster on your side of the field is 'cut' out of the game. So to speak."

Gemini Blades gave a look of surprise. Then they vanished.

Russell frowned.

He played a card.

"I play Rush Recklessly!" he shouted.

Jack's Life Points went up, but Flame Swordsman's attack went up to 2,500.

"Attack his Grass Phantom! Flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman's blade burned with fire, and he slashed with it, burning Grass Phantom up. The flames died down, and smoke rose from the blade.

**(R: 7,400) -------------------- (J: 4,300)**

"There, I did it…" said Russell. "I feel better now."

"Well, I'm certainly feeling good," said Jack drawing. "Don't forget that Rush Recklessly activated Spell Absorption.

"Hey, I'm gonna play Pot of Greed. Now, not only do I get to draw twice, but Spell Absorption kicks in again…"

He played the card and drew two cards.

"All right… I'm gonna summon a guy named Lord Poison in Attack Mode."

He placed a card on his Disk, and an incredibly ugly creature appeared. It seemed to be made of algae and scum, with wicked claws, and spikes coming out of it in strange places. Vile water dripped from it as it raised its two talons. (1,500/1,000)

"Yuck…" muttered Russell. "Lord Poison? I see the 'Poison' part, but…"

"Lord Poison is the spirit of the toxic plants in the forest," said Jack, "like ivy, sumac, milkweed, and nasty stuff you don't even want to even know about."

"Well, it's no match for Flame Swordsman…" said Russell.

"I totally have to agree with you there," said Jack. "Lord Poison, attack his Flame Swordsman."

Russell drew back in surprise, and Lord Poison flew towards Flame Swordsman…

The Warrior made one swipe with his sword, and cleaved the creature in half. Gobs of slime splattered everywhere.

"Why on Earth…" said Russell.

"When Lord Poison is destroyed in battle," said Jack, "I get to Special Summon any Plant from my Graveyard except Lord Poison itself, so guess who's coming back…"

The slime on the ground started to move, and then combined and congealed, forming into a new shape. After a few seconds, it had reformed into Grass Phantom. (2,000/1,000)

"Grass Phantom, take out his Flame Swordsman," he continued.

The Phantom moaned again, and shot forth its tentacles, constricting Flame Swordsman, crushing him into pixels.

**(R: 7,200) -------------------- (J: 4,500)**

_This guy is good,_ thought Russell.

He looked at his hand.

_But with the right combo, I can do better…_

"I believe it's my turn…" he said drawing.

He looked at the card.

"I place one card facedown…" he said.

He played the card, and a facedown card appeared.

"And then, I summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Defense Mode."

He placed the card, and Grepher appeared, kneeling and shielding himself with his sword. (1,700/1,600)

"Go ahead…" he said.

Jack drew a card.

"I play Silent Doom…" he said, "and bring back my Charcoal Inpachi."

Charcoal Inpachi rose again, in Defense Mode, and his Life Points went up again.

"Grass Phantom, attack his Warrior."

Grass Phantom reached forward with its vines.

"Not so fast!" shouted Russell. "I had a Trap waiting… Activate… Feigned Retreat!"

His facedown card lifted. The picture showed Marauding Captain fleeing towards the foreground with several Archfiend Soldiers chasing him; Freed, Command Knight, and several other Warriors were waiting in the foreground behind trees, with weapons drawn.

"Here's how it works," said Russell. "When you attack my Monster when he's in Defense Mode, he moves into Attack Mode, and gains 500 Attack Points for the rest of the round, enough to take out your Grass Phantom one more time!"

Warrior Dai Grepher stood up, and his Attack rose to 2,200.

"Bogus…" said Jack.

Grepher slashed with his blade several times, and the vines fell in pieces at his feet. Then he made a downward slash, cleaving Grass Phantom in two.

**(R: 7,200) -------------------- (J: 4,800)**

_I took out that annoying plant,_ thought Russell, _but somehow, I think that this is just starting…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Not far from where Trisha was dueling, Randy was struggling with his own opponent. His fellow Freshman seemed to have a thing for Warriors of a different type…

Dark Warriors.

"Dark Blade," ordered Ryan, "attack Burstinatrix!"

The spiky-armored Warrior slashed with his two swords. Burstinatrix screamed before she was blown to pixels.

"Getsu Fuhma, attack him directly!"

The red haired ronin leapt up and made a savage slash at Randy with her sword. He fell over.

"Scores are almost tied, Randy," said Ryan, "and I think you need a serious pick-me-up…"

"We'll see…" said Randy. "My move…"

He slowly drew a card…

"I play Premature Burial to bring back Burstinatrix…"

Burstinatrix reappeared on his side of the field. (1,200/800)

"Then I use Polymerization to fuse her with Avian, forming Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!"

The two Heroes swirled into a morass of Fire and Wind…

Flame Wingman flew out, striking a heroic pose! (2,100/1,200)

"Attack Getsu Fuhma!" he shouted. "Skydive scorcher!"

Flame Wingman flew towards Getsu Fuhma…

Ryan slowly inched towards the command for his facedown card…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Russell drew a card.

"I summon Axe Raider in Attack Mode," he said.

He played a card, and the muscular barbarian holding a powerful axe appeared. (1,700/1,150)

"That's my move," he said.

Jack drew a card.

He looked at it.

"I'm Equipping Charcoal Inpachi with this," he said. "Raregold Armor."

He played the card, and the Inpachi turned a golden color.

"That means I can only attack it!" gasped Russell.

"You're smart," said Jack. "And don't forget Spell Absorption. Next I'll summon this little guy… Ultimate Insect LV 1."

He played the card, and a small caterpillar with purple and red coloring appeared. (0/0)

"Sure, he doesn't look very 'ultimate' now," said Jack, "but this is only the Level One form, and he'll get stronger eventually. And don't try using a Spell Card to get rid of him, because at this stage, he's immune to them.

"That will be my turn."

**(R: 7,200) -------------------- (J: 5,300)**

Russell drew.

_I can't attack it, unless I get rid of that oversized hibachi grill first,_ he thought, _and I have nothing that can beat its Defense!_

He looked at the card he had just drawn.

Queen's Knight.

He looked at a card in his hand.

_Don't think I'll risk putting her on the field right now…_ he thought.

"I'll pass for this turn…" he said.

"Right…" said Jack, drawing a card.

Ultimate Insect started to grow, and a shell started to form around it.

"Now I can sacrifice his Level One form so he can evolve into Ultimate Insect LV 3," he said, as the creature formed into a bigger, stronger-looking larva.

(1,400/900)

The Insect shook, and a cloud of spores covered the field. Warrior Dai Grepher and Axe Raider coughed…

"And his poison spores cause your Warriors to lose 300 Attack Points," he added.

Both Warriors fell to 1,400 Attack.

"I'll end my turn there," he said.

Russell drew.

_Hey…_ he thought.

I summon Command Knight in Attack Mode," he said.

Command Knight appeared. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900)

She coughed, and her Attack fell to 1,300.

"She may be weakened, but you can't attack her," said Russell, "and my other Warriors gain back the strength they lost and then some."

Grepher and Axe Raider rose to 1,800, respectively.

"Whatever…" said Jack. "I think it's my turn…"

He drew.

"Now I can evolve him into Ultimate Insect LV 5…" he said.

The Insect started spinning strands of silk…

And they formed into a steel-hard chrysalis, perched on spindly legs. (2,300/900)

"And that means the poison gets even more toxic…"

Grepher and Axe Raider fell to 1,300, and Command Knight fell to 1,100.

"And I think I'll have him attack your Warrior Dai Grepher…"

Ultimate Insect shot forth a pair of tendrils, and tore Grepher apart!

**(R: 6,500) -------------------- (J: 5,300)**

_This is nuts…_ thought Russell. _Next round, it will get almost unbeatable. And even worse, creating this thing isn't costing him a single card from his hand! Who knows what he's planning?_

He drew a card.

"I play Heavy Storm!" he shouted, playing it.

A fierce wind blew, and the Raregold Armor shattered, as did the Spell Absorption.

"Yeah, like it will matter," said Jack. "By the way, since that was a Spell, I get 500 more Life Points one last time."

"Yeah, yeah…" said Russell. "I move my two Monsters into Defense Mode.

Axe Raider and Command Knight knelt.

"And I can't do anything else."

**(R: 6,500) -------------------- (J: 5,800)**

Jack drew.

He gave the card a look.

"Time to take it to the final level," he said, "and evolve him up to Ultimate Insect LV 7. This is where the real 'ultimate' part comes in, by the way."

The chrysalis started to crack and strain…

And with an explosion of goo and slime, the final result stood horribly revealed. Suggesting a huge cross between a wasp and a moth with multicolored wings, it had at least a sixty-foot wingspan, thick armor, and a razor-sharp stinger on its abdomen. (2,600/1,200)

"Now your Monsters not only lose 700 Attack Points, they lose 700 Defense Points too," he added.

Toxic pollen covered the whole field. Axe Raider and Command Knight looked truly sick, as their stats fell to (1,400/350) and (900/1,200).

"Attack his Axe Raider. Ultimate hurricane."

Ultimate Insect LV 7 beat its wings, and a storm even more heavy than any created by Heavy Storm erupted over the field. Axe Raider tried to shield himself in vain before shattering.

"Command Knight is next…" said Jack. "I'll end with a facedown card."

A facedown card appeared.

"We'll see about that…" said Russell.

He drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed!"

He drew twice.

_Perfect…_ he said.

"I play… Command Offensive!" he said. "This lets me sacrifice one Warrior on the field to Special Summon Freed the Matchless General from my hand…"

Command Knight vanished, and General Freed appeared. (2,300/1,700) –) (1,600/1,000)

"And then, we both draw twice!" he added.

"Whatever…" said Jack.

They both drew two cards.

"Now, why didn't he just summon Freed normally, you might be asking?" said Russell. "Well, I Special Summoned him, so I could Normal Summon this…"

He threw a card on his Disk.

"Exiled Force!"

A small band of ragtag soldiers in makeshift armor appeared. (1,000/1,000) –) (300/300)

"They may not look like much," said Russell, "but they have a potent ability. By sacrificing them, I can destroy one Monster on the field.

"So take out that big bug, guys!"

Exiled Force faded into ghostly forms, and they flew into Ultimate Insect LV 7! The huge moth screeched, and then crashed to the ground.

It's fallen form burst into pixels.

"Ho boy…" muttered Jack.

Freed regained his normal Attack Points.

"And now," said Russell, "Freed, destroy Charcoal Inpachi!"

Freed leapt up with his sword, and with one slash of his blade, blasted the wood spirit into dust.

"Well, Jack…" said Russell, with a grin. "What now? Your best Monster has been swatted, and I have one of my best out…"

Jack grinned.

"Whoever said that Ultimate Insect was my best Monster?" he asked. "My turn now?"

Russell paused.

"Yeah…" he said, trying to imagine what he had waiting.

Jack drew a card.

"The card I'm about to play," he said, "is a rare card that was a gift from my mom… One that will summon my mightiest Monster…"

He showed Russell the card.

"A Ritual Card?" gasped Russell.

_Lovely…_ he thought. _Rituals are always bad news…_

"A powerful one," stated Jack, "and it's called Forest Primeval!"

He played the card, and the whole arena darkened. Trees and shrubs started to sprout, until the whole place had become overgrown into a dense forest!

"Legends say…" said Jack, "that nature is ruled by various spirits that coexist with man, invisible, but willing to show themselves if man violates the natural order.

"And deep within the most unspoiled forest lives one of the most powerful of spirits…"

"Now to bring him out, I sacrifice Fairy King Truesdale and Lekunga…"

Two Monsters appeared… One a regal man in sylvan robes, another a green sphere with a single red eye and vine-like tentacles…

They vanished into sparkles of light…

"…and I summon… **_Hayashi the Forest Spirit_**!"

A huge, lumbering form rose behind Jack…

In the past hundred years, many movie versions of Tolken's _Lord of the Rings_ had been produced, and Russell had seen many of them. He couldn't help but compare this creature to several versions of Treebeard… A torso and legs like tree trunks with branches for arms, a face sculpted out of wood, and a crown of branches with splendid leaves surrounding its head.

(3,000/2,800)

"I know you likely think this can't get worse," said Jack, "but it can…"

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted."

Ultimate Insect LV 7 reappeared! (2,600/1,200)

"Course…" said Jack, "his effect is negated because I didn't summon him the 'right' way, but that hardly matters. Ultimate Insect, attack Freed."

Ultimate Insect beat its wings, and Freed staggered against the storm. He shattered into pixels.

"Hayashi…" he continued.

Russell gulped.

"Attack directly with your mighty branch."

The Forest Spirit slammed his woody arm down, and Russell screamed as he was thrown backwards!

"Ugh…" he muttered.

**(R: 3,200) -------------------- (J: 5,800)**

Russell slowly got up.

"This might be a good time to mention," said Jack. "When Hayashi is on the field, you aren't allowed to attack any Monsters on my side of the field who are Beasts, Beast-Warriors, Insects, or Plants other than him. So you're gonna have a harder time."

_This had best be a good draw…_ thought Russell.

He drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn," he said. "And I'll bring back Warrior Dai Grepher in Defense Mode."

Grepher appeared in Defense. (1,700/1,600)

"Now I'll place another Monster in Defense Mode," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

_All right,_ he thought. _He only has one card in his hand. If it and his next draw isn't a Monster that he can summon, I might have a chance._

"Who's that?" asked Jack. "Big Shield Gardna?"

He drew a card.

"Ultimate Insect, attack Grepher."

The Insect beat its wings, and Grepher was blown away.

"Hayashi, attack his facedown Monster."

Hayashi lunged forward with his powerful branch…

Familiar Knight appeared on the card, and was crushed.

"Heh, heh," said Russell. "Since you killed Familiar Knight, both us are able to Special Summon a four star Monster from our hands."

"Four star?" replied Jack, looking at his two cards. "Uh, don't have one…"

"Well I have… Queen's Knight," said Russell.

He placed a card down, and Queen's Knight appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"And now, I'll move…" said Russell.

He drew a card.

"I summon King's Knight…"

King's Knight appeared on the field. (1,600/1,500)

"And with that, I summon Jack's Knight!"

Jack's Knight materialized. (1,900/1,000)

"Go ahead!" said Jack, almost laughing. "They're far too weak."

"Well I have someone who isn't," said Russell. "Your mom gave you that card, but I'm going to use someone my dad gave me…

"And to summon him, I use Polymerization!"

He played the card…

Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight nodded to each other. They leapt into the air, and formed into colored orbs of light, gold, ruby, and sapphire… They combined together, forming an orb of light that was brilliant purple in color…

"Fusing my three Warriors together…" continued Russell, "to create one of the mightiest knights ever to wield a sword into battle… The most powerful beast my deck can produce…"

A bright flash lit up the arena and a vortex of pure light opened…

And then, a far more powerful-looking knight leapt out of the vortex. His armor suggested royalty, and was colored royal purple, again decorated with playing card symbols, and he bore a large sword and a triangular shield. His golden blonde hair fell to his waist. His eyes were pools of brilliant light.

"Presenting… **_Arcana Knight Joker_**!" shouted Russell.

(3,800/2,500)

"Uh…" gulped Jack.

"But don't let the name 'Joker' fool you," continued Russell. "He's _deadly_ serious."

Arcana Knight Joker glared at Jack…

"Arcana, chop down Hayashi the Forest Spirit! Royal straight flush rush!"

Arcana Knight Joker let out a roar, and leapt up into the air, making a tremendous slash with his sword, and the Forest Spirit groaned… It was smashed into splinters of wood.

"Timber…" said Russell.

He placed a card into his Disk.

"I'll end with one card facedown."

A card appeared.

**(R: 3,200) -------------------- (J: 5,000)**

Jack shakily drew.

"I'll… shift Ultimate Insect into Defense Mode…" he said.

The Insect folded its wings.

"I… uh… end my turn…"

"And I start mine…" said Russell, drawing.

He drew a card.

"And this is over," he said.

"I summon my Marauding Captain…" he said.

Marauding Captain appeared on the field, bearing his sword.

"And next, I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back Exiled Force!"

His Trap Card lifted, and Exiled Force reappeared.

"Destroy his Insect!" shouted Russell.

Exiled Force turned into phantoms again, and flew into Ultimate Insect! It screamed, and shattered.

"And now, Marauding Captain, Arcana Knight Joker, attack!"

Marauding Captain slashed at Jack with his sword…

And he was barely done, when Joker kneed him in the groin! Jack fell over and skidded backwards.

**(R: 3,200) -------------------- (J: 0)**

"At ease…" said Russell.

As the Warriors vanished, Jack sat up.

"Ooh, my aching everything…" he muttered.

"It was a good duel, Jack," said Russell, "and you are truly a force to be reckoned with…"

"Well, thanks…" said Jack.

"But what did you mean before?" asked Russell. "Something about how a combo is only as good as the one who implements it?"

Jack shrugged.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "You definitely are."

Russell looked around, first at Dr. Peters…

Then he noticed another duel, where a student was using Vampire Lord…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Randy was in a very tough situation.

His Life Points were down to 500, his opponent's were at 1,300 and he had no cards on the field, and no cards in his hand. His opponent had Penumbral Soldier Lady on the field.

What were the odds that Ryan could have a Michizure Trap just when he attacked with Flame Wingman?

"Give it up, comic book boy," said Ryan. "Do you really think you can turn this around? You'd need a miracle draw to win this one."

"I can sure try…" said Randy.

_One miracle draw, coming up…_ he thought._ I hope…_

He drew a card.

_Hmm… maybe…_

"I summon… Elemental Hero Bubbleman, in Attack Mode," he said.

A gout of water splashed up, and Bubbleman appeared, sporting a big grin. (800/1,200)

"That's one bubble that won't be hard to burst," said Ryan.

"Depends on how lucky I am," replied Randy. "Bubbleman just _hates_ being alone, so if I summon him when I have no other cards on the field or in my hand, I get to draw two cards…"

He drew twice.

He grinned as he looked at them.

"I'll place one of them facedown…"

He played the card.

"And then play the other one… Fusion Recovery! This lets me retrieve one Polymerization card and one Monster that I used in a fusion from my Graveyard."

He played the card, and two cards fell out of his discard slot.

"So I'll use it to get Avian… Remember him?

"And then, I'll fuse Bubbleman and Avian together…"

The two Heroes appeared, and fused into a swirl…

"…to form Elemental Hero Mariner!"

Then a strange looking hero in a white and blue costume with wild blue hair and blue mask with a grinning face. He had two anchors on his wrists. (1,400/1,000)

"I know what you're thinking," he continued. "Mariner isn't strong enough to beat Penumbral Soldier Lady… Well, he doesn't have to. See, when I have at least one card facedown, he can attack directly.

"Mariner, attack! Anchors away!"

Mariner leapt up, and hurled one of his anchors, connected by a chain. Ryan shouted in pain as it hit him.

"I win…" said Randy.

Randy heard clapping behind him. He turned and saw Trisha and Jason.

"Not bad, Randy," said Jason.

"Thanks," said Jason. "I've been practicing, studying… Waiting for a chance for a rematch with Nadia…"

He grinned.

"Say, where is she anyway?" asked Trisha.

"Dunno," said Randy. "Her test was scheduled about ten minutes before mine in another building, so…"

A cell phone on his belt rang.

"Uh, excuse me…" he said.

"Hello?" he said, putting it to his ear.

"Hello Randy," said a sinister voice over the receiver.

"Who is this?" asked Randy.

"I won't say over the phone," said the voice, "but let's cut to the chase… I have your sister here with me, and you'd best do what I say if you want to see her again. Got it?"

Randy's eyes opened.

His voice sank to a whisper.

"If you hurt one hair on her head…" he warned.

"Don't make demands of me, hero-boy," said the voice. "Bring your deck and your Disk to the roof of the Academy's main building in fifteen minutes. We'll discuss things then. And no telling teachers, or anyone else, or your sister gets it. Got it?"

The speaker hung up.

"Randy, what was that all about?" asked Jason.

"Wrong number…" he said. "Look, I've got some things to do. See you guys later."

He ran towards the exit.

"I have a feeling that wasn't a wrong number…" said Trisha.

"Yeah…" said Jason. "We'd best check this out…"

_Friday, September 24th, 2106, 11:15 AM_

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**GEMINI BLADES (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,800  
**DEF: **800

**Card Description:** Twin martial artists who use deadly combination attacks. During your Battle Phase, you may discard one card at random from your hand. If you do, this monster can attack twice during this Battle Phase.

_Note: This card was created by Man Called True. Creative credit goes to him._

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**BLUE FLAME SWORDSMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,800  
**DEF: **1,600

**Card Description:** Some believe that this flaming Warrior clad in blue is simply the alter-ego of his more famous namesake. You can decrease the ATK of this Monster to increase the ATK of another face-up Monster on the field by the same amount. This effect can be used during your opponent's turn. If this Monster is destroyed, you may Special Summon one "Flame Swordsman" from your Fusion Deck or Graveyard.

_Note: "Blue Flame Swordsman" was first used by Joey in the anime episode "Fighting For a Friend (Part 4)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**FEIGNED RETREAT (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Marauding Captain running through a forest with several Archfiend Soldiers chasing him. Freed, Command Knight, and many other Warriors wait behind trees in the foreground with weapons drawn.

**Card Description:** You can activate this Trap when your opponent declares an attack on one of your Monsters that is in face-up Defense Position. Switch the targeted Monster to Attack Position and add 500 to its ATK until the end of the current Battle Phase.

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**ARCANA KNIGHT JOKER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **9  
**ATK: **3,800  
**DEF: **2,500

**Card Description:** _Queen's Knight + King's Knight + Jack's Knight_

A Fusion Summon of this Monster can only be done with the above named cards. If this Monster is targeted by a Spell Card, Trap Card, or Monster effect, you can discard a card of the same type to negate the effect. This effect can only be used once per turn.

_Note: "Arcana Knight Joker" is a Japanese card that, sadly, has not yet been released in the United States._

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**FOREST PRIMEVAL (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Ritual  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** An ancient shrine in a deep forest.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon "Hayashi the Forest Spirit". You must also offer Monsters as a Tribute from your hand or the field whose total levels equal eight or more.

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**HAYASHI THE FOREST SPIRIT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Plant/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **3,000  
**DEF: **2,800

**Card Description:** This Monster is summoned through use of the Ritual Spell Card "Forest Primeval". You must also offer Monsters as a Tribute from your hand or the field whose total levels equal eight or more. When this Monster is face-up on your side of the field, all INSECT, BEAST, BEAST-WARRIOR, and PLANT-Type Monsters (aside from this one) on your side of the field cannot be targeted for an attack.

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**Jack's Environmental Deck**

_Being the son of environmental scientists, Jack has always been a lover of nature and the great outdoors. He hates deforestation and pollution – small problems in this day and age, but ones that still pop up on occasion – and loves animals. If that makes him a tree-hugger, he accepts it – he loves hugging trees! As a duelist, he decided to create a deck that reflected his love of nature._

_Jack's deck seemingly does the impossible – it turns Plant Monsters into a powerful offensive force. Grass Phantom is one of his most powerful. If he manages to get two of his three copies in the Graveyard, the third becomes a Monster with 2,000 Attack Points that needs no sacrifice. He uses other Monsters to aid this one, including Lord Poison to recover it should it be destroyed, and Fairy King Truesdale to strengthen it further. _

_One of Jack's powerful weapons is his Ultimate Insect combo. It's difficult to pull off, seeing as the weaker stages will be destroyed without protection, but if he manages it, he has a 2,600-Attack Point Monster that weaken all opposing Monsters. Sometimes, though, he simply needs a powerful Monster fast, and uses Pinch Hopper to summon the Level Seven version right away. It doesn't have its effect when he does this, but 2,600 Attack is nothing to scoff at._

_Hayashi the Forest Spirit is the most recent addition to his deck. This Ritual Monster is based on Japanese legends of nature spirits, and is incredibly powerful. Not only does it pack a punch of 3,000 Attack Points, but when it's on the field, his other Monsters cannot be attacked._

_Jack's message to those who defile nature is simple – be careful, or nature might strike back._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**A secretive chapter. Will Randy be dueling? Will Nadia? Who will show up next?**_

**_The chapter is called "Dedication Through Light And Darkness", and it's coming soon._**


	24. Dedication Through Light And Darkness

_Who would win a duel between Jaden Yuki and Rebecca Hawkins? Possibly, the duel between Randy and his sister Nadia earlier in this story gave an answer, and the end of that chapter promised something that I have kept a great secret up until now!_

_Hello, fanfic fans. Last chapter, Randy passed his exam with flying colors, but there was no time to celebrate, as a mysterious call on his cell phone claimed that his sister was being held hostage._

_But before we get into that, a little insight on the history behind Randy's cards. Tribes of Monsters have been popular as the game as progressed… Amazons, Gravekeepers, Archfiends, and so forth, Monsters that are not only the same Type, but hold a close bond that truly can't be broken…_

_Which leads us to a tribe that has made a spectacular splash in recent years…_

_The Elemental Heroes!_

_It all began with the Ancient Sanctuary booster pack, when the team was apparently founded. Like most teams, they started small, with only four members… They named themselves Avian, Burstinatrix, Sparkman, and Clayman. As far as Monsters went, they were ordinary Warriors with no effect, but they sure opened a few eyes. Up to this point, the only Monster who made a living fighting crime was Zombyra the Dark, and his effect was a liability unless you have a Skill Drain Deck. _

_Folks didn't know that this was the start of a phenomenon. Other booster packs and promotions came, and the original Fab Four doubled in size to eight, including Bubbleman, Wildheart, Bladedge, and Necroshade. And it didn't stop there… The group got a mascot, a robotic dog named Wroughtweiler…_

_And then came the accessories. With Skyscraper released, they had home-field advantage. Spells and Traps from the useful (Hero Signal) to the trivial (Burst Return?) came out, and they even got a fusion card made especially for them, Miracle Fusion, the Dragon's Mirror for Heroes. _

_But there is one thing that sets these guys apart from even the Avengers. Ask any football coach, and he'll say that the most important part of being on a team is teamwork. A team that doesn't have it quickly falls apart. This is the primary reason that superhero teams tend to last much longer than supervillain teams – criminals just don't have much of it. _

_And no team of Monsters has better teamwork than a group whose true power lies in the Fusion. With the exception of Bladedge, these superheroes aren't all that super as far as Monsters go. Most of them are rather weak, in fact. But two together and a Polymerization card unleashes true power._

_In the Ancient Sanctuary pack there were two of them – four Heroes, two Fusions, it made sense. Dr. Crowler learned firsthand that the stronger your Monster is, the more it hurts when the Flame Wingman totals it! Ouch!_

_On the other end, there was Thunder Giant. If Sinister Serpent wasn't illegal, this guy would be perfect. Still, even with the cost, his power is nothing to sneeze at, being able to destroy any Monster whose base Attack is weaker than his. And that's BASE attack. Maha Vailo could load herself down with Equips, but she wouldn't stand a chance against this guy._

_Of course, many more Fusions came after that, and if you have a hand with two Heroes and a Polymerization in it, odds are that you can bring out something from a well-stocked Fusion Deck. To date, in the American game, thirty-four Elemental Hero Fusions exist. Not all are useful, but many are. And there's still room for others… Mudballman and Electrum exist in Japan, and they have not yet exhausted all the ways two or more of these eight Warriors can match up. _

_How could I possibly make this group better? Well, possibly, I can't. But I tried my hardest. _

_After Randy's last duel, he traded his Dark Catapulter for a Hero that even Jaden didn't know about! Who is this mysterious lost member of the team?_

_To keep this a secret, I had to be clever. Man Called True, my beta-reader, has proofread this chapter, and he knows this Monster's name and effect, but he doesn't know important details. When I sent him the chapter, it was purposely changed, so that he got an old prototype version of the Monster._

_Also, whenever questions about this Hero came up, I did things that were a little underhanded, by purposely misleading people. Call me a liar if you want. The people a Marvel Comics did the same thing before the Thunderbolts were introduced._

_To everyone who asked, you now do not know what I said was true, and what was a white lie. _

_You'll have to read the chapter now. The only thing I will reveal at this point is, this Hero corrects a major injustice that has been done to the Elemental Heroes._

_Randy will duel a third time later in the story. Whether this Hero appears again depends on whether demand is great enough._

_Enjoy…_

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_**They say a brother and a sister can be close to each other…**_

_**But how closer can two siblings be than two who grew in the same womb? When our mother carried us, we were close from the start, and the only time we weren't close was the three minutes before Randy was born.**_

_**No matter how much I tease him, no matter how much I want to think he's a rival in this skill, I guess I can't deny that we have a bond between us, one that is unbreakable, one that will last forever.**_

_**No matter how you look at it, we're stuck with each other. **_

_**And now we have to draw on that bond, if we want to prevail**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

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**Dedication Through Light And Darkness**

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**0 0 0 0 0**

_Friday, September 24th, 2106, 11:20 AM_

Randy rode up the elevator that led to the roof of the main building.

"Hold on, Nadia…" he muttered.

"You realize this is likely a trap," said a voice behind him.

He turned around, and saw Sparkman.

"Yeah…" he answered, "but Nadia may be in trouble. I can't abandon her…"

"You should be commended," said the Hero. "And yet, I fear there may be more than meets the eye…"

He got out of the elevator and it opened onto open air. He looked down over a railing onto a depression on the roof.

"Nadia!" he shouted.

He ran down a set of stairs to where his sister was.

"Randy!" she shouted. "You're all right!"

"Me?" he said. "What about you?"

"I got a call," she said, "and they said that they had you and for me to come up here…"

Randy paused.

"Now this is weird…" he said.

"Forgive the deceit, heh, heh…" said a voice.

"But it was the only way we knew how to get both of you up here," said another voice.

They turned, and saw two mysterious-looking figures.

One of them was tall and thin; the other was short and squat. Both were wearing violet robes with hoods that had a golden eye on the forehead.

"I don't think it was very funny, people," said Randy. "I have a right mind to…"

"And who are you two?" asked Nadia.

"Just two duelists," said the tall one, "looking for a challenge. After all, we haven't dueled for quite awhile…"

"Uh huh," said the short one. "Who were the last two guys we dueled? Yugi-something and… something-Kaiba?"

"You trying to scare us?" asked Randy. "Next thing, you'll be saying you're both ghosts."

"Possibly," said the short one, lifting his head. "But now that all pretenses are over, you may call me Lumis, aka The Mask of Light…"

He lifted his head, and the right half of his face was covered with a silver mask with half an evil smile.

"And you may call me Umbra," said the other one, "aka The Mask of Darkness!"

He lifted his head, and the left half of his face was covered by a black mask with half a scowling frown.

"Okay, that's creepy…" answered Nadia.

"Two sides, same coin," said Lumis. "The Yin and the Yang, just like you two are in a way. And you're going to have to duel us both! Got it?"

"Suppose we say no?" asked Nadia.

Umbra took a card from out of his robe…

Dark Hole.

"Hey, that card is illegal," said Nadia.

"True, to most duelists it's nothing but trade-bait these days," answered Umbra. "But I don't intend to duel with it… I have another way to use it."

It faded away, and a dark vortex appeared above the two twins!

"See that?" asked Umbra. "It's a portal that can forcibly move any object – or any creature – to any other spot on the planet. I'm not going to say where it leads right now, but unless you two want to find out the hard way…"

"I think you're bluffing…" muttered Randy.

"It could transport you to the middle of the Sahara, the Arctic, the Pacific Ocean… the center of a volcano…"

"Okay, somehow I don't think they're bluffing now!" exclaimed Nadia.

"No way!" shouted Randy. "Neither of us can duel two against one! We wouldn't stand a…"

"Oh, please!" said Umbra. "We don't want you to do _that_! We have some decency! It will be two-on-two, a team match!"

Nadia and Randy looked at each other.

"Uh… Randy?" muttered Nadia. "Do you know how to do a team duel?"

"Uh, I asked a teacher, and he said that isn't covered until Sophomore year…" said Randy.

"Good grief, do we have to explain everything?" asked Lumis. "Listen close – each team has a pool of 8,000 Life Points, like in a normal duel. If one duelist loses any, it's taken out of your team's total. As usual, you win by reducing your opponents' Life Points to zero.

"There is no sharing of advice, no sharing of strategies, and no sharing of cards that have not yet been played. However, you can use anything that's already on the field. Got it?"

"I… think so…" said Nadia.

"Uhm…" said Randy. "Can you repeat that a little slower?"

"Ergh…" groaned Lumis, holding his forehead. "This is why I hate teenagers…"

Then the elevator opened, and Jason and Trisha came out.

"Oh no…" said Trisha.

She paused.

"What's with the black cloud?"

"Randy! Nadia!" shouted Jason. "Please, don't go through with this!"

"Butt out, you two!" said Umbra. "We'll handle you guys later."

"Don't worry, guys, we can handle them," said Nadia.

She pointed to the portal.

"We don't really have a choice here..."

"But…" muttered Trisha.

She paused.

_I'm almost certain that this is going to be a Shadow Game,_ she thought. _That dark vortex is certainly a problem, but what would happen if they lost?_

"Now," said Umbra, as the four Disks activated, "the stage is set, and it's time to duel!"

**(Randy & Nadia: 8,000) -------------------- (Lumis & Umbra: 8,000)**

The dark vortex spun, and moaned with eerie wind…

"I'll make the first move…" said Lumis, drawing a sixth card.

_Heh, heh,_ he thought. _Little does Nadia know, I prepared in advance, and I've got just what I need to break down her defenses._

"I'll place three cards facedown," he said, fitting three cards into his Disk.

Three facedown cards appeared.

"And then, Masked Sorcerer in Defense Mode."

A ghostly mage wearing a steel mask appeared with a low moan. It pulled a golden metronex watch out of its robe and looked at it. Then it placed it back in its robe and shielded itself. (900/1,400)

"And I'll give the turn to you, Nadia."

"All right, let's see here…" said Nadia, drawing a card.

"I'll summon Fire Princess in Attack Mode…"

She played the card, and an aura of flame appeared in front of her. The Princess stepped out, aiming her staff.

"And then, two cards of my own facedown."

She set two cards, and they appeared.

"I'll end my turn there."

"Very well, I'll move…" said Umbra, drawing a card.

"And my Trap activates!" shouted Nadia. "Go, Solemn Wishes!"

Her Trap lifted.

_This combo will help put us ahead,_ she thought. _And my Gravity Bind should protect my Princess. Fortunately, a great deal of Randy's Heroes only have three stars…_

"Interesting," said Umbra. "I'll summon this guy in Attack Mode… Shining Abyss!"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a weird Monster appeared. It looked like it was part Fairy and part Machine, made of shiny metal. It made a strange, metallic noise as it glared at the twins. (1,600/1,800)

"No-one can attack until everyone has drawn once," he continued, "so consider yourself lucky. That will be enough for now."

Randy drew.

He smirked.

"I summon… Elemental Hero Wildheart!" he shouted.

He played the card, and a Warrior appeared. He looked like an Aborigine, bare-chested and muscular, with strange tattoos on his torso. He wore a loincloth and held a nasty sword. He frowned, and glared at the two masked duelists, lifting his blade. (1,500/1,600)

_All right!_ thought Nadia. _Traps don't work on Wildheart – he won't care about my Gravity Bind!_

"And what better Spell Card to use with someone who's heart is as wild as his, but this one," continued Randy, playing a card. "Heated Heart!"

A flaming, blue letter H appeared on their side of the field, and Wildheart glowed with the same blue fire. His Attack rose to 2,000.

"It not only gives him 500 more Attack Points for the round, but a trampling effect to boot! Awesome, huh?

"Although, frankly, I doubt your Masked Sorcerer would think so…

"Wildheart, attack! Wild slash!"

The wild Hero roared and charged, and slashed Masked Sorcerer in half with his blade! Lumis cringed…

**(R & N: 8,000) -------------------- (L & U: 7,400)**

"Clever…" growled Lumis. "But before you end your turn, I'd like to activate this…"

One of his three facedown cards lifted.

"Mask of Restrict!"

A hideous tiki mask appeared on the field.

"So long as this Trap is active," he said, "no sacrificing of Monsters is allowed. Got it?"

"Same goes for the two of you!" replied Nadia.

"I'm not too worried about that…" said Lumis. "I think it's my draw…"

He drew a card.

"And I play Pot of Greed," he said, playing it. "And I'll draw twice…"

He drew two cards and looked at them.

"…but I believe I'll save them for later and end my turn there…"

He looked at Umbra and they nodded.

"Well then," said Nadia, drawing. "My Solemn Wishes kicks in…"

A shower of gold fell on her and Randy.

"…as does the effect of Fire Princess!"

Fire Princess took notice, and aimed her staff, shooting two bursts of flame at the masked duelists!

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode," she said, "and that will be my turn…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

**(R & N: 8,500) -------------------- (L & U: 6,900)**

"My draw…" growled Umbra, drawing a card.

"And I'll wipe out your Solemn Wishes with Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He played the card, and Nadia's Trap was blown away!

"Now then…" he said, "I'll give Shining Abyss a boost, by playing Mask of Brutality!"

A dark mask with fangs and claws for eyes fitted over Shining Abyss's face, and its stats changed to (2,600/800)

"Clever move," said Randy. "NOT! I happen to know that you have to pay Life Points every turn you want to keep that Equip Card."

"No we won't…" said Umbra, with a grin.

He played a Spell Card, one bearing the image of a rickety puppet with the Eye of Wdjat on its face, and a stake through its chest.

"It's a rare card called Masked Doll," he said. "So long as this card is on the field, one card that requires a cost… uhm… uh… it… it doesn't require a cost."

"Oh, that was original…" muttered Nadia.

"Whatever," said Umbra. "Shining Abyss, attack Wildheart! Chaos blast!"

"I activate my Trap!" shouted Nadia. "Go, Gravity Bind!"

Her Trap Card lifted.

"Oh, will you?" chuckled Lumis. "I was prepared for that, Nadia… I activate… Royal Surrender!"

One of his two facedown cards lifted, showing the image of soldiers on a blasted castle.

"This Counter Trap can negate and destroy any Continuous Trap Card," he said. "So your Gravity Bind is destroyed, and I don't have to pay a dime. Got it?"

Gravity Bind shattered.

"And by the way, so is your partner's Wildheart…"

Shining Abyss raised its hands and shot a beam of light and a beam of blackness at the Hero, blowing him to shards.

"Well, that… could have gone better…" said Randy.

**(R & N: 7,400) -------------------- (L & U: 6,900)**

"Your move, kid," said Umbra. "Don't screw up as bad as your sister did…"

Randy drew a card.

"I summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in Defense Mode…" he said, angrily.

The female Elemental Hero appeared with a cry, and did a flip, and then knelt in defense. (1,200/800)

"I'll end my turn there," he said.

"That all?" said Lumis. "This is going to be easier than I thought…"

He drew a card.

"First, I'll summon Melchid the Four-Face Beast in Attack Mode…"

He played a card, and a creature that looked like a big head with four masks around it appeared, hovering in mid-air. It grinned with the face in front… And then spun around, grinning with three others before returning to the one in front. (1,500/1,200)

"Well, let's see now…" he said, rubbing his chin. "I could destroy either of your Monsters right now…"

He fit two Spell Cards into his Disk.

"But I have a much better idea… I activate two copies of the same card… Mask of the Accursed!"

Fire Princess and Burstinatrix gasped…

Two bolts of darkness shot forward and hit them both in the face! When Randy and Nadia looked, a hideous iron mask had latched to both of them!

"Not exactly the best feminine attire but…" said Lumis with a short laugh.

"This is bad…" said Jason. "A Monster that has one of those Equipped to it can't attack, and will cost the owner 500 Life Points each time Lumis starts his turn!

"Your friends over there are smart," said Lumis. "Or 1,000 total, to be exact. And my current turn ends right now. Got it?"

Nadia drew a card.

"Well," she said, "if I can't attack, I'm not letting you guys either! I play Level Limit Area B!"

She played a card.

"Heh, heh, heh…" laughed Lumis. "As if…"

His last Trap lifted.

"I activate Spell-Stopping Statute!"

The Imperial Order judge appeared, and raised his hand. The Level Limit card shattered!

"This works like Royal Surrender, only on Continuous Spell Cards," said Lumis.

"Don't you get it yet? Our boss watched that duel where you owned Randy, so we prepared for all your cards! Got it?"

Nadia paused.

"I'll end with a facedown card…" she said.

A facedown card appeared.

**(R & N: 7,400) -------------------- (L & U: 6,900)**

"Well," said Umbra, drawing a card. "Guess the only thing to do is… get rid of your other Monster!

"Shining Abyss, attack her facedown Monster!"

Shining Abyss shot its chaos blast… Nadia smirked…

A man in a toga with golden, feathered wings appeared on the card, and was blown away.

"Thank you!" said Nadia. "When Shining Angel is destroyed in battle, I can summon a Light Attribute Monster with a low Attack Score from my deck!

"So say hello… to White Magician Pikeru!"

Pikeru appeared, holding her scepter. (1,200/0)

"Eh… Nothing we can't handle…" muttered Umbra. "I'll end my turn."

Randy drew a card.

"I play _my_ Pot of Greed…" he said.

He played the card, and drew two cards.

"Well, sis, it seems our Monsters are in trouble…" he said.

"No kidding…" answered Nadia.

"Time to send out an emergency call," continued Randy. "And that's exactly the name of the card I'm going to use… Emergency Call!"

He played the Spell Card, and a fiery green E appeared in the air.

"By playing this card, I can add one Elemental Hero from my deck to my hand…" he said, taking his deck.

He got what he needed.

"But he's not staying in my hand, because I'm summoning him! Meet Elemental Hero Clayman!"

The bulky Earth Hero appeared on the field. He looked at Burstinatrix and then at Lumis. It was hard to tell the expression on his rocky face, but it was clear he was angry… (800/2,000)

"And how is that reject from an art supply store going to help?" asked Lumis.

"I'm using him to use my next card," answered Randy. "It's called… Righteous Justice!"

He played another Spell Card, and a fiery red letter R appeared.

"What does that do?" asked Umbra.

"Yeah, what?" asked Trisha.

"For every Elemental Hero on our side of the field," said Randy, "I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card, and even though Burstinatrix has a mask stuck on her face, she still counts…"

The Mask of the Accursed on Fire Princess shattered, and then the Mask of Brutality on Shining Abyss shattered.

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Umbra. "Idiot! You could have just destroyed the mask on Burstinatrix!"

"I know, I know," said Randy. "But I intend to destroy that one… By getting rid of Burstinatrix."

"Weren't you listening a little while ago?" asked Lumis. "So long as my Mask of Restrict is on the field, you can't sacrifice her!"

"Who said I was going to?" answered Randy.

He played a card, and Polymerization appeared on the field.

"See," he said, "using a Monster in a fusion isn't considered a sacrifice. And doing so will send Burstinatrix to the Graveyard, taking your Mask with her.

"So, Burstinatrix, merge with Clayman…"

The two heroes melded together in a red and brown blur...

"And form, the one, the only, Elemental Hero Rampart Blaster!"

Where the two Heroes had been was powerful-looking female figure in gunmetal grey armor, with a powerful gun for one hand and a shield for the other. She faced the two robed duelists and their Monsters and then aimed her huge weapon. (2,000/2,500)

"ARGH!" shouted Umbra. "He managed to summon a powerful Monster!"

"Sure…" said Randy. "I mean… Fusion Summoning is the whole purpose of my deck… You said you had prepared for this duel, right?"

Lumis stood dumbfounded.

"Rampart Blaster, show them how you got your name!" shouted Randy. "Blast their Shining Abyss!"

Rampart Blaster aimed her weapon and a loud click sounded. Beads of sweat appeared on Shining Abyss's "head".

She fired a round of hot shells from her gun, and Shining Abyss staggered a little as flames erupted over it! It exploded.

**(R & N: 7,400) -------------------- (L & U: 6,500)**

"Lumis…" growled Umbra. "Why didn't you take him into consideration?"

"The boss told me that Nadia was better!" shouted Lumis. "That she had beaten him soundly!"

"Soundly?" said Nadia, with a short laugh. "Come on… Even I'll admit that the duel we had was a close one…"

"Lumis, if we lose again…" growled Umbra.

"Focus, Umbra!" shouted Lumis. "Arguing with each other was what did us in the last time, remember?"

"Hello, it's your move?" said Randy.

"Fine!" said Lumis, drawing a card.

"Since my Mask of Restrict seemingly hurts us more than it does you two," he said, "I'll play Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and a storm whipped across the field. The Mask shattered, and then Masked Doll and Nadia's facedown card (revealed to be Draining Shield) shattered too.

"Melchid, take out Nadia's Fire Princess!" he shouted. "Quadruple smash attack!"

The Four-Face Beast spun around, and slammed into Fire Princess, blowing her to shards.

"Finally, I'll sacrifice Melchid to summon Illusionist Faceless Mage, in Defense Mode."

Melchid vanished, and a tall creature appeared. It was a faceless, bald creature in colorful robes, with two doll heads (one a girl, the other a boy) on its shoulders. (1,200/2,000)

"And I'll end my turn there… Umbra, you clean up…"

**(R & N: 7,200) -------------------- (L & U: 6,500)**

Nadia drew a card.

"We'll see," she said. "First, due to Pikeru's effect, we gain 400 Life Points for every Monster on our side of the field, in other words, 800…"

Pikeru raised her staff, and she and Rampart Blaster glowed. Then Nadia and Randy glowed.

"Next, I'll place a card facedown, and summon Mystic Tomato in Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared, and then the huge, red fruit with a silly face materialized. (1,400/1,100)

"Your move, gruesome."

Umbra drew a card.

"I summon Grand Tiki Elder in Attack Mode!" he exclaimed.

As he put the card down, a creature appeared with a cackle. It was an evil-looking witch doctor in a colorful mask and a ragged robe, that floated above the ground. It bore wicked claws. (1,500/800)

"Attack Pikeru!" he shouted. "Tiki curse!"

Grand Tiki Elder started to wave its arms and chant an evil spell in a spooky language.

"Sorry, buddy," said Nadia, "but you did just what I wanted you to do… I activate… Staunch Defender!"

Her Trap Card lifted, showing the image of Marauding Captain standing up to Despair From the Dark.

"When this Trap is activated," she explained, "all of your attacks this round are directed to the Monster I choose, and I choose my Mystic Tomato."

The Elder continued to chant, and it turned to Mystic Tomato. It cringed, and then burst into globs of tomato paste.

Nadia smirked, and took her deck.

"Now I can summon a Dark Monster from my deck with a low Attack Score. Your Fiend over there would qualify, but the Dark Monster I have in mind is a whole lot less ugly…"

She placed a card down.

"In fact, I'd say she's adorable."

Ebon Magician Curran appeared next to Pikeru. (1,200/0)

The two sisters turned to each other, and nodded. Then they turned to face Lumis and Umbra.

"Boy…" said Nadia. "Usually they don't like each other too much… But it seems now, they like you two even less!"

Umbra paused.

"I end my turn…" he said.

"And now it's my move!" shouted Randy.

He drew.

"First I'll shift Rampart Blaster into Defense Mode…"

Rampart Blaster knelt down and covered herself with her shield, but she still pointed her gun forward.

"Next, I'll summon this guy in Attack Mode… Elemental Hero Bubbleman!"

A burst of water erupted onto the field. Bubbleman appeared, and struck a pose. (800/1,200)

"And now I'll arm him with Bubble Blaster!"

Bubbleman's weapon of choice fell from the sky, and he caught it. His Attack score rose to 1,600.

"Bubbleman, attack that freaky Tiki!" he shouted. "B…"

"Hold it, Randy!" said Nadia. "Can you let me say it this time?"

"Heh, sure…" laughed Randy. "Be my guest…"

"Bombarding… bubble… barrage!" yelled Nadia.

Bubbleman fired a blast of water from his cannon. Grand Tiki Elder gasped, and then burst in an explosion of bubbles!

"Next, I'll activate Rampart Blaster's special ability," continued Randy. "And it's a good one…"

"I sure hope so," said Jason, "cause I don't even know what it is…"

"When Rampart Blaster is in Defense Mode," said Trisha, "she can attack directly, doing damage equal to half her Attack Score."

"That's right!" shouted Randy. "Rampart Blaster, blast them!"

Rampart Blaster fired two explosive blasts from her weapon, and Lumis and Umbra were propelled backwards!

**(R & N: 7,200) -------------------- (L & U: 5,400)**

"Tell me again… why we agreed to this?" asked Umbra, pulling himself up.

"Because…" answered Lumis.

Then he looked up, and saw Jason and Trisha.

"You know why…" he answered.

"This is great," exclaimed Jason. "Nadia and Randy are not only winning, they seem to be having fun doing so!"

"I knew they wouldn't stay rivals for long," said Trisha, taking out her deck.

She leafed through it, and took out the Dark Catapulter card that Randy had traded to her…

Lumis drew a card.

"I pass, there's nothing I can do!" he shouted.

Nadia drew a card.

"Great…" she said. "Now, because of Curran, you lose 300 Life Points for every Monster on your side of the field…"

Curran cast a dark spell, and Illusionist Faceless Mage glowed with dark energy.

"Then, because of Pikeru, we gain 400 Life Points for every Monster on our side…"

Pikeru, Curran, Bubbleman, and Rampart Blaster glowed with white energy. And then Randy and Nadia glowed.

"And I'll just let that be my turn," she added.

**(R & N: 8,800) -------------------- (L & U: 5,100)**

Umbra drew a card.

"Time to get rid of Curran," he said. "No way I'm letting you summon your Dark Queen…

"I play the Ritual Spell Card, Contract of Mask. For this ritual, I need to sacrifice six stars worth of Monsters. Fortunately, my partner and I just love to share…"

"Mmm!" said Lumis.

"Therefore…" said Umbra, playing the card, "I'll sacrifice Illusionist Faceless Mage and one Kuriboh…"

A Kuriboh appeared on the field. It and the Spellcaster vanished.

"…to summon a creature of chaos called Mask of Shine and Dark!"

An ominous form arose on the field. It was a scary-looking mask, apparently made of metal of some sort, with an evil grin. Half of it was gold, the other half was violet. It smiled a very evil smile. (2,000/1,800)

"It's kind of like us…" said Umbra. "Two sides, same coin, having both Light and Dark powers, although if it had to choose, it would choose Dark.

"Attack Curran! Chaos gaze!"

Mask of Shine and Dark's eyes glowed, and a ripple of energy exuded from it. Curran cringed, and then she shattered into bits.

**(R & N: 8,000) -------------------- (L & U: 5,100)**

"I really hope you enjoyed that…" said Randy, angrily.

He drew a card.

"Rampart Blaster, attack them again!"

Blaster fired two shots past the Mask, and they were thrown back again.

**(R & N: 8,000) -------------------- (L & U: 4,100)**

"I'll end my turn there…" he said.

Lumis crawled to his feet.

"Sorry Randy…" he said, drawing a card, "but your Blaster has _got_ to go…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Masquerade," he said. "This is a rare card made specifically for team duels. So long as it's on the field, I can command any of Umbra's Monsters as if they were mine. Got it?"

"Next, I'll play Rush Recklessly, to give Mask of Shine and Dark a boost."

He played a card, and the creature rose to 2,700 Attack.

"Now, blast his Rampart Blaster!"

The Mask's eyes glowed, and the chaos gaze rippled forward. Rampart Blaster cringed, and then blew into shards.

"Great…" muttered Jason. "That leaves Pikeru and… Bubbleman… Not exactly their best Monsters."

"I think they can hear you, Jason…" said Trisha.

"Yeah, I can hear you," said Nadia, drawing a card, "and everything is under control…

"First I'll use Pikeru's effect to gain us 800 Life Points…"

Pikeru and Bubbleman and their owners glowed with energy.

"Now I'll Equip Pikeru with… Trial of the Princess!"

She played the card. Pikeru glowed with energy, and her Attack rose to 2,000.

Umbra sneered.

"Unfortunately, that makes her and our Monster evenly matched…" he growled.

"Uh, Randy…" said Nadia, sweetly. "Mind if I borrow Bubbleman?"

"Sure sis…" said Randy. "What's mine is yours…"

"Right!" said Nadia. "I play Gift of the Martyr!"

She played the card, and Bubbleman vanished.

"Now, by sacrificing Bubbleman, his Attack Score is added to Pikeru's for one round!"

Pikeru rose to 3,600 Attack!

"You had to open your big mouth…" muttered Lumis.

"Pikeru, attack the Mask of Shine and Dark!" shouted Nadia. "Sparkle blast!"

White Magician Pikeru laughed with joy. She blasted a beam of stars and sparks, and the Mask of Shine and Dark stopped grinning, its face turning into a frown. Cracks appeared over it… and then it blew into fragments!

"And now…" said Nadia, "since she defeated a Monster who was at least five stars while Equipped with Trial of the Princess, she evolves into Princess Pikeru!"

Pikeru rose off the ground, and glowed brightly… A bright glow enveloped her…

When the glow subsided, she had transformed into a teenage version of herself, in royal clothing with long, braided hair. The sheep-shaped hat was still on her head, but it was now a more elegant crown. She clutched a long, fancier scepter. (2,000/0)

"Now, I'll place two cards facedown, and end my turn…" she said.

She threw two cards into her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

**(R & N: 8,800) -------------------- (L & U: 2,500)**

Umbra growled as he drew.

"I play Card of Sanctity!" he exclaimed, playing a card. "Now, each player on the field must draw until they hold six cards."

All four of them made multiple draws.

"Heh, heh…" he snickered. "And now let's play some of them! I play… Curse of the Masked Beast!"

He played the card, and a fiendish altar with two violet torches next to them appeared.

"Oh… no…" muttered Jason. "This is NOT good!"

"Now, I have to sacrifice eight stars worth of Monsters…" said Umbra. "So I'll sacrifice these two…"

Two creatures (Jason recognized them as Nuvia the Wicked and Flash Assailant) appeared in front of the altar and leapt on the torches…

Then the whole thing was consumed in purple fire…

"I summon The Masked Beast!" he shouted.

A horrible creature walked out of the flames. It looked centaurian in shape, though it only had two legs, which were fiendish talons, on its crustaceous lower body. It was covered with pieces of armor shaped like demonic masks. Its upper body was muscular, and its face had an eyeless mask covered with spikes. It carried a nasty club, and even that had a mask on it. (3,200/1,800)

"3,200 Attack Points?" said Randy. "Give me a break…"

"As you wish…" said Umbra. "Masked Beast, 'break' Princess Pikeru!"

The huge Fiend roared, and charged at the Princess. Pikeru screamed and covered her head, dropping her scepter.

"NO!" screamed Nadia. "Activate Trap…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"Absolute End!"

"What the…" said Umbra.

"This forces your Monster to hit _me_ instead of Pikeru!" screamed Nadia.

Pikeru dodged aside, and The Masked Beast smashed into Nadia with its club, sending her tumbling to the floor…

Nadia winced in pain. She heard the Fiend laughing an evil laugh. Pikeru started to weep silently as she slowly retrieved her scepter…

**(R & N: 5,600) -------------------- (L & U: 2,500)**

"That was the _dumbest_ thing I have _ever_ seen…" said Umbra with a grin. "You actually care about your Monsters so much that you'd take a direct attack that powerful to protect them?"

"I couldn't let Pikeru die…" gasped Nadia.

"I'll just get her on my turn!" gloated Lumis. "Or have you forgotten, my Masquerade is still on the field?"

"No…" snarled Nadia. "I didn't forget…"

Her other facedown card lifted.

"Go, Dust Tornado!" she shouted.

The Tornado blew across the field, and shattered the Masquerade card.

"Lucky…" said Lumis.

"We'll soon see…" said Randy. "It's my move now…"

He drew a card.

"And I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman in Attack Mode!"

The streamlined Hero of Light appeared, striking a heroic pose. (1,600/1,400)

"And now I'll play his favorite Spell Card," continued Randy. "The Equip Card, Spark Blaster!"

He played the card, and a sparking handgun appeared in Sparkman's hand.

"This weapon has three charges," explained Randy. "By using one, Sparkman can change the battle position of any Monster on the field.

"So that masked abomination of yours is moving into Defense Mode!"

Sparkman fired a blast of electricity from the Blaster, and the Masked Beast howled in rage. It strained for a second, and then kneeled, and shielded itself defensively.

"Nice try," said Umbra. "But it has 1,800 Defense Points, which is too much for your Sparkman."

"Well, guess I'll end my turn with a facedown card then," said Randy.

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"Over to you, lighthead."

"That's The Mask of Light!" shouted Lumis, drawing.

He looked at the card.

"I'll summon Rogue Doll in Attack Mode," he said, playing the card.

A strange creature, resembling a floating female form in a purple cloak carrying a staff appeared. (1,600/1,000)

"And next, I'll Equip it with another Mask of Brutality."

Another of the nasty masks formed on Rogue Doll's face, and it changed to (2,600/0)

"Rogue Doll, attack Pikeru! Rogue phantom blast!"

The Doll's staff glowed…

"Sorry to ruin you plan, shiny," said Randy, "but I'm not too keen on losing Pikeru either…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Go, Hero Barrier!"

The blast shot forward and struck an invisible shield.

"This Trap can negate one attack so long as an Elemental Hero is on the field," he said, "and Sparkman is in plain sight!"

"We'll get her next turn," said Lumis. "It's your turn, brat! Got it?"

"Now, Nadia," said Randy, "draw the right card, and bring out the Queen!"

Nadia slowly drew…

"Yes!" she said. "I got it, Randy, I got it!

"First, due to Pikeru's effect, we gain 800 Life Points for each Monster we have on the field…"

Pikeru and Sparkman glowed and their owners glowed…

"And then, I Equip Pikeru with Coronation!" she shouted.

She played the card, and Pikeru rose to 2,700 Attack.

"Now, all Pikeru has to do to evolve further is defeat a Monster with seven stars or more, and since your ugly excuse for a Monster has eight stars, that won't be difficult.

"Pikeru, attack The Masked Beast!"

Pikeru shot a blast of brilliant energy, and The Masked Beast was blown into gibbets!

"And now…" said Nadia, as Pikeru started to glow, "let's all welcome… the mistress of white magic… **_White Queen Pikeru_**!"

A brilliant glow enveloped the Princess, and then a radiant form stepped out. It was an adult version of Pikeru, now buxom with curves, in a gorgeous royal dress, golden braids, and wearing a golden crown. Her eyes were globules of golden light. (2,600/2,100)

"And I end my turn by playing a facedown card," she said with a smirk.

A facedown card appeared.

**(R & N: 7,200) -------------------- (L & U: 2,500)**

"Umbra do something!" shouted Lumis.

Umbra drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed…" he said.

He drew two cards.

He looked them over.

"I summon Humanoid Slime in Defense Mode," said Umbra.

A glob of protoplasm appeared on his side of the field, and a creature made of blue liquid wearing golden armor appeared. (800/2,000)

"I meant something better than _that_…" said Lumis, sarcastically.

"Like you can do better!" said Umbra, fitting a card into his Disk.

A facedown card materialized.

He looked at Nadia and Randy.

_Go on, attack me…_ he thought. _The Mirror Force I put down will make you sorry…_

Randy drew a card.

"First, I'll summon Elemental Hero Avian in Defense Mode," he said.

The winged, taloned hero appeared, and crouched in Defense. (1,000/1,000)

"Then it's time to use the last two charges on the Spark Blaster," he said. "First, I'll move Rogue Doll into Defense Mode…"

Sparkman shot a blast, and Rogue Doll moved into Defense.

"Then I'll move Humanoid Slime into Attack Mode!"

He shot another blast, and the Slime rose up into Attack Position.

The Spark Blaster shattered into shards.

"Sparkman, take out Rogue Doll! Shining surge flash!"

Sparkman shot a blast of electricity at the Doll.

"I activate Mirror Force!" shouted Umbra.

His Trap Card lifted.

"Oh, great…" muttered Randy.

"Don't worry, bro…" said Nadia, "I got it covered. Activate… Seven Tools of the Bandit!"

Her own Trap lifted, and a huge jackknife flew forward. The Mirror Force card smashed into pieces!

"Do you believe in the old superstition that breaking a mirror is bad luck?" laughed Nadia. "I'd say your Rogue Doll thinks so…"

Sparkman's blast struck the Doll, and blew it to smithereens!

"Don't get too smug…" muttered Lumis. "You used Seven Tools of the Bandit to save your Monsters, and that costs you 1,000 Life Points…"

"I know how my own cards work…" answered Nadia.

**(R & N: 6,200) -------------------- (L & U: 2,500)**

"It's your move, Lumis, unless you want to call this off," said Randy. "Why don't you just make the vortex go away, we'll pretend this all never happened, and go get some lunch? The Slifer dining hall is serving sloppy joes today, and frankly…"

"NO!" shouted Lumis, drawing a card.

"First I'll summon a Monster you might remember, seeing as my partner used one," he said. "Grand Tiki Elder, in Attack Mode…"

The creepy tiki appeared again. (1,500/800)

"And I'll have him attack your Avian!"

The Elder cast his tiki curse, and Avian groaned. He shattered.

"Then I'll play… Silent Doom. Now I can summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode. You remember my Illusionist Faceless Mage, right?"

The bizarre Spellcaster reappeared. (1,200/2,200)

"Then I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

Nadia drew a card.

"I'll place a facedown card too," she said.

A facedown card appeared in front of her.

"And now, Pikeru, attack Humanoid Slime!"

Pikeru blasted a ray of pure, white magic, and humanoid slime splattered into water.

"And due to her special ability, the Attack Points of that Monster are added to our Life Points," she added.

**(R & N: 7,000) -------------------- (L & U: 700)**

"They're winning," said Jason. "One more successful attack, and this will all be but an unpleasant memory…"

"That will be my turn, pal," said Nadia.

Umbra drew a card.

"I pass this turn," he said. "Lumis, you'd better have an idea in that fat head of yours…"

Randy looked at Lumis to see if he had taken the hint, and then drew a card.

"Sparkman, attack Grand Tiki Elder!" he shouted.

Sparkman blasted his energy bolts…

"Sorry…" said Lumis. "I activate… Mask of Weakness!"

His facedown card lifted, and another ugly mask flew forward, latching onto Sparkman!

"This lowers his Attack by 700 points, so now my Tiki is stronger. Got it?"

Grand Tiki Elder counter-attacked with his dark curse, and Sparkman was blown to pieces.

**(R & N: 6,400) -------------------- (L & U: 700)**

"Crud…" muttered Randy. "Okay, that's enough for me…"

Lumis drew.

"Think I'll just move my Elder to Defense Mode, and that will be all," he said.

The Tiki shielded itself in Defense.

"All right Randy," said Nadia, drawing. "Sparkman's death won't be in vain. Pikeru, attack Grand Tiki Elder!"

Pikeru fired her white spell, and the witch doctor was vaporized.

"And, once again, we gain Life Points equal to its Attack Points…" she said. "It's your move."

**(R & N: 7,900) -------------------- (L & U: 700)**

Umbra drew.

"I play a Spell Card…" he said in an ominous voice. "The Vase of Unholy Blight…"

He played the card, and a black, far more sinister version of the Pot of Greed appeared in front of him.

"Scared?" he asked, taking his deck. "Relax. This is simply a drawing tool. I remove one Dark Monster in my deck from play…"

He showed them a Masked Sorcerer.

"Then I reshuffle…"

He reshuffled.

"And then I get to draw three times…"

He put his deck back, and drew three cards. He looked at them.

"Two of them go facedown…" he said.

He fit two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards materialized.

"Then I play Monster Reborn," he said. "And I'll bring back my old friend Mask of Shine and Dark."

He played the card, and the freaky mask reappeared. (2,000/1,800)

"But don't worry, I don't intend to attack with him," he continued. "He's just here so I can play Mystik Wok."

He played another card, and the Mask faded into smoke.

"Now we gain Life Points equal to its Attack Score," he continued. "I'll end my turn there."

"This had better work, Umbra…" whispered Lumis.

**(R & N: 7,900) -------------------- (L & U: 2,700)**

"That's odd," said Jason. "Why didn't he do that with The Masked Beast? He'd have gotten more Life Points."

"I dunno…" said Trisha.

"Then I draw…" said Randy.

"And my Trap activates!" shouted Umbra. "I activate… Dividing Path of Destiny."

One of his facedown cards lifted, showing the image of Warrior Dai Grepher approaching a dark crossroads in the woods.

"What does that do?" asked Randy, getting nervous.

"Catch," answered Umbra.

A golden coin fell into Randy's hand.

Umbra lifted up his hand to show that he had one as well.

"Here's how it works," he explained. "At the Dividing Path of Destiny, one road leads to healing Light, and the other leads to draining Darkness. It's impossible to see where you're going where the road divides, and you won't know which path you've taken until you actually reach Light or Darkness. And the Path is different for everyone who dares approach, so there is no way to mark the paths. Thus, choosing the path to Light depends on one thing only…

"Pure chance.

"When this Trap is activated, both players flip one coin. If he calls it right, he has taken the path to Light, and gains 2,000 Life Points. If he calls it wrong, he has taken the path to Darkness, and loses 2,000 Life Points."

Randy gave him a strange look.

"Fine by me," he said.

He tossed it in the air.

"Heads!" he shouted.

"Tails!" yelled Umbra, tossing his.

The coins fell to the ground.

Nadia cheered as both of them came up heads!

**(R & N: 9,900) -------------------- (L & U: 700)**

"Looks like Umbra's big plan was a big backfire!" laughed Trisha.

"Then why is he smiling?" asked Jason.

"Yeah, why?" asked Nadia.

"I activate my _other_ Trap," said Umbra. "Life Equalizer."

His other facedown card lifted, showing a picture of a fallen soldier drawing energy out of an enemy who was about to strike him with a sword.

"What's that?" asked Nadia.

"A useful Trap to have when your opponent is an annoying player who simply won't stop raising her Life Points!" said Umbra, with a smile. "This Trap can only be played when my opponent is winning by a margin of 8,000 Life Points or more. Now, both our Life Point scores become 3,000.

"I forgot to mention one thing, Nadia…"

He tapped the mask on his face.

"Being the Mask of Darkness, the path to Darkness was exactly what I wanted…"

He grinned.

Randy and Nadia stared in disbelief as the scores changed…

**(R & N: 3,000) -------------------- (L & U: 3,000)**

"Talk about a dirty trick…" muttered Jason.

"But clever, too," said Trisha. "This could be trouble…"

"Nice going," said Lumis, with a grin. "Now let's take them out."

Umbra gave him a thumbs-up.

_Nuts,_ thought Jason. _Not only did that successful strategy give Lumis and Umbra the advantage, it got them to stop arguing and trust each other again…_

_And that's bad… Because in a two-on-two duel, trust is the most important part. Nadia and Randy had a chance when they were losing it, but now…_

Randy looked at the card he had just drawn.

"All right!" he said, angrily. "I play Pot of Avarice."

He played the card.

"A useful card when using my kind of deck, because it lets you recycle your Heroes. Now, I take five Monsters from my Graveyard of any type, and shuffle them back into my deck."

He took Sparkman, Clayman, Burstinatrix, Avian, and Wildheart, and shuffled them into his deck.

"Then I draw twice…" he said.

He made two draws.

"And I got lucky, cause I just drew one of the cards I just put back there. I summon Burstinatrix in Attack Mode!"

Burstinatrix appeared with a war cry as she flew onto the field. (1,200/800)

"I end my turn," he said.

"That was a dumb move..." muttered Lumis, drawing a card. "Really dumb…"

"I play Monster Reborn to bring back Melchid."

Melchid the Four-Face Beast reappeared. (1,500/1,200)

"Melchid, attack Burstinatrix!" he shouted.

Melchid spun towards Burstinatrix, and she was smashed to pieces.

"Now I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn…" he said.

A facedown card materialized.

**(R & N: 2,700) -------------------- (L & U: 3,000)**

"You know, for someone who's Monster was just defeated, Randy doesn't seem all too upset…" said Jason.

"No…" muttered Trisha. "In fact, he looks quite happy…"

She paused. Then a realization hit.

"He _wanted_ Lumis to destroy her…" she muttered. "I don't know why, but he did…"

Nadia drew.

"I summon Cure Mermaid in Attack Mode…" she stated.

In a flurry of bubbles, the elegantly dressed mermaid appeared. (1,500/800)

"Pikeru, attack Melchid!" shouted Nadia.

Pikeru shot her blast…

"Not this time…" said Lumis. "I activate Negate Attack!"

His Trap Card lifted, and the blast was deflected.

"Well then…" said Nadia, "I'll place one card facedown, and that will be my turn…"

A facedown card appeared behind Pikeru.

Umbra drew a card.

_Hmm,_ he thought._ I drew Chaos Sacrifice… But maybe I should wait before I play it. I have a feeling I know what Lumis is going to do on his next move…_

"I'll pass this turn again…" he said.

"Then watch out!" shouted Randy, drawing a card.

He played a Spell Card.

"I play… Oversoul!" he shouted. "This card lets me Special Summon one Elemental Hero from my Graveyard, so long as it isn't an Effect Monster."

A flaming letter O appeared in the air, and Burstinatrix appeared in an aura of flames. (1,200/800)

"And that," he continued, "leads to me playing this… HERO Flash!"

He played another Spell Card, and the letters H-E-R-O appeared in the air in flaming letters.

"It's the ultimate five-card Elemental Hero combo, and here's how it works," he said. "I have to remove Heated Heart, Emergency Call, Righteous Justice, and Oversoul from play…"

The five Spell Cards fell out of his discard slot.

"And once I do that, I can first summon a non-Effect Hero from my deck…"

Avian appeared, in Attack Mode. (1,000/1,000)

"And then, for this round only, my Heroes can attack you guys directly! Go!"

Avian soared into the air, and then drop-kicked Umbra! Burstinatrix flew into the air and shot a plume of flame at Lumis!

They groaned and picked themselves up off the floor.

**(R & N: 2,700) -------------------- (L & U: 800)**

"You okay, partner?" asked Lumis, getting up.

"So long as I don't laugh or sing any time soon," muttered Umbra, holding his ribs. "Don't worry, Lumis, we'll get them good…"

Lumis drew a card.

"Indeed…" he muttered. "Time to bring out the most vicious beast in my deck…

"I sacrifice Illusionist Faceless Mage, and Melchid the Four-Face Beast, to summon the one…"

The two Monsters vanished.

"…the only…"

A shadowy form started to rise.

"**_Masked Beast Des Guardius!"_**

The creature appeared. It looked like a hideous cross between a reptile and a bear, with giant claws and horns all over its body. It had three masks, one on its face, and two on each shoulder. It threw up its arms and roared! (3,300/2,500)

"What the…" said Nadia.

"That is the _ugliest_ Duel Monster I have ever seen!" shouted Randy.

"And just to make sure your facedown card doesn't get in my way," said Lumis, looking at Nadia, "I'm playing Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He played the card, and the fierce typhoon shot forward, shattering Nadia's card.

"Sisters of Chaos?" he asked. "What the heck does that do?"

"It was a bluff…" muttered Nadia.

"Ah, well," said Lumis, shrugging. "Better safe than sorry. Des Guardius, attack Pikeru!"

The giant Beast lunged forward, and made two swipes, blasting Pikeru to shards.

Tears formed in Nadia's eyes…

"Pikeru…" she sobbed.

**(R & N: 2,000) -------------------- (L & U: 800)**

"Your move, little girl," said Lumis.

Nadia's hand quivered as she drew a card.

Cure Mermaid gestured, and a large bubble appeared, showering healing water over Nadia and Randy.

"I'll move Cure Mermaid to Defense Mode…" she stammered, "and place one card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

**(R & N: 2,800) -------------------- (L & U: 800)**

"Fine," said Umbra, drawing. "And now to use this… A Spell Card called… Chaos Sacrifice!"

They looked at him.

"Without even knowing what it does, I already don't like it," said Randy.

"Let me explain," said Umbra. "This Spell Card allows both me and my partner to remove from play any Light and Dark Monsters in our Graveyards as we desire, and for each one, gain 500 Life Points. There are twelve such Monsters in our Graveyards combined, and we're going to remove all but one of them."

The images of eleven cards appeared, and faded into bursts of energy. Colored lights formed a maelstrom of energy around the two duelists.

"Where… on Earth…" said Trisha, "did they get a card that powerful?"

"Wait…" said Jason, scratching his chin. "I've heard of this card…"

He paused.

"The Team World Tournament, eight years after the Grand Prix," he said. "It was a special tournament where all the duels were tag-team.

"Yugi and Kaiba entered as partners, and Pegasus made that card especially for them as a little goodwill gift. He figured they could use it, since most of Yugi's Monsters were Dark and most of Kaiba's were Light.

"But both of them were disgusted by it. Kaiba had a few cards that removed his own Monsters from play, but both of them thought that the idea of eradicating all their Monsters to gain Life Points as cruel. So Kaiba just put it away somewhere."

"This card is unique?" asked Trisha. "How did these yahoos get it?"

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Fortunado smiled over his martini.

"How indeed, dear Trisha?" he asked.

"Kaiba included it in the prize for a tournament held among the students at the original Duel Academy… But the winner didn't want it either. So he put it up for auction on eBay.

"The buyer found little use for it, so he traded it for more useful cards. The next owner sold it to a card store.

"And on it went over the decades. It seemed that Pegasus never realized that he had created a Spell Card that seemed useful, but no one actually wanted…

"No-one, that is… Until I got ahold of it…"

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**(R & N: 2,800) -------------------- (L & U: 6,300)**

"And I'm hardly done," continued Umbra. "Next, I'll spend 800 of those Life Points to play Fulfillment of the Contract, and bring back the one I didn't remove. Guess who it is?"

He played the card, and The Masked Beast reappeared. (3,200/1,800)

"This Spell Card lets me revive a Ritual Monster from my Graveyard, so long as I pay 800 Life Points and Equip it with this card.

"Now, wipe out her Cure Mermaid!"

The Masked Beast lunged forward, and smashed the Mermaid to bits.

"No more curing for her…" he laughed. "So now, the shoe is on the other foot…"

**(R & N: 2,800) -------------------- (L & U: 5,500)**

"Seriously…" muttered Jason. "If they don't do something fast, they're going to lose…"

Trisha looked at the Dark Catapulter in her hand.

_Come on…_ she thought. _Your original owner is in trouble… Help him find a solution…_

Randy drew a card.

"All right…" he said. "Pikeru will be avenged. I play… Polymerization! Fuse Burstinatrix with Avian!"

The two Heroes combined into a swirl of light, and the Flame Wingman appeared! (2,100/1,200)

"And now…" he said, opening his Field Slot, "I play Skyscraper!"

He played the card, and the dark city arose around the four duelists! The normally dark sky was only darker due to the crackling vortex.

"What would a superhero be without a city to protect?" asked Randy. "And in this burg, an Elemental Hero gains 1,000 Attack Points when he attacks a Monster who has more Attack Points than he does!"

Lumis and Umbra looked at each other…

And then they burst out laughing!

Then Umbra groaned and held his ribs.

"You must have flunked all of your math classes!" laughed Lumis. "Even _with_ that bonus, your Hero wouldn't be strong enough to take out either of our Fiends. Got it?"

"Oh… is that so?" asked Nadia.

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Rush Recklessly!" she shouted. "Now, I can give 700 Attack points to any Monster on the field, and I think I'll give them to the Flame Wingman!"

Flame Wingman's Attack rose to 2,800.

"And now he's strong enough…" said Nadia.

"You got it!" said Randy. "Flame Wingman, attack Masked Beast Des Guardius with skydive scorcher!"

Flame Wingman flew into the air, and burst into flame. His Attack rose to 3,800, and he hurtled to earth, like a meteor. Des Guardius groaned, and was blasted to ashes.

"And he isn't done!" laughed Randy. "Now, you lose Life Points equal to that thing's Attack Score!"

Flame Wingman pointed his arm at the two duelists and blasted a gout of flame at them with his dragon arm! They winced in pain…

**(R & N: 2,800) -------------------- (L & U: 1,700)**

Flame Wingman backed off.

"That burned…" muttered Lumis. "But you're gonna get burned even more…"

Suddenly, a red, fiendish mask flew forward and latched onto Flame Wingman's face!

"When Des Guardius is destroyed," said Lumis, "his effect activates, and in revenge, his corpse creates the Mask of Remnants, which seizes control of one of your Monsters. Got it?"

Flame Wingman flew over to Lumis's side!

"And now, it's my move!" he continued. "Since you two are defenseless, all I need to do is draw any Monster, and you'll lose… Got it?"

He drew.

He growled…

"Disappointed?" asked Randy.

"Flame Wingman, attack Randy directly!" shouted Lumis, angrily.

Flame Wingman leapt up, and kicked Randy with a burning talon. He fell over.

**(R & N: 700) -------------------- (L & U: 1,700)**

"Hang in there, Randy…" said Nadia. "I'll think of something… I hope…"

_This next card had better be a Monster…_ she thought.

She drew.

"I summon The Forgiving Maiden in Defense Mode!"

She placed a card down, and the pious holy woman appeared, kneeling. (850/2,000)

"That ends my turn…" she muttered.

Umbra drew a card.

"Masked Beast, wipe out that Maiden!" he shouted.

The Masked Beast charged forward, and smashed the Fairy.

"Well, Randy," he said. "I think this will be the last move of the duel… Lest you forget, your Skyscraper is a Field Card which doesn't play favorites, and Flame Wingman's effect still works…"

Randy looked at his hand…

Elemental Hero Bladedge, Wroughtweiler, Clay Wrap, and Bubble Shuffle…

He drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity!" he shouted.

He drew three cards. He looked at them.

He discarded Bladedge and Bubble Shuffle.

"You're right…" he said. "This is the last turn…

"First, I'll play Fusion Sage, to bring my last Polymerization card to my hand…"

He played the card, and got the fusion card from his deck.

"Next," he said, "I'll summon someone for the first time…

"Presenting… Making her NYC Duel Academy grand debut… **_Elemental Hero Shadowblade_**!"

He played the card, and dark form started to materialize…

A shower of lotus flowers fell upon the field, followed by three spinning fans…

A Dark Warrior stepped out.

She looked like a young, teenage girl in a tight, black martial artist's _gi_, tied together with a red sash, with an oriental bandana around her head, her raven-black hair falling to her waist. Her eyes were emerald-green. Her features were clearly Japanese. She looked at his foes with a frown and her delicate eyebrows narrowed.

With a deft stroke, she drew a katana blade off her back and formed a fighting stance! (1,500/1,000)

"Huh…" muttered Jason. "She's… kinda cute…"

"A new one, Randy?" asked Nadia.

"Yeah, I traded my Dark Catapulter for her," answered Randy. "And Shadowblade has a potent effect. So long as I don't attack with her during the round I summon her, she can destroy one Spell or Trap Card… Like that Mask of Remnants!"

Shadowblade produced three throwing knives…

"**KAI!"** she shouted.

She hurled them at Flame Wingman. They struck the Mask of Remnants, and it smashed into pieces.

The Hero flew back to Randy's side. The two Heroes nodded to each other. Shadowblade lifted her sword again.

"So what?" said Lumis.

"We still have The Masked Beast," said Umbra. "One attack on Ninja-girl, and we'll still win!"

"I was getting to that…" said Randy. "Because now I'm going to use the Polymerization I got, to form a fusion within a fusion… fusing Shadowblade with Flame Wingman…"

Flame Wingman and Shadowblade looked at each other again…

The two Heroes formed into swirls of fire and darkness, merging together…

"And forming Elemental Hero Dark Flare Wingman!"

The resulting creature resembled the more famous Shining Flare Wingman in general outline, but had glossy black armor, as dark as midnight, and was surrounded in dark flames! (2,500/2,000)

"And don't forget the effect of Skyscraper," said Randy. "Attack The Masked Beast! Dark flame strike!"

Dark Flare Wingman flew into the sky of the city, his wings spread out dramatically against the moon, and his Attack rose to 3,500. His fist burst into black flames, and he flew down, striking the masked Fiend with a savage uppercut, blasting it to shards.

"It isn't over!" cursed Lumis. "Got it?"

"Afraid it is," said Randy. "Because the onslaught isn't over yet. Dark Flame Wingman has a potent effect. When he destroys a Monster that's in Attack Mode, the owner loses Life Points equal to 300 times the number of Elemental Heroes in my Graveyard…"

Images of Bubbleman, Burstinatrix, Avian, Rampart Blaster, Bladedge, Flame Wingman, and Shadowblade all appeared on the field… They and Dark Flare Wingman pointed at Lumis and Umbra…

"So you lose another 2,100 Life Points, got it?"

Then, seven blasts of raw elemental energy shot from the Heroes, striking the two masked duelists!

Dark flames erupted around Lumis and Umbra, and they collapsed…

**(R & N: 700) -------------------- (L & U: 0)**

Then the two of them vanished…

The dark vortex above them disappeared.

Nadia and Randy ran to each other, and Randy hugged his sister.

"Not bad…" said Nadia.

"Yeah…" said Randy. "We should do this more often!"

Trisha sighed.

"If only it was like that between me and my brother…" she muttered.

She paused.

"Say…" she said. "Whatever happened to Russell?"

_Friday, September 24th, 2106, 12:02 PM_

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**MASKED DOLL (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A rickety puppet with the Eye of Wdjat on its forehead and a stake through its chest.

**Card Description:** Choose one card on your side of the field that requires a maintenance cost. Negate the cost for as long as this card remains in effect. If the target of this card is removed from the field, this card is not destroyed, and you may choose a new target at any time.

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**MASQUERADE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The two masks of Comedy and Tragedy.

**Card Description:** This card may be activated during a duel where you have a partner. Control any Monster your opponent summons on your turn as if you had summoned it.

_Note: "Masked Doll" and "Masquerade" were used by Lumis and Umbra in the multi-part anime episode "Double Duel". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**CONTRACT OF MASK (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Ritual  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Two masks, one white and one black, lying on the ground.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon "Mask of Shine and Dark". You must also offer Monsters as a Tribute from your hand or the field whose total levels equal six or more.

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**MASK OF SHINE AND DARK (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Ritual  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description:** This odd artifact contains powers of both Light and Darkness, ultimately creating chaos. This Monster is Ritual Summoned via the effect of "Contract of Mask". You must also offer Monsters as a Tribute from your hand or the field whose total levels equal six or more.

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**MASKED BEAST DES GUARDIUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **3,300  
**DEF: **2,500

**Card Description:** This cold-blooded killer haunts the Underworld. Its masks are said to represent the faces of its victims. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This Monster can only be Special Summoned by offering two Monsters as a Tribute, at least one of which must be "Melchid the Four-Face Beast" or "Grand Tiki Elder". If this Monster is destroyed, you may search your deck for one "Mask of Remnants" and Equip it to an opposing Monster.

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**MASK OF REMNANTS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A hideous mask made of red leather with fangs and two fiendish eyes.

**Card Description:** When you draw this card, shuffle it into your deck. This card can only be activated via the effect of "Masked Beast Des Guardius". Take control of the Monster Equipped with this card for as long as this card remains Equipped.

_Note: "Contract of Mask", "Mask of Shine and Dark", "Masked Beast Des Guardius", and "Mask of Remnants" are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States. (Note that in the actual game, "Masked Beast Des Guardius" cannot be summoned with "Chosen One".)_

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**VASE OF UNHOLY BLIGHT (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Like Pot of Greed, only black and evil.

**Card Description:** Remove one Dark-Attribute Monster in your deck from play, and then shuffle your deck. Then draw three cards from your deck.

_Note: "Vase of Unholy Blight" was created by King Dragun for use in "Sister of Anansi". Creative credit goes to him._

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**CHAOS SACRIFICE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning standing in a sinister temple.

**Card Description:** Remove any number of Light and Dark Attribute Monsters in your Graveyard from play. For every Monster you remove from play, gain 500 Life Points. If you have a partner, he may also use this effect.

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**ELEMENTAL HERO SHADOWBLADE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,500  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description:** Even though she is a powerful ninja to many and a deadly shadow warrior to others, she is still considered an Elemental Hero among her colleagues. On the turn you Normal Summon this Monster, you can destroy one Spell or Trap Card. If you use this effect, this Monster cannot attack during the same turn.

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**ELEMENTAL HERO DARK FLARE WINGMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description:** _Elemental Hero Flame Wingman plus Elemental Hero Shadowblade  
_  
This mighty paladin uses dark flames to further damage his foes. He is a bitter rival of Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman. This Monster cannot be Special Summoned except by Fusion Summon. When this Monster destroys an opposing Monster in Attack Position, the owner of the destroyed Monster loses 300 Life Points for every Monster with the words "Elemental Hero" in your Graveyard.

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**WHITE QUEEN PIKERU (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,600  
**DEF: **2,100

**Card Description:** Having endured several trials, White Magician Pikeru is not a child anymore. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Coronation". When this Monster destroys an opposing Monster, add the destroyed Monster's ATK to the controller's Life Points.

"_Dividing Path of Destiny" is a real card that will appear in "Power of the Duelist". The English translation is subject to change._

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_**What DID happen to Russell?**_

_**Coming up next, a newstudent appears, and you'll see whatRussell was doing while this two on two duel was going on, as another blast from the anime past appears! Don't miss "Banisher of the Light", coming soon.**_

**_And if you want to know what the card "Sisters of Chaos" does, you'll have to wait._**


	25. Banisher of the Light

**_When people mention vampires, they usually think of Bela Lugosi as he appeared in the Universal Studios classic version of _Dracula.**

_**Sometimes I wonder if everyone's perception of them would have changed if that movie had been more faithful to Bram Stoker's book. I once read it out of curiosity.**_

_**The Dracula in the book looked older than Lugosi did at the time, although he got younger as the book progressed. He had white hair… and a moustache. He was dressed all in black, but there was never any mention of a cape. And he didn't speak with an accent either – one character remarked that his English was perfect.**_

_**Still, thanks to Lugosi, we picture him with black hair, clean shaven, with a creepy Hungarian accent…**_

_**I'm not an expert on vampire lore by any means. I ended up using them in my deck because… Well, it kind of happened when I made my plans for a deck.**_

_**I have to wonder about the matchup that I'm up against…**_

_**Vampires versus Dinosaurs?**_

_**If this were a movie on television, I'd likely change channels…**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

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**Banisher of the Light**

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_Friday, September 24th, 2106, 11:15 AM_

Shortly before the mess with Lumis and Umbra had started, Russell was consoling a Slifer student on the steps outside the door to the Great Hall.

"Ow… ow… ow…" groaned the Slifer.

"Come on, now… Nathan was it?" asked Russell. "It can't hurt that much…"

"Want a bet?" sighed the youth.

He groaned.

He was slim and weak in appearance, with shoulder-length brown hair, grey eyes, and slightly pale skin. He had reason to be upset – his opponent on the field test had been truly merciless.

"What did he call that thing he attacked me with?" he asked.

"Super-Electromagnetic Voltech Dragon," answered Russell.

"How the heck did he summon something that powerful with one sacrifice?" asked Nathan.

"It's a five-star Monster…" muttered Russell.

Nathan looked at him.

"It had over three-thousand Attack Points!" he protested.

"That thing's effect depends on the Monster you use as a sacrifice to summon it, Nathan," explained Russell. "If you sacrifice a Batteryman D, it's immune to Spells and Traps. If you sacrifice a Batteryman C, it gets a trampling effect. If you sacrifice a Batteryman AA, like he apparently did, it gains 1,000 Attack Points.

"But you didn't do too bad from the scores I saw… Here… Why don't you let me see the deck…"

Nathan looked at his deck. Then he reluctantly handed it to Russell.

"You have to excuse me for being so… distant," said Nathan. "You know, when I was young, they thought I might have had ADD…"

"Really…" muttered Russell. "That will keep you out of the army, for sure…"

"Well, I didn't," continued Nathan, "and my IQ test scored pretty high, so I figure once I get the deck just right…"

"Nathan," said Russell, "do you know what my dad said to enlisted men when he was a younger officer and they couldn't do something? He told them to do their best to get better, and take the problem face-on again when they could. 'Once more, with feeling!' That was his motto whenever someone couldn't do something the first time."

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Hiding behind a tree not far away was a shadowy form.

He looked up, and a face appeared before him.

"One of the master's principle enemies is consoling a student named Nathan Evans," said the face. "It would be best to target Nathan and keep away anyone else. After all, he's having a terrible day."

"Fine," said the figure. "But you remember our deal… The conditions that the guy put on me so long ago to break the curse are getting annoying…"

"Of course," said the face. "Do this job well, and we'll talk about making this arrangement permanent."

The figure walked towards the Great Hall.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Nathan…" said Russell with a small laugh. "This deck is full of vampires!"

"Uh, yeah…" muttered Nathan. "Well…"

He coughed.

"See, I didn't set out to really make a Vampire Deck," he answered. "I wanted to focus on deck destruction, limiting an opponent's options. So I used Vampire Lord, then Vampire Lady, then Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower, and, uh…

"Well, as you can see, one thing kinda led to another, and it turned into a Vampire Deck."

Russell looked at a Spell Card.

"This is a very powerful card," he said.

"Actually, it was because of that card that I lost the field test," said Nathan. "Read the fine print – it has a dangerous side effect."

Russell read the description closely.

"Well, this deck could use something…" said Russell, opening his backpack. "One Monster that can get you out of a jam in a hurry…"

He opened his cases of cards, and looked through them.

"Here, switch your Despair From The Dark with this guy," he said, handing him a card.

"Really?" said Nathan, looking at it. "You'd just give me this powerful card?"

"Why not? I never actually use it… Now how about we…"

"Hey, handsome," said a voice.

He looked up, and saw Sersei.

"How about coming for lunch in the Obelisk dining hall?" she asked. "It's a lot better than the stuff they have at Ra."

"Uh, Sersei," muttered Russell, "not that I'd refuse a lunch invitation from a pretty girl, but what about Anthony?"

Sersei scowled.

"Anthony the jerk?" she asked.

Russell grinned and turned to Nathan.

"Boyfriend trouble…" he said with a smirk.

"Sure," he said to Sersei. "Can Nathan come?"

Sersei sighed.

"All right, fine…" she said.

They started to cross the campus to the Obelisk Dorm.

"So, how'd you do?" asked Russell.

"Piece of cake," said Sersei. "That guy with Ha Des didn't know what hit him…"

"Ha Des is a wimp," said a voice in front of them. "He thinks supernatural power is such a big deal? Sometimes the raw force of nature can defeat anything."

They looked at the stranger in front of them. He was a youth dressed in jeans, a khaki jacket, and a wool hat…

…and one of the Orichalcos Disks on his arm.

Russell's eyes narrowed.

"If you're looking for trouble, buddy, I warn you," he said, "I'm well prepared."

"I know," said the youth, "and I'm not dumb enough to go up against Hermos… I did before, after all."

"What? Who are you?" asked Russell.

"The name's Rex Raptor," said the youth. "You may have heard of me as…"

"Wait…" interrupted Russell.

He paused.

"Maybe I did…" he continued. "I think you were one of Joey Wheeler's old enemies – someone who he described as a pathetic duelist who had fallen from grace."

Rex growled.

He pointed to Nathan.

"Say what you want, but I'm going to duel your friend," he said.

"Over my dead body!" shouted Russell.

"No…" said Sersei. "Let me duel him…"

She stepped forward.

"I read Joey's autobiography, and he _admitted_ that his wife had beaten him in a duel once. Do the math – if a deck like hers can beat him, it can surely beat someone who he beat."

Rex took a card out of his jacket.

"You'll change your mind about me being pathetic in a few seconds…" he said.

He held up a card whose title was Chains of the Underworld…

Suddenly, eight shackles burst out of the ground and grabbed Russell and Sersei's wrists and ankles! They struggled, but the chains pulled taunt.

"You son of a…" growled Sersei.

Rex turned to Nathan.

"You'd best duel me," he said, "or I'll summon something to start munching on them…"

"All right, fine!" shouted Nathan.

He turned to Russell.

"I'll do my best…" he said.

Rex lifted his arm, and the blade-like Disk activated.

"Good…" he said. "It's dino-feeding time!"

Nathan activated his Disk, and they drew the top five cards…

"Nathan…" said Russell. "Concentrate. Don't worry about us, just try hard and you'll beat him. Remember, once more, with feeling!"

"Once more, with feeling…" muttered Nathan.

**(Nathan: 8,000) -------------------- (Rex: 8,000)**

"Time to start things off with a bang," said Rex, drawing his first draw. "First, I'll summon my Mad Sword Beast."

He played the card, and a loud rumbling proceeded the appearance of a Monster. A huge creature resembling a cross between a rhinoceros and a dinosaur with a huge horn on his nose ran up. It growled, and bore razor sharp teeth. (1,400/1,200)

"And then…" he continued, "I'll summon Gilasaurus!"

He played another card, and a small Dinosaur resembling a raptor leapt up. It bore wicked claws that seemed to be designed for tearing, and then grinned a smile full of sharp teeth. (1,400/400)

"Two Monsters at once?" gasped Nathan.

"Heh, heh," laughed Rex. "Gilasaurus is a Special Summon. Of course, since I did that, I have to give you the option of Special Summoning something from your Graveyard…"

He laughed again.

"But since you don't have any there… tough!"

"That HAS to be cheating…" protested Sersei.

"I'm afraid it isn't…" muttered Russell. "Summoning Gilasaurus on your first turn as a Special Summon may be a dirty trick, but it's legal."

"Your move…" said Rex.

_These two Monsters may be weak,_ he thought, looking at his hand, _but even if he trashes one of them, I'll still have one to sacrifice for my Dark Driceratops, and I'll walk all over him!_

Nathan drew a card.

_This is the worst hand ever,_ he thought, looking over his cards. _The only Monster I have is Red Moon Baby, and it can't even come close to standing up to those Dinosaurs…_

_I have to take a risk…_

"I play a Spell Card…" he said. "It's called… Dragged Down Into The Grave!"

He played a Spell Card, and it appeared, showing the image of robed man falling into a vortex.

"What does that do?" asked Rex.

"It's a two-step process," answered Nathan. "First, we each show each other our hands, and choose a card for our opponent to discard."

Rex growled, and turned his hand towards Nathan.

"I choose that Dark Driceratops," said Nathan.

_Crud,_ thought Rex, discarding it. _This guy isn't dumb._

"Now you…" said Nathan, showing him his hand.

"Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!" laughed Rex. "What an idiot! Playing a card like that when you had only one Monster? You'll be defenseless!

"Well, whatever that thing is, I choose that one."

Nathan discarded the Red Moon Baby.

"And now, step two…" he said. "We both draw one card."

Rex's eyes narrowed.

They both drew.

"Well," said Nathan, "I may have discarded that one Monster, but I drew a much better one. I summon… Zombie Werewolf, in Defense Mode!"

He played the card. A frightening-looking werewolf wearing torn trousers and broken chains on its wrists appeared out of the shadows. It rose it head to the sky and howled, as if there was a moon there – which there certainly wasn't – and then crouched down and then shielded itself in Defense. (1,200/1,200)

"And I'll also play a card facedown," he continued, placing a card into his Disk. "And my turn is over."

"That's better?" asked Rex, drawing a card. "I don't know if you know this, but my Mad Sword Beast can hurt you even if your Monsters are in Defense Mode!

"Mad Sword Beast, take out that slobbering flea-ridden mutt!"

Mad Sword Beast charged, causing the ground to tremble… It trampled the Werewolf, smashing it to pieces.

"And now that you're defenseless…" continued Rex. "Gilasaurus, attack…"

"Oh, am I?" asked Nathan.

A burst of darkness appeared on Nathan's side of the field, and Zombie Werewolf appeared again, this time in Attack Mode. I howled again, this time notably angry. (1,700/1,200)

"What in the name of…" muttered Rex.

"Werewolves are hard to kill, Rex," said Nathan. "Your Dinosaur wasn't made of silver. If one of these guys is destroyed in battle, I get to summon another from my deck, with 500 more Attack Points."

"Then I end my turn…" growled Rex.

**(N: 7,800) -------------------- (R: 8,000)**

Nathan drew.

"I play… Pot of Greed," he said, playing a card.

He drew two cards.

"And it seems fate has smiled on me…"

"I don't believe in fate!" shouted Rex.

"I'm guessing you don't believe in vampires either," joked Nathan, "but you're about to see one, as I sacrifice Zombie Werewolf…"

The Werewolf vanished into a shadow…

"…to summon Vampire Lord!"

As the shadowy burst, the sinister-looking vampire in his exotic costume appeared. He threw his cloak open, and his eyes glimmered with an evil light.

He grinned, showing a flash of white, pointed teeth… (2,000/1,500)

"Next, I activate my facedown card," said Nathan. "A little thing called Robbin' Zombie."

His facedown card lifted, and a Trap bearing the image of an undead goblin with a sword appeared.

"When this card is active, whenever you lose Life Points from a battle, you lose the top card from your deck."

"WHAT?" shouted Randy.

"Vampire Lord, attack Mad Sword Beast with Children of the Night!" shouted Nathan.

Vampire Lord's eyes glowed red. He lifted his cloak, and a swarm of bats flew at the Dinosaur, blasting it into pixels.

"Now the effect of Robbin' Zombie kicks in," said Nathan.

Rex grumbled, and discarded the top card from his deck.

"And let's not forget Vampire Lord himself. He not only preys on your Monsters, he preys on your deck. Whenever he damages your Life Points, I name a type of card, and you remove one from your deck and discard it.

"To make sure you can't use any creepy surprises, I say Trap Card."

Rex looked through his deck and found a Trap called Jurassic Heart. He discarded it.

**(N: 7,800) -------------------- (R: 7,400)**

"Great…" muttered Russell. "Nathan is making the classic Vampire Lord mistake…"

"What do you mean?" asked Sersei.

"So many people are afraid of Traps," said Russell, "when they have control of a Vampire Lord, they try to get rid of them, completely forgetting about Vampire Lord's _other_ effect.

"What does Nathan care if Rex destroys that Monster using a Trap? Vampire Lord will come right back on his next turn. To a duelist like Nathan, Spells are far more dangerous."

Rex shuffled his deck, and then drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" he said, with an evil grin.

"Thank you!" he said to Nathan. "If you hadn't done that, I might not have drawn this!"

He showed Nathan the card.

"Polymerization?" asked Nathan.

"Yes…" said Rex, one which I'll use to fuse Gilasaurus with Chitoptera!"

A creature the size of Gilasaurus appeared on the field, resembling a pterodactyl…

And then they swirled into a murky blur…

The blur burst, forming a much larger winged Dinosaur with black scales, and an evil expression on its face. It spread its wings and screeched. (2,000/1,200)

"Meet my Horned Saurus!" said Rex. "Why don't the two of you get close…

"Horned Saurus, attack Nathan directly! Dive bomb drop!"

Horned Saurus soared into the air, and swooped upon Nathan, talons-first, completely ignoring Vampire Lord. Then it dug its talons into Nathan's shoulders! He screamed and fell over.

"How'd you do that?" he gasped. "I still had a Monster on the field!"

"Horned Saurus has the ability to attack directly on the round it's summoned," answered Rex. "One of the primary reasons you never summon it on the first turn of the duel."

**(N: 5,800) -------------------- (R: 7,400)**

"You think Nathan can win?" asked Sersei.

"I dunno," said Russell. "Dinosaurs are a very neglected Monster, but the ones that are available are incredibly strong in battle…

"But they have a weakness… They have all the subtlety of a demolition ball. A clever strategy can be used to defeat them."

_That really hurt…_ thought Nathan. _More than any direct attack I remember. Something is wrong here…_

He drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity!" he shouted.

He played the card, and drew three cards.

He looked them over, and discarded a second Robbin' Zombie and a Nobleman of Crossout.

"I'll place one card facedown, and that will be all," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

Rex drew a card.

"I summon Balloon Lizard in Defense Mode," he said.

He played a card, and a new Monster appeared, floating in the air. The name "Balloon Lizard" was a perfect description. It looked like an alligator with a spherical, balloon-like body. It floated in the air as if it were full of helium. (500/1,900)

"Next," he said, "I'll use Raise Body Heat, and I'll Equip it to Horned Saurus."

He played the card, and Horned Saurus's scales glowed cherry red.

"Running a temperature gives it 300 more Attack and Defense Points."

(2,300/1,500)

"Horned Saurus, attack the Vampire Lord!" shouted Rex.

Horned Saurus flew into the air.

"I don't think so!" shouted Nathan. "Trap activate! Red Ghost Moon!"

His Trap Card lifted, and a haunting, wicked laughter filled the air. An evil looking harvest moon rose behind him, casting a glow over the whole arena. Horned Saurus stopped in a daze and started to swagger, caught in a sinister spell…

"Now," said Nathan, "I merely have to discard one Zombie from my hand, like Vampire Lady here…"

He discarded the card.

"…and your attack is halted, this battle ends right now, and the Attack Points of the Monster that tried to attack get added to my Life Points."

Sparkling pink dust from the Red Ghost Moon fell on Nathan, and he glowed with a blood-red light.

**(N: 8,100) -------------------- (R: 7,400)**

"That is one powerful Trap…" said Sersei. "It's like combining Negate Attack and Draining Shield together."

"True, but with that cost, you'd need to be playing a Zombie Deck," added Russell.

"Ergh…" said Rex. "All right, you win that round…"

"Then its my move…" said Nathan, drawing a card.

"And I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon, to cure your Dinosaur's fever."

He played the card, and the whirlwind smashed the Raise Body Heat card. Horned Saurus fell back to its normal stats.

"So what?" said Rex. "Your creepshow still can't beat it…"

"Not by himself," said Nathan, "but he has help… I summon Vampire Bat!"

He played a card, and with a multitude of squeaks and squawks, a swarm of bats flew into the arena, coalescing into one giant bat. (800/800)

"When this Monster is on the field, all Zombies on the field gain 200 Attack Points," said Nathan.

Vampire Lord rose to 2,200 Attack, and Vampire Bat itself rose to 1,000.

"Vampire Lord, destroy Horned Saurus!"

Vampire Lord raised his cloak, and the swarm of bats shot forth. Horned Saurus was thrown back, and fell to the ground with a crash. It burst into shards.

"Then you lose one card from Robbin' Zombie…" continued Nathan.

Rex growled, and discarded the top card from his deck.

"And I'll say Trap Card again."

Rex growled again, and took a Trap called Chains of the Underworld from his deck. He discarded it.

Unfortunately for Russell and Sersei, the fact that he did so had no effect on the chains holding them.

**(N: 8,100) -------------------- (R: 7,200)**

"My move…" said Rex.

He drew a card.

He smirked.

"I summon Giant Rex in Attack Mode!"

He played a card, and a huge, bipedal Dinosaur looking like some psychotic T-Rex with claws and teeth like swords and a fan on its back appeared. (2,000/1,200)

"That's a four-star Monster?" gasped Sersei. "It has to have a catch…"

"It does," said Russell. "And if Rex does what I think he's planning, he'll be in big trouble…"

"Impressive," said Nathan. "But my Vampire Lord is still stronger."

"He won't be if your booster is dead!" shouted Rex. "Giant Rex, attack Vampire Bat with carnivore crunch!"

Giant Rex charged, causing the ground to tremble! It tore its teeth into Vampire Bat, causing it to burst into a flurry of bats…

The bats hung in the air… Nathan took a card from his deck and discarded it…

The bats combined into one bat again.

**(N: 7,100) -------------------- (R: 7,200)**

"What the…" muttered Rex. "How did it survive?"

"Vampire Bat has another ability," said Nathan. "If I discard another Vampire Bat from my hand or deck when it's about to be destroyed… It isn't destroyed."

Rex growled.

"And don't think I don't know the drawback that your Giant Rex has… Rex," said Nathan, with a grin. "If it fails to destroy a Monster during your Battle Phase – and it couldn't – it bites the dust when you end your turn."

Rex's eyes narrowed.

"That's all I can do…" he said.

Giant Rex groaned, and then collapsed to the ground with a crash. It shattered into bits.

Nathan drew.

He added the card to his hand.

"Vampire Lord, destroy Balloon Lizard!" he ordered.

Vampire Lord's bats flew at the bloated lizard…

…and it exploded in a violent burst, throwing Nathan on his behind!

"What happened?" asked Nathan.

"That's Balloon Lizard's special ability," said Rex with a smirk. "When you destroy it, you lose 400 Life Points for each of my Standby Phases that I had it on the field. In other words, two."

"Yeah, well you're gonna lose more!" said Nathan, angrily. "Vampire Bat, attack with nightmare scourge!"

Vampire Bat broke up into a swarm of bats again and rushed at Rex, biting and clawing at him! Rex vainly tried to shield himself.

"And once again, you lose a card from the top of your deck…" he said.

Rex took the top card from his deck.

_My Tyrant Dragon…_ he thought.

His face turned red with anger as he discarded it.

"I'm getting really sick of this…" scowled Rex.

"Hey, how do you think my Monsters feel?" asked Nathan. "Hello? They're vampires? They hate being out in the daylight! This is the time of day when they like curling up in a nice, warm coffin."

**(N: 6,300) -------------------- (R: 6,200)**

Sersei was really starting to get upset. She struggled against the chains.

"You'll only make it worse…" said Russell.

"This is so embarrassing…" she replied. "Usually when I'm tied up, there's more intimacy involved…"

"Hey, don't go there…" warned Russell.

"Nathan doesn't seem to be making much progress," added Sersei.

"Don't worry," said Russell. "If he decks this Jurassic jerk out, he'll win."

Rex drew a card.

"I play Offerings To The Doomed!" he shouted. "And I'll use it on your Bat!"

He played the card, and a beam of energy struck the Bat. It burst into a swarm of bats again.

Nathan took his deck again, and discarded another card from it.

"Sorry," he said, as the Bat reformed, "but I had another one."

"I figured you did," said Rex with a grin, "but I'm not as dumb a duelist as you may think. You can only have three Bats in your deck, meaning you can't discard any more! If I destroy it again, it _stays_ destroyed!"

"He's right…" muttered Russell.

"Now I'll summon Black Stego in Attack Mode," said Rex.

He played the card, and another huge dinosaur appeared with a roar. It was… Well, it was a stegosaurus. That was the best way to put it. (1,200/2,000)

"That doesn't look too impressive," said Nathan.

"What do you expect?" replied Rex. "He's an herbivore. Black Stego, destroy his Bat! Spike-tail smash!"

Black Stego spun 360 degrees and clobbered Vampire Bat with its tail, smashing it into an explosion of small bats, which in turn burst into small bits of vapor.

Vampire Lord fell to 2,000 Attack.

"Your move…" said Rex.

**(N: 6,100) -------------------- (R: 6,200)**

Nathan drew a card.

"I summon my third Zombie Werewolf in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

Another Werewolf appeared and howled! (1,200/1,200)

"Vampire Lord, attack Black Stego!"

Vampire Lord reared up, and the swarm of bats shot forward…

"Fooled you…" chuckled Rex. "When Black Stego is attacked while in Attack Mode, I can activate his effect, and switch him… to Defense Mode!"

Black Stego crouched down in Defense. The bats all bounced off its tough hide.

Nathan frowned.

"I end my turn then," he said. "Don't forget, you used Offerings to the Doomed on your last turn, meaning you can't draw on this one."

Rex looked the one card in his hand.

"In that case, I'll pass," he said. "Black Stego will make an adequate shield."

Nathan drew a card.

_That's it…_ he thought.

"I play Rush Recklessly," he said, playing the card. "And I'll use it to give Vampire Lord a boost."

Vampire Lord's eyes glowed blood-red…

"Now, let's try this again…" said Nathan.

Vampire Lord lifted his cloak, and this time, Black Stego couldn't withstand the onslaught of the scourge. It moaned, and the collapsed, shattering into bits.

"Zombie Werewolf, attack directly!" ordered Nathan. "Terror claw!"

The werewolf leap up and struck Rex with his talons! The Dinosaur duelist fell backwards.

"And now…" continued Nathan.

"I know, don't remind me…" interrupted Rex, discarding the top card from his deck.

"My turn is over…" said Nathan.

**(N: 6,100) -------------------- (R: 5,000)**

Rex drew.

"I play… Pot of Greed!" he shouted.

He drew two cards.

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" he laughed. "I just drew just the cards I need to summon one of my most powerful beasts!"

He played a card.

"I summon Armored Lizard in Attack Mode."

A small, lizard with a blue scales and small claws appeared. (1,500/1,200)

"What good will that do?" asked Nathan.

"It's a Reptile," said Rex. "And with the card I'm about to play, that's exactly the type of Monster I need…

"I play the Spell Card, Ultra Evolution Pill!"

He played the card. A small capsule appeared in the air. Armored Lizard reached out, and caught it.

"Oh… no…" said Russell.

"What?" said Sersei.

"When that Spell Card is played, the user can sacrifice a Reptile for any Dinosaur Monster in his hand," said Russell.

Armored Lizard swallowed the pill, and started to glow.

"Yeah, and I have a great one," said Rex, waving his last card. "Maybe once I defeat this guy, I'll have him munch on you two for a while. I owe Hermos for what he did to me!"

He smirked at Sersei.

"And YOU… well, you should have just chosen your friends better…"

Armored Lizard started to grow and mutate… Disgusting popping noises resounded over the arena as its skin stretched. Its scaled darkened and turned black…

…until finally, it had formed into an enormous creature resembling a dark-scaled Tyrannosaurus Rex! (2,600/1,800)

"Meet Black Tyranno," laughed Rex.

"Impressive…" said Nathan.

"Black Tyranno, attack Vampire Lord with dino bite!"

Black Tyranno lunged forward, and chomped down on Vampire Lord, biting him in half!

**(N: 5,500) -------------------- (R: 5,000)**

"Nuts…" said Russell. "Vampire Lord's resurrection effect doesn't work if he's destroyed in battle…"

"Your move, Nathan…" said Rex with an evil smile.

Nathan drew.

_Lovely,_ he thought. _NOW I draw this guy…_

"Uh…" he said. "I move Zombie Werewolf into Defense Mode…"

Zombie Werewolf crouched in Defense.

"Heh, heh…" said Rex, drawing a card. "Do you know what Black Tyranno can do? If the only cards you have on your side of the field are Monsters in Defense Mode…"

"You can't attack me directly!" cried Nathan. "I still have a Trap Card on my side of the field!"

"Humph…" muttered Rex. "Seems I can't even intimidate good."

He looked at the card he had just drawn.

_Eh, I don't need this…_ he thought.

"Black Tyranno, destroy his Werewolf!"

Black Tyranno charged, and ripped Zombie Werewolf in half!

"That was his last Monster!" gulped Russell. "If he doesn't do something, that monstrosity will attack him!"

"Come on, Nathan," said Rex, "This is getting boring…"

Nathan drew a card.

He smirked.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon… Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower!" he shouted. "Attack Mode!"

With a rumbling noise, a huge tower made of bones and skulls erupted out of the earth, and rose to a column about ten feet tall. (400/1,500)

"This can't be attacked if I have another Zombie is on the field," he explained. "And when the Tower is on the field, every time a Zombie is Special Summoned, the top two cards on your deck go to the Graveyard.

"And I'm going to Special Summon some! I'll start by playing this Spell Card… Book of Life!"

He played the card.

"It's called Book of Life because it gives life to creatures who formerly didn't have it. And it lets me remove a Monster in your Graveyard from play and Special Summon a Zombie from my Graveyard. Guess which one I'm bringing back…"

Vampire Lord appeared again, from an aura of darkness. (2,000/1,500)

"And I'll remove your Dark Driceratops from play, so you can't use it again."

Dark Driceratops fell out of Rex's discard slot.

Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower glowed. Rex growled, and discarded the top two cards from his deck.

"Next," said Nathan. "I banish Vampire Lord from the game, to summon… Vampire Genesis!"

Vampire Lord disappeared, and a frightening, hulking form arose. It was a muscular, creature about ten feet tall that looked more like a Fiend than a Zombie, with a thick, spiked cape, and a barbed harness. It roared in rage. (3,000/2,100)

"By the way, this counts as a Special Summon…" added Nathan.

"Ergh!" growled Rex, as he discarded two more cards.

"And I'm not half done yet!" said Nathan. "I Equip Vampire Genesis with this… Genesis Crisis!"

He played an Equip Card, bearing the picture of a demonic face surrounded by flames.

"Now let me explain…" said Nathan. "When Vampire Genesis is Equipped with this card, once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can search my deck for any Zombie I want and add it to my hand…"

He took his deck and looked though it.

"A Zombie like Ryo Kokki, here…" he continued. "But it isn't staying in my hand… I'm discarding it to activate Vampire Genesis's effect…"

He discarded it. Vampire Genesis glowed…

"…which lets me Special Summon any Zombie from my Graveyard who has less level stars than the one I'm discarding, like Vampire Lady. Remember her? I discarded her to activate Red Ghost Moon."

A female vampire with green skin in a violet dress appeared. She made a seductive pose… and then grinned wickedly. (1,550/1,550)

"And I just Special Summoned a Zombie again…"

Rex was furious. He discarded two more cards from his deck.

"And now, on to business," said Nathan. "Vampire Genesis, attack Black Tyranno! Crimson shroud!"

Vampire Genesis turned into a cloud of red mist, and blew forward, obliterating Black Tyranno!

"Vampire Lady, attack directly!"

Vampire Lady's eyes glowed…

She threw her hands forward, and a flock of dark birds shot forward, pecking and scratching at Rex. He groaned.

"Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower, you too…" said Nathan.

The skulls on the tower glowed, and shot beams of energy at Rex. He winced.

"And, since you took battle damage three times…" added Nathan.

"I KNOW! I KNOW!" shouted Rex. He discarded the top three cards from his deck.

"And then there's Vampire Lady's effect," added Nathan. "I doubt you have any Traps left, so I'll declare Spell Card.

Rex looked at his remaining cards, and discarded Graceful Charity, which at this point would have hurt him more than it helped.

**(N: 5,500) -------------------- (R: 2,650)**

"That Genesis Crisis is a powerful card…" remarked Sersei.

"Yes, but it has a dangerous side effect," said Russell. "Vampire Genesis may be powerful, but should Rex manage to defeat it, Nathan will be in big trouble…"

"It's your turn," said Nathan.

"About time!" shouted Rex.

_This is ridiculous!_ he thought. _That last turn cost me TEN cards, and I only have nine left in my deck!_

He drew a card.

_Well, this will save me from decking out…_

"I play Pot of Avarice," he said, playing the card.

Five cards fell out of his discard slot. He combined them with his eight remaining cards, shuffled them, and drew twice.

"I'll summon Balloon Lizard again in Defense Mode, and place two cards facedown," he said.

Balloon Lizard reappeared.

Then he fit his last two cards into slots, and two facedown cards materialized.

"My move!" said Nathan.

He drew a card.

_Hey, the card that Russell gave me, _he thought. _But I hardly need it now…_

"I'll use the ability of Genesis Crisis again," he said, "to get my other Ryo Kokki from my deck!"

He got the card from his deck.

"Now, I discard it…"

He discarded it, and Vampire Genesis glowed.

"…and bring back Zombie Werewolf. Remember him? I'm sure he remembers you."

Zombie Werewolf appeared, and howled again. (1,200/1,200)

"And Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower activates!"

Rex frowned, and discarded two more cards.

"Vampire Genesis, attack Balloon Lizard!"

Vampire Genesis roared…

"Not so fast!" said Rex. "I still had one Trap left… Activate, Threatening Roar!"

A great beast appeared behind Rex, and let out a great roar! Vampire Lady and Zombie Werewolf clutched each other in fear and then hid behind Vampire Genesis, but even he drew back nervously.

"This Trap can panic even the bravest of Monsters," said Rex, "making them too scared to attack for the rest of the turn."

"In that case, I end it…" said Nathan.

"First, I draw," said Rex, drawing a card.

"Then I activate… Reckless Greed."

His last Trap lifted, showing the image of a man greedily approaching a booby-trapped treasure chest.

"I now have to skip my next two Draw Phases," he explained, "but I get to draw two cards right now."

He made two draws.

"Heh, heh…" laughed Rex. "Ha, ha… HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

He grinned.

"Nathan…" he said. "I may have only six cards left in my deck, but I just drew the ones that will seal your fate!"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play… Premature Burial."

A huge horse made of wood appeared, glaring with a blank expression. (1,600/1,200)

"That's The Trojan Horse!" shouted Nathan.

"Yeah," said Rex, "you made me discard it with your Robbin' Zombie. And when it's sacrificed to summon an Earth Monster, it counts as two sacrifices.

"So I'll sacrifice my Trojan Horse…"

The huge wooden horse vanished…

"To summon… **_Ultimate Tyranno_**!"

He played a card, and a carnivore even bigger than Black Tyranno, with fiendish, armor, barbed scales and horns all over its body appeared, and roared! Its eyes glowed with evil light. (3,000/2,200)

"Well…" gulped Nathan. "It sure is… ultimate. But if you attack Vampire Genesis, the battle will be a draw…"

Rex grinned…

He held up the last card in his hand…

Raise Body Heat.

He played it, and Ultimate Tyranno's scales glowed cherry red. (3,300/2,500)

"And by the way…" said Rex, slowly. "This Monster has the ability to attack every Monster on your side of the field in one Battle Phase. In fact, it doesn't have a choice… That effect is mandatory."

Nathan gulped.

"It's an Asura Priest on steroids!" shouted Sersei.

"Well, guess you got me…" he said.

Rex chuckled.

"I know all about that Genesis Crisis card, Nathan," he said. "If Vampire Genesis is destroyed, your other Monsters bite the big one. But while my Tyranno must attack all of your Monsters, I get to decide the order it attacks them in.

"GET THEM!"

Ultimate Tyranno, let out a roar that the whole school must have heard, and charged, causing a veritable earthquake…

What happened next was a massacre. Vampire Lady screamed as she was picked up in the beast's teeth and chewed to bits. Zombie Werewolf was torn in half by its huge claw.

Finally, the creature chomped its jaws on Vampire Genesis, and the vampire deity burst into globules of dark energy. And as it did, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower shattered into shards of bone.

**(N: 1,950) -------------------- (R: 1,850)**

"Like I said," said Rex, with an evil grin. "Sometimes the raw force of nature can defeat anything. It's your move…"

Nathan gulped and looked at his hand…

_The only Monster I have is the one Russell gave me…_ he thought. _It could get me out of this mess, but it needs a sacrifice to summon._

_If this draw isn't something that can block an attack, that thing is gonna attack me…_

He drew.

_Well,_ he thought, _let's hope that this guy wasn't paying more attention than I thought he was…_

"Hey, Rex!" he shouted. "How's your memory?"

"What?" said Rex. "What does that have to do with it?"

"Everything," said Nathan, playing a Spell Card. "I play… Question!"

The Spell Card appeared, showing a wacky-looking game-show contestant.

"Here's how it works," said Nathan, raising his Disk. "You gotta guess what Monster is at the bottom of my Graveyard. Guess right, and it's gone for good. Guess wrong, and I get to Special Summon it right now."

"He's taking a risk…" muttered Sersei.

"Yes…" answered Russell. "But this card is a risk worth taking… Jaden Yuki himself once faced an opponent who used this card, and while he ended up winning the duel in the end, he failed at the part where he was confronted by this Spell…"

Rex stared at him.

_What kind of a game is he playing?_ he thought. _I can barely remember the card at the bottom of MY Graveyard! It's been such a long duel…_

_How did the duel start?_

_Wait… I went first… First I summoned Mad Sword Beast, and then I Special Summoned Gilasaurus… Then he moved, and he played… What was that Spell Card he played?_

_Wait a minute…_

His eyes opened wide…

"I see you're slowly starting to realize something," said Nathan. "Want a hint? The card at the bottom of my Graveyard is the one that you made me discard when I played Dragged Down Into The Grave! I doubt you even looked at it!"

Rex's eyes narrowed.

"Should we give him ten more seconds, guys?" asked Nathan.

Rex was now getting steamed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, an angry glare was not the answer we were looking for," said Nathan. "Thus, here comes… Red Moon Baby!"

A small creature appeared on the field. It was bizarre, resembling a demonic infant dressed liked a vampire. It frowned, showing two pointed fangs. (700/1,000)

"All that for a weakling?" asked Rex. "It has only 700 Attack Points, and my Monster has over three-thousand!"

"Yeah, it's rather weak," said Nathan, "but I only did that so I could sacrifice it…"

Red Moon Baby vanished.

"…to summon… Dark Dust Spirit!"

A red fog arose on the field, and a hideous creature stepped out. It was a Zombie with wrinkled, blood-red skin, a gaunt, skull-like face, and long, shock-white hair. Its empty eye sockets glowed with pinpoints of light. (2,200/1,800)

"And when Dark Dust Spirit is summoned, it destroys all face-up Monsters on the field except itself! Dark Dust Spirit, wipe out his lizards!"

The Spirit breathed out a cloud of toxic dust, and Balloon Lizard exploded. Ultimate Tyranno moaned, and then fell over… slowly, it was eroded into sand!

"Now, attack directly!"

Dark Dust Spirit's eyes glowed intensely. It leapt up with a cackle and flew forward, and raked at Rex with its long fingernails. The Dinosaur duelist screamed and tumbled over.

**(N: 1,550) -------------------- (R: 0)**

"No…" groaned Rex, getting up on his knees. "I can't go back…"

And then he faded into darkness.

The chains holding Russell and Sersei crumbled.

"Nathan, you were great!" laughed Sersei.

"THAT was with feeling!" said Russell.

"Yeah…" muttered Nathan. "I just wish I could have done better on my actual test…"

"You'll get better," said Sersei. "Now let's get lunch before they stop serving it!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Russell, Trisha, and Jason sat in the Ra common room.

Out the window, a full moon just as ghostly as Nathan's Red Ghost Moon shone over the skyline, and Jason thought of the witch-tales he had heard of as a kid… Stories of things that went bump in the night. He thought he was too old to be scared of the night, but today, ghosts had appeared in broad daylight, and it seemed the supernatural was at hand.

"I looked it up…" said Trisha. "Umbra and Lumis were Rare Hunters who were specifically trained by Marik Ishtar to defeat duelists who held Egyptian God Cards. They fought Yugi and Kaiba in a two-on-two duel… Like most egotists, they underestimated the abilities of their opponents, and were defeated."

"I did some research on Rex Raptor too," said Russell. "Not a very pleasant story. He was once a big shot duelist, but in Duelist Kingdom, he dueled Joey – who everyone thought was a joke at the time – and convinced him to wager his Time Wizard against his own rarest card, a Red Eyes Black Dragon. Joey defeated him, which is how he got his trademark card. After that, everyone lost respect for Rex, and he never truly recovered.

"Likely he was some egotist who thought the world owed him everything, and then threw a fit when he stopped getting it. I hate that type. So does my father."

He paused.

"But he claimed he faced Hermos before… Strange…"

"This is serious…" said Jason. "Aside from the fact that these Orichalcos Duels are happening, it seems that the ghosts of duelists whom the Trinity faced are attacking students. And while none of them have yet used the Seal, they use the same Disks as those who actually do."

"Maybe you actually have to _have_ a soul to use the Seal, and these phantasms simply don't," suggested Trisha.

"Possibly," said Jason. "But still, we have no idea who may come next…"

He paused.

"The Trinity had deadlier enemies… Marik, Bakura… there were rumors about Pegasus…"

"I pity the student who has to face Pegasus, if he shows up…" muttered Trisha. "His Toon Deck was incredibly dangerous…"

They all took cards out of their side decks.

They looked at Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos…

"It all depends on finding the Dark Messiah…" said Jason. "If he even exists at all…

"If I were Kaiba, I'd likely start doubting this was real… And I must say it's hard to believe.

"But I can't ignore it…

"I have to hope that wherever the Messiah is, he'll help us find him."

_Friday, September 24th, 2106, 6:45 PM_

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**ZOMBIE WEREWOLF (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,200  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description:** This former Beast-Warrior desired immortality, but became an undead creature as a result. If this Monster is destroyed as a result of battle, Special Summon one "Zombie Werewolf" from your hand or deck. A Monster Special Summoned in this way has 500 more Attack Points than the one destroyed to activate this effect.

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**VAMPIRE BAT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **800  
**DEF: **800

**Card Description:** This creature flies through the night, preying on living blood. When this Monster is face-up on the field, increase the ATK of all ZOMBIE-Type Monsters on the field by 200. You can discard one "Vampire Bat" from your hand or deck to prevent this Monster from being destroyed in battle or from a card effect. (Damage calculation still applies, if applicable.)

**0**

**0**

**0**

**RED GHOST MOON (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** An ominous stone bridge leading up to a sinister harvest moon.

**Card Description:** You can activate this effect when your opponent declares an attack. Discard one ZOMBIE-Type Monster from your hand. Negate the attack and end the current Battle Phase. Add the current ATK of the attacking Monster to your Life Points.

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**GENESIS CRISIS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A demonic face surrounded by flames.

**Card Description:** This card can only be Equipped to "Vampire Genesis". When you have a Monster Equipped with this card, once per turn, during a Main Phase, you can add one ZOMBIE-Type Monster from your deck to your hand. If the Monster Equipped with this card is destroyed or removed from the field, destroy all Monsters on your side of the field.

_Note: The proceeding four cards were used by Camula in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Field of Screams". All creative credit goes to the creators of that episode._

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**GIANT REX (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dinosaur/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description:** This huge carnivore preys on anything smaller than itself, often without thinking of the consequences. If this Monster does not destroy an opposing Monster during your Battle Phase, this Monster is destroyed during your End Phase of the same turn.

_Note: "Giant Rex" was first used by Noah in the anime episode "Brothers in Arms". It has since been used by Rex Raptor and Tyranno Kenzan._

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**CHITOPTERA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dinosaur  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,400  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description:** This flying reptile moves as fast as an eagle, and makes no more noise than a bat while looking for prey.

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**0**

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**HORNED SAURUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dinosaur/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description:** _Chitoptera plus Gilasaurus_

This evil-minded relative of the pterodactyl hunts not only out of hunger, but out of enjoyment. This Monster can only be Special Summoned via Fusion Summon. On the turn this Monster is successfully Fusion Summoned, it can attack your opponent directly.

_Note: "Chitoptera" and "Horned Saurus" were first used by Rex Raptor in the multi-part anime episode "On the Wrong Track". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Nathan's Vampire Deck**

_Nathan didn't set out to construct a Vampire Deck. His goal was a Deck Destruction Deck, which would limit his opponents' options, and perhaps win by decking out. But after adding two Vampire Lords, several Vampire Ladies, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower, and Vampire Genesis, he decided to settle on one unifying theme to achieve his original goal. _

_Nathan's deck isn't perfect. He has quite a few high-level Monsters, but not all of them are for summoning. Some of them are simply useful for activating Vampire Genesis's effect, which leads to him activating the Bone Tower's effect. Robbin' Zombie is a key card in his deck, as it helps with the main strategy._

_Nathan also has some powerful offensive power. Zombie Werewolf can grow to an Attack Score of 2,200 if used to fullest potential (amazing for a four-star Monster) and also guarantees him a Monster to sacrifice. Vampire Bat (which is indestructible until he runs out of additional ones to discard) can make even Vampire Lady a decent Monster._

_Nathan does not know it, but a lot of his cards were favorites of the Shadow Rider Camula. Using vampires was a natural for Camula, seeing as she was one herself. Of course, as Yugi would say, in most cases, a card is only as evil as the duelist who uses it, just as any weapon can be considered evil… if used by someone with evil intent._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Cassius sabotages an experiment, which unleashes an evil force from a dark prison. The only thing standing in this demon's way is the school's gym teacher. Who is this creature, and can he be stopped?**_

**_Find out, in "Giant Trunade", coming soon. _**


	26. Giant Trunade

_**When I was a boxer, I was known for my powerful left hook. Folks called me "The Strongest Left Hand In The Land". **_

_**But when some crocodile bit it off, and I got a new prosthetic one, that career ended – you can't box when your left arm is made of metal and capable of crushing someone's face with one punch.**_

_**I turned to dueling, using my prosthetic arm mainly to hold my Disk and my hand of cards. And before my original deck was stolen (I won't tell you what was in it) I was one of the best. I was champion of California five years running, and I won the Regional Championship in Las Vegas one year.**_

_**I guess that's how I got the job as headmaster of the Ra Dorm.**_

_**Anyway, as a duelist, I've faced a lot of opponents – some strange, some eccentric, some with various… peculiarities… **_

_**But this one has got to beat all…**_

_**I've never had to face someone who's an honest to God deity before.**_

_**Uhm… Pun not intended.**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

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**Giant Trunade**

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_Monday, September 27th, 2106, 1:05 PM_

The following Monday had a class that everyone seemed to like: Duel Monsters Metaphysics.

It was a class that focused on the stranger side of Duel Monsters, including its origins.

Dr. Ambroise was a guy who looked like he came out of a Grimm Brothers fairy tale. His head was mostly bald, with grey hair around the bottom. He had a small pair of bifocals perched on a long, thin nose. He wore sweaters that were likely bought at K-Mart, grey slacks, and plain, leather loafers.

Rumors had it that he had been a duelist of no small skill in his youth, and also that he was an expert on Shadow Games.

"Duel Monsters and the supernatural have always gone hand and hand…" he said, as his class listened, "although many folks' opinions on such matters has differed. Take the Trinity…

"Seto Kaiba was an agnostic regarding the supernatural for most of his life… Of course, like most rich men, he didn't like things that he had no control over, which was likely the reason for his skepticism concerning magic. If you don't like something, it's very easy to deal with it by denying its significance.

"Joey Wheeler was more of a believer, but he didn't let it affect him much. The difference between him and Kaiba was, he knew he had no control over it, but he didn't mind – he simply tried to deal with it as it happened, using his skills as a duelist.

"Yugi on the other hand… He breathed magic every minute of his life, being one who once held a Millennium Item. He couldn't ignore or neglect it, because it was a part of him.

"For instance, Yugi once spoke of the possibility that another world exists beyond the veil… One where creatures that we know as Duel Monsters live like humans do. Whether this place is reachable by humans, it's unknown, and the details are sketchy…"

A student in the third row raised her hand.

"Yes, Bianca?" asked Ambroise.

"Dr. Ambroise…" asked Bianca, "what are Duel Spirits?"

Ambroise paused.

"Well…" he said, "possibly, Duel Spirits are residents of this other world, as I said… Monsters in corporeal form. Jaden Yuki and his allies met several of them. Some, like Dark Magician Girl and Kaibaman were benign… Others, like Jinzo and Don Zaloog were evil creatures who could create dangerous Shadow Games.

"It goes without saying that if a Duel Spirit is intelligent, resourceful, and has hands, he himself is a duelist, and that's where it gets tricky. A Spirit's strategy reflects the Spirit as a Monster, and his deck always has at least one copy of 'his' card. These cards are thought to be created out of magic… For example, when Jaden faced Kaibaman in a duel, the Spirit had three copies of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which somehow seemed to be copies of Kaiba's.

"But anyway, Duel Spirits have not been seen for years, and you shouldn't worry about them."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Bianca left class, her two friends Melanie and Sarah were behind her.

She took out her deck and looked through it, eventually found a card.

She looked at it: Valkyrie Brunhilde.

"Hey, girls," she said. "How'd you two like to meet the real Brunhilde?"

They looked at her.

"And just how do you intend to do that?" asked Melanie.

"I've been doing research," she answered. "I think I know how to bring one of these Spirits here. If we just sneak into the athletic pool after class, no one will see us…"

"It sounds dangerous…" said Sarah.

"Sarah, it's Brunhilde, not Dark Ruler Ha Des!" laughed Bianca. "We'll be fine…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Several hours later, Fortunado was listening to someone in a video phone.

"Thanks," he said.

He turned it off and frowned.

He slumped into a chair, not at all happy.

"Duel Spirits…" he muttered. "Meddling, stupid, _annoying _creatures… I hate them more than anything…"

"I thought you hated professional figure skaters more than anything," replied Sebastian.

Fortunado frowned.

"Well, that's a different sort or hate," he answered. "But anyway, the last thing we need right now is one of them appearing – she might know something that could be used against us…

"Even worse, if she's a duelist, it would be a disaster… I don't know _what_ the Orichalcos would do if we tried to use it against a Spirit, but I can assume it wouldn't be a profitable endeavor…"

"We could treat Bianca to an Orichalcos duel before she does so…" suggested Cleo.

"I have a better idea," said Cassius, walking in.

He had an elaborate scepter resting on his shoulder.

"We can sabotage their little ritual and throw the place into helter skelter!"

"The Scepter of Bound Divinity!" gasped Fortunado.

"That's right," said Cassius. "So, when Bianca tries to contact a Duel Spirit, we use this, throw the proverbial monkey wrench into her plans, and they get a big mess to deal with!"

"Uh, Cassius?" asked Sebastian. "Where'd you get the Scepter?"

"Stole it from my mom when she fell asleep watching television," answered Cassius, casually.

"You stole from your mother…" muttered Cleo.

"Yeah," he added, "and we'd best do this and get it back to her broom closet before she wakes up for tea, or she'll have a fit!"

"You stole from your mother…" repeated Fortunado.

"Hey!" shouted Cassius. "I use the Orichalcos, you know!"

"I should think so…" replied Fortunado.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Old Ben looked in his medicine cabinet.

He never told anyone, but as strong as his artificial arm was, he had to take no less than three prescription medications so that his body would never reject it.

The cabinet had a lot of other medicines in it – Tylenol, Tums, Excedrin…

He frowned.

Looking in the average medicine cabinet, one would think people were always sick. Some of these bottles were over a year old, but like most people, he had never thrown them out. Throwing out pills just seemed… wrong.

He looked at his three prescription medications (he had long ago stopped trying to pronounce their names, and just called them "the green one", "the red one", and "the black one").

The directions on these bottles were really weird…

**Take one pill three times a day,** said one.

_How exactly do you take one pill three times?_ he thought.

**Take one capsule by mouth two times a day,** said the other.

_Thanks for clearing that up,_ he thought,_ I was about to stick it in my ear…_

He sighed…

Then he checked his watch.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the common room of the Ra Dorm, Russell and Trisha had their cards spread out on the floor.

"And now I attack Marauding Captain with my Perfect Machine King!" shouted Trisha.

"You win…" muttered Russell.

They noticed that Jason was on a couch looking at The Eye of Timaeus.

"Jason, staring at that card is not going to do much," said Trisha.

"Dunno…" muttered Jason. "Maybe if we used these cards more often…"

"Are you that anxious to get into another Orichalcos duel?" asked Russell. "I'm content to wait for now, with all the craziness that's been happening even without that awful Field Card…"

"True…" said Trisha. "The next time some ghost shows up, we have to do our best to make sure they _don't_ force some other student to duel him, or…"

Then Old Ben came into the room.

"Don't you three ever have homework?" he asked.

"It's done," they all said at once.

"Yeah, well…" said Ben, "some other students are in for a punishment. Bianca, Melanie, and Sarah are an hour past curfew, and when I get ahold of them…"

He was interrupted by a loud crash.

Ben ran to the front hall where it had come from. The three students followed.

Bianca was there, and she had apparently run a long distance. She was out of breath… And incredibly scared.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Bianca slowly drank from a bottle.

"You tried to summon a Duel Spirit?" asked Trisha. "What the Hell were you thinking?"

"I thought it would be… interesting…" gasped Bianca. "And we got excited when it seemed to work…"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment.

"We cast the spell as the book said, and this appeared…"

Ben looked at it. It seemed to be written in old-fashioned ink pen:

**_Give me the souls of three warriors, and I will come._**

**_O-L-P-R P-R-M-T L-U O-R-V-S_**

Ben looked hard at the letters at the bottom…

"We thought it meant Warrior-Type Monster Cards…" muttered Bianca.

"It clearly didn't," said Jason. "Note that the word 'warriors' isn't capitalized…"

"I know…" sobbed Bianca. "We didn't realize the mistake until we said yes. Then Sarah was seemingly consumed in fire! Melanie and I tried to run, but she was caught too… And now…"

"Hold on one minute…" said Russell. "Valkyrie Brunhilde is a Fairy of Light… Why would she want human souls?"

"It wasn't Brunhilde…" said Old Ben, rubbing his chin. "It was an imposter posing as her…

"These letters at the bottom are a signature, in code. Each letter stands for the letter at the opposite place in the alphabet. A is Z, B is Y, and so on…"

He took out a pen and wrote new letters over the existing ones:

**LOKI KING OF LIES**

"Loki…" muttered Ben. "So, he escaped… Figures he would disrupt a ceremony aimed at summoning a Valkyrie…"

"Loki?" asked Russell. "The Norse God of Tricksters? He's real?"

Ben nodded.

"Some say that Egypt wasn't the only ancient civilization who knew how to harness the Shadows," he said. "Some scholars on Shadow Games say that these rituals formed the whole foundation for many old religions, and spawned entities worshipped by old cultures… They may not have been true gods, but they were immortals who could use the Shadows in strange ways. They formed the basis of several mythologies."

Bianca shivered in fright.

"So what do we…" she started.

And then she screamed, as flames erupted around her!

The headmaster and the three students could do nothing – they tried to beat out the flames, but she vanished in a burst of fire.

Then a cackling laugh came from out of nowhere.

"Show yourself!" shouted Ben.

"As you wish…" said a voice.

A tall form appeared in front of them. He was a young-looking man with red hair, tied in a ponytail almost down to his waist, wearing old-fashioned chain mail armor colored in clashing green and orange. His face was youthful, with large, green eyes, and ears tapering to small points.

"Let 'em go, Loki!" ordered Ben.

"Sorry, fellah," said the King of Lies, "but I'm here, and I like it here. And once I complete a little ritual to use what I've taken, I can stay here. See you around!"

An aura of flame appeared around him, and then it vanished in a burst, taking him with it.

Ben frowned again as he looked at the scorch mark. That carpet had just been reupholstered…

_What am I thinking… _he thought. _An evil immortal is loose, and he has three students with him…_

"Where'd he go?" asked Russell.

Old Ben slung a duffle bag over his shoulder.

"If Loki wants to do the type of ritual I think he wants to do, he'll need a good deal of spiritual energy," he said. "Come with me, I might need some help…

"Dr. Artemis is never going to believe this…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour and a short subway ride later, the headmaster and the three students entered the front doors of St. Patrick's Cathedral, the largest church in Manhattan.

This was not only the largest Catholic church in New York, it was the largest in the United States. And everything about it was _big_. There was enough seating for 2,500 people… The pipe organ was huge instrument with more than 7,300 pipes. The stained glass window in the front was twenty-six feet across, and one of the best works of that type. You could stand in this place for hours admiring the beauty…

Of course, during the day, peaceful reflection was difficult, given the crowds of tourists. They weren't here now, seeing as it was late… Only a few stragglers who didn't know of the danger that had entered were here.

"You want to tell me why we came to a church?" asked Russell.

"This is the largest store of spiritual energy in New York," said Ben. "Loki could get all he needs here."

"I thought demons and evil spirits like him couldn't enter churches," said Jason.

"This is a Catholic church, Jason," replied Ben. "Loki is far older than Christianity, which is relatively new as far as religions go. This place can't hinder him… The Vatican might be powerful enough, but…

"In fact, I fear that if we can't drive him away, he'll defile this place and turn it into an unholy shrine…"

"Good lord…" muttered Trisha. "Uh, Ben, can I ask what may be a stupid question?"

"If you can bear a stupid answer," he replied.

"If we find Loki here," she asked, "what exactly are we going to do? I mean, he's a Norse god, you know? Immortal, incredibly powerful, likely able to strike people dead with lightning…"

"No, Thor uses lightning," said Ben. "Loki prefers fire. Just trust your gym teacher, kids… I have an idea."

Then, the modern electrical lights all went out…

A second later, every candle in the church lit, providing an eerie glow.

"So, you found me…" said a voice.

Loki appeared in another burst of fire.

"Too bad you can't stop me," he said with a smirk. "Soon I'll gather enough energy to consume those three souls, and I'll have escaped my jailers entirely!"

"Jailers?" asked Russell.

"I've spent the last three thousand years chained to a rock," said Loki with a scowl, "with snakes chewing at my entrails! Fortunately, that ritual helped me break free…"

"Because you tricked them…" added Jason.

"King of Lies, God of Tricksters, Twister of Truths," said Loki. "What did you expect?

"Besides, I have a great opportunity now. Back in my day, everyone hated me… Being able to start over in a place where no-one remembers all the bad things you did is better than Valhalla!"

"Listen, Loki!" shouted Ben. "As headmaster of the Ra Dorm, the safety and welfare of its students is my responsibility! So if you need a sacrifice, I have an offer for you… Well, more of a challenge…"

"A challenge?" asked Loki, nearly laughing.

"Yes," said Ben. "A duel! You win, you take me instead of them. I win, you get your sorry ass back to where you came from!"

"Heh, heh, heh…" laughed Loki rubbing his chin. "To tell you the truth, I'm intrigued…

"I truly needed the soul of a warrior to do this easily… Your courageous and virtuous spirit is that of a true warrior, far more than those three cowardly little girls. It would empower me much more…"

"Then you'd benefit now, wouldn't you?" asked Ben.

Loki rubbed his chin again.

"Very well, mortal," he said, "I accept!"

Ben opened his duffle, and strapped a Duel Bandoleer over his chest, similar to Dr. Artemis's. He shuffled his deck and placed it the slot over his heart.

He whispered to the three students.

"If he beats me, you three make the same offer. Whatever we do, we have to keep him occupied…"

"Why?" asked Jason.

"No time to explain right now…" answered Ben. "But if there's one thing I know about these dark entities, they simply can't resist a challenge."

Loki gestured, and a strange Disk appeared on his left arm. It looked like it was made as much of wood as it was of metal.

He gestured, and a flame appeared in his hand. A deck of cards appeared in the flame, and he placed it in the Disk.

"Think Ben can beat this guy?" asked Russell.

"I dunno," said Jason. "I never saw him duel. And Loki… Well, he's a Norse God! How much more intense than that can you get?"

"All right, big guy…" said Ben.

He gestured, and five cards slipped out of his deck.

"As they say, it's time to duel!"

**(Ben: 8,000) -------------------- (Loki: 8,000)**

"Feh," said Loki, drawing five cards. "Feel free to make the first move. It really doesn't matter. I haven't been outwitted in a game of skill since the founding of Asgard."

"And when was that?" asked Ben, drawing a sixth card.

"I think it was on a Tuesday," answered Loki. "Very few people know that!"

"Okay…" said Ben. "I'll start by playing a Spell Card… Golden Road."

He played the card, and the image of the fabled Road of Yellow Brick leading up to the Emerald City appeared.

"When this card is played, both players draw four cards, and then discard two."

Loki looked at his hand and grinned.

"Fine…" he said. "You're only helping me…"

Both of them drew four cards, and then discarded two.

"Now I'll place one card facedown, and a Monster in Defense Mode," said Ben.

Two facedown cards, one horizontal and one vertical, appeared.

"And I'll end my turn…" he said.

"Well then," said Loki, drawing a card. "I'll first play Monster Reborn, to summon a Monster that I just discarded… Dark Blade."

The ankh appeared, and a Warrior in dark armor covered with blades holding two scimitars appeared. His eyes glowed from the slots in his helmet, and he raised the swords menacingly. (1,800/1,500)

"And then, I'll sacrifice him, to summon Mobius the Frost Monarch!"

Dark Blade vanished, and a blizzard of ice and snow blew over Loki's side of the field. A twelve-foot-tall giant rose up, seemingly dressed in armor made of ice, with a cape over his shoulder.

He stepped forward, and the ground froze where his footsteps fell. (2,400/1,000)

"And simply by summoning him," continued Loki, "up to two of your Spell or Trap Cards are destroyed."

Mobius shot a blast of ice from his hand. Ben's facedown Mirror Force froze over and shattered.

"Mobius…" ordered Loki, "put his facedown Monster on ice! Attack with blizzard blight!"

Mobius pointed and a chilling wind shot forward…

A large koala appeared on the card and was frozen in a block of ice. Then it shattered to bits.

"Now you're gonna get it!" laughed Ben. "You just flipped Des Koala! That means you lose 400 Life Points for every card in your hand. And I count six of them!"

"Huh?" said Loki.

He shrieked as he was struck by six bolts of lightning in quick succession!

"NOW do you see why I let you draw more cards?" said Ben with a smile.

"Clever…" muttered Loki.

**(B: 8,000) -------------------- (L: 5,600)**

"Wow, Ben clobbered him!" exclaimed Russell.

"Yeah," said Trisha, "but he'll need something powerful to beat Mobius…"

"Don't worry, kids," said Ben, "that overgrown popsicle is nothing I can't handle…"

He gestured over his vest, and a new card flew into his hand.

"I play this…" he said, "Koala March."

He played a Spell Card.

"Never heard of it…" laughed Loki.

"Well, it's a two-step process," said Ben. "First it lets me Special Summon one Koala from my Graveyard, and then it lets me Special Summon another one from my hand."

Two Des Koalas appeared, ready to pounce. (1,100/1,800 x2)

"So?" said Loki. "They're worthless in Attack Mode…"

He paused.

"Unless they're…"

"Sacrificial lambs?" asked Ben with a grin. "In a word, yes! I sacrifice both these _little_ koalas…"

The two Des Koalas vanished into pixels.

"…to summon their big brother… Big Koala!"

An enormous koala, half-again as big as Mobius, rose, looking quite out of place in the hallowed sanctum. (2,700/2,000)

"Wow!" exclaimed Jason. "Ben summoned a seven star Monster with only one additional card!"

Loki wasn't impressed.

"Oh, a giant teddy bear…" he laughed. "Whatever will I do…"

"You may be the God of Tricksters, Loki," said Ben, "but you sure aren't a zoologist. Koalas aren't bears. And in case you didn't notice, his Attack points are greater than Frosty's there!

"Big Koala, send Mobius to the cooler! Takedown from Down Under!"

Big Koala charged forward on all fours, and slugged the Frost Monarch! He groaned, and shattered into shards of ice.

"I could use a stiff drink," said Ben. "We've got plenty of cocktail ice. I'll end by placing a card facedown."

He played a card, and facedown card materialized.

**(B: 8,000) -------------------- (L: 5,300)**

"Loki, I will defeat you…" continued Ben. "You'll wish you stayed in your own neck of the woods."

Loki drew a card.

"Yes, you keep telling yourself that," said Loki, playing a card. "In the meantime, I believe I will play a Spell Card called The Shallow Grave. This lets us…"

"I know what it does!" interrupted Ben. "It lets us both Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode."

"You don't have to be rude about it," said Loki, as a facedown Monster appeared in front of him.

"And you didn't have to kidnap three of my students!" snapped back Ben, as a facedown Monster appeared next to Big Koala.

"Well, anyway," continued Loki. "Seeing as the Monster you just summoned has to be a Des Koala, and I remember quite well what its flip-effect does, I'm going to get rid of it…

"I sacrifice my facedown Monster…"

The facedown Monster vanished.

"…and I summon Granmarg the Rock Monarch!"

The ground trembled, and another giant creature burst out the floor, scattering shards of rock to every side. It was a hulking ogre made of stone, its body sculpted to resemble strange armor, and with enormous firsts. Its only article of clothing was a kilt made out of metal. (2,400/1,000)

"And when he's summoned," said Loki, "one facedown card is destroyed!"

A beam of energy shot from Granmarg's eyes, striking Ben's facedown Monster. Des Koala appeared and shattered to pieces.

"Big Koala is still stronger!" said Ben.

"Not for long," replied Loki, taking another card. "I Equip Granmarg with Enchanted Maul of the Monarchs."

He played a card, and a large mallet made of stone appeared in Granmarg's hand.

"I'll explain," said Loki. "When a Monarch is Equipped with this card, his Attack Score rises by 500 right away. That alone is enough to destroy your Koala…

"But the Monarch is also assumed to have an increase of another 800 whenever he battles a Monster whose Attribute is the same as his. And since Granmarg and your Beast are both Earth Monsters…"

Granmarg's Attack shot up to 3,700.

"Granmarg, attack Big Koala!" shouted Loki. "Royal stone blow!"

Granmarg rushed and slugged Big Koala in the gut with the Maul; Big Koala clutched its stomach in pain, and then shattered.

**(B: 7,000) -------------------- (L: 5,300)**

"Loki seems to favor the Elemental Monarchs a lot," said Trisha.

"Yeah," said Jason. "They're giants, just like Loki."

"Loki's a giant?" asked Russell. "As in fee-fi-foe-fum? He doesn't look so big…"

"Ever read Norse Mythology?" asked Jason. "Loki wasn't related to the gods at all, he was the son of the king and queen of their enemies, the Jotuns… giants. But unlike most Jotuns, who were huge, Loki was no bigger than a normal man, and his parents were so ashamed, they isolated him from everybody. Eventually, Odin, the King of the Gods, found Loki, took pity on him, and…"

"EXCUSE me!" shouted Loki. "That's all a very touchy subject that I don't like being brought up! A word to the wise… Don't bring up someone's embarrassing moments!"

"Be grateful I don't bring up the incident with Slepnir," said Jason.

"If you even think about that…" said Loki, angrily.

"Excuse me, can I make my move here?" asked Ben.

"Fine," said Loki. "But after you, they're next!"

Ben drew a card.

"I summon Eucalyptus Mole in Defense Mode," he said.

A strange-looking mole with a green crest on its back and sharp claws appeared, sitting cross-legged. It clutched a branch of eucalyptus leaves. (1,000/1,300)

"That will do," he said.

"That's your defense?" asked Loki. "A mole?"

He drew a card.

"I summon Chthonian Soldier in Attack Mode," he said.

A dark portal opened, and a Warrior trudged out. He was a grim figure in midnight-black armor holding a jagged sword. He scowled, and his teeth were revealed to be jagged and sharp. His eyes had no pupils, just white orbs. (1,200/1,400)

"Granmarg, destroy that… thing."

Granmarg brought his hammer down on Eucalyptus Mole, smashing it flat.

"Thank you," said Ben, with a smile. "When Eucalyptus Mole is destroyed in battle, I get to summon any Monster with the word 'Koala' in it from my deck. So here comes another Big Koala!"

Another giant koala appeared! (2,700/2,000)

"Humph," said Loki. "In that case, I'll play a card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

"But what will you do now? Granmarg is still 1,000 Attack Points stronger…"

Ben drew a card.

"What will I do?" he asked. "I'll play Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and drew twice.

"And as far as the strength of my Monster goes, Loki," he said, "when you go up against a guy who uses Beasts, you not only have to look at the Attack Score, but at the Defense Score too. You never know when I'll have _this_ Spell Card…"

He played a card.

"I play Wild Nature's Release. This Spell adds my Koala's Defense Score his Attack Score."

Big Koala grunted and flexed its muscles, and blue flames surrounded it, as its Attack rose to 4,700.

"Now, turn the Rock Monarch into rubble!" shouted Ben.

Big Koala leapt forward, and threw a mighty punch, smashing Granmarg into shards of rock!

"Don't cerebrate yet!" said Loki, angrily. "You played Wild Nature's Release to pull that move off! That means your big pet dies when you end your turn!"

"Oh, will he?" asked Ben with a grin. "Normally, he would, but I have a Trap Card…"

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of a dead bull with its ghost floating out of it.

"It's called Beast Soul Swap," he said. "This will let me return Big Koala to my hand _before_ it's destroyed, so long as I swap it for a Beast with the same number of stars from my hand.

"So, it returns to my hand…"

Big Koala vanished in a sparkle of light.

"…and in return, I'll Special Summon someone even who packs just as much punch… Behemoth, the King of All Animals!"

He played the card, and a Beast just as big as Big Koala appeared. He looked like a massive cross between a bison, bear, and lion, with violet fur and a mane of darker purple hair down his back. It growled, and saliva dripped from its fanged jowls. (2,700/1,500)

"Yeah, Ben!" cheered Trisha. "Way to combo!"

"I'm far from done, kids!" said Ben. "My Battle Phase ain't over… Get that Chthonian Soldier! "

The King of All Animals charged the Warrior, and with one swipe of his mighty claw, tore him apart.

"Heh, heh…" said Loki. "Look… up…"

"Huh?" asked Ben.

He looked up, and saw the Soldier's sword flying towards him…

He screamed in pain as it struck him.

"Fool…" said Loki. "That last attack may have cost me some Life Points, but due to Chthonian Soldier's effect, it cost you just as much, as you can certainly feel…"

_Yeah, I feel it…_ muttered Ben. _I actually felt it stab me! That sword was no hologram…_

_This is real… I should have known…_

_This guy managed to create a Shadow Game…_

**(B: 5,500) -------------------- (L: 2,800)**

"Anything else?" asked Loki.

"Actually, yes…" muttered Ben. "I play the Spell Card, Power Distribution."

He played the card, and to the surprise of the three students, the Dark Magician appeared behind Ben! He cast a spell, and the images of three cards appeared.

"To play this, I have to discard a Monster who has seven stars or more…"

He discarded the Big Koala in his hand, and the legendary sorcerer vanished.

"And in return, I get to draw two cards, plus one for every star it had above six – in this case, I get three."

He gestured over his chest, and three cards slipped out. He looked at them.

"And I'll place one of them facedown."

He fit a card into a slot.

"It's your turn."

"About time," said Loki, drawing a card. "I was afraid it might be time for me to start making plans for Ragnarok once this duel was over. Oh well…"

He played a card.

"I play Pot of Greed."

He drew two cards.

"Now I'll activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted, and just like the warriors are reborn every dusk on the fields of Valhalla, one of my Warriors returns."

The card lifted, and Chthonian Soldier appeared.

"And now…" he said. "I'll sacrifice him, to summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch!"

The Soldier shattered, and lightning struck his side of the arena. A new giant appeared. He was dressed in fancy green and white armor, with a helmet and a circular disk on his back. He lifted his hand, and called lightning to it, and electricity flashed all over him. (2,400/1,000)

"This is my least favorite Monarch," said Loki, with a frown. "He reminds me of my foster brother… But he's useful, because now, one of your Monsters is destroyed."

Lightning struck Behemoth, and it roared he was electrocuted!

After a minute, only ashes were left of the huge Beast.

"No…" gasped Trisha. "Ben is wide open for an attack…"

"Indeed…" said Loki. "Ready for more pain, mortal? Zaborg, smite him!"

Lightning powered up in Zaborg's hands… Ben shielded himself with his metal arm as a bolt of lightning shot towards him…

Ben strained for a minute, and sweat formed on his face… He stumbled back four steps… But he didn't fall.

The lightning stopped. Ben paused to catch his breath.

"Strongest Left Hand In The Land…" he muttered.

**(B: 3,100) -------------------- (L: 2,800)**

"I haven't had so much fun in millennia!" laughed Loki. "I almost forgot how exhilarating it is to slowly crush the life out a foe in combat!"

"Yeah…" muttered Ben. "It's a blast…"

He waved his _right_ hand.

"I activate Scapegoat!" he shouted.

Joey Wheeler's trademark token-creating card lifted, and four fluffy sheep appeared.

"FOOL!" laughed Loki. "You could have activated that before I attacked, and saved yourself a lot of Life Points!"

"Eh, I have to agree with Loki here, for once," said Russell. "That was pretty dumb…"

"Am I a fool?" asked Ben. "Maybe I have a strategy that's too complicated for you to comprehend."

"Don't insult me mortal!" shouted Loki. "I earned the title King of Lies… I outwitted mortals, the Jotuns, even the gods many times. You can't possibly outwit me!"

"Yeah, you outwitted them until you got caught," said Jason, "which led you to being chained to that rock."

"And soon that will be nothing more than an unpleasant memory," answered Loki. "I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn."

He played a card, and it appeared.

Ben drew another card.

"I summon Des Kangaroo in Attack Mode," he said.

He played a card, and a short, scrappy kangaroo with green fur, wearing boxing gloves, a purple vest, and red sneakers bounced into view. He took a few warm-up jabs. (1,500/1,700)

"A kangaroo?" said Loki, with a chuckle. "Get serious…"

His facedown Trap lifted.

"I activate Hidden Soldiers. This lets me summon a Dark Monster from my hand when you summon a Monster, and I think Getsu Fuhma will fit that bill."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a beautiful woman with flowing red hair, wearing dark armor and holding a glowing sword appeared.

She glared at Loki with a frown, as if she resented being summoned, and then turned to face Des Kangaroo. (1,700/1,200)

"Fine," said Ben. "But now you'll see my strategy… I play this Spell Card: The Big March of Animals!"

A Spell Card showing the image of a menagerie of Beasts appeared in front of him.

"When this Spell Card is played," explained Ben, "for this round only, all Beasts on my side of the field gain 200 Attack Points for every Beast I have. And I have Des Kangaroo and four Scapegoats."

Des Kangaroo raised his gloves and then flexed his muscles, and rose to an Attack of 2,500.

"NOW do you see why I waited to activate Scapegoat?" he said with a smirk. "I needed all four of them alive if I wanted to take down your Monarch! Still think I'm a fool?

"It seems I did outwit you…"

Loki turned pale…

"Des Kangaroo…" shouted Ben, "attack Zaborg with dreamtime combination!"

Des Kangaroo put up its dukes and hopped over to Zaborg, and made several jabs… Then it punched the Monarch six times in the solar plexus! Zaborg groaned, and fell to his knees, and then shattered into sparkling pixels.

**(B: 3,100) -------------------- (L: 2,700)**

"You'll pay for this indignity…" growled Loki.

He drew a card.

"I sacrifice Getsu Fuhma to summon the avatar of mighty Surtur himself… Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!" he shouted.

Getsu was consumed in fire, and another giant rose out of the flames. This one was clad in plate armor and a helmet, and his face sported a Fu-Manchu beard and moustache. His grin was very unpleasant, and as he raised his hands, they became shrouded in flames. (2,400/1,000)

"Now, take a look at those two cards in your hand," said Loki. "Thestalos's effect makes you discard one at random, and if it's a Monster, you lose Life Points equal to 100 times its star level!"

Thestalos grinned evilly, and pointed, shooting a stream if fire forward that struck the left card in Ben's hand.

Ben looked at the card that was now shrouded with flames…

_So much for Kangaroo Champ…_ he thought, discarding it.

**(B: 2,700) -------------------- (L: 2,700)**

"The score is tied, but not for long…" threatened Loki.

"Thestalos, destroy Des Kangaroo with Fire of Muspelhelm!"

The Firestorm Monarch laughed, and lifted his hand. A ball of flame formed in it, and started to grow, quickly, until it was almost as big as himself…

He hurled it, and Des Kangaroo was incinerated in a huge explosion!

"All right, now Ben is in trouble…" said Trisha.

"He still has those four sheep to protect him for now," said Jason. "He has at least one round to think of something…"

**(B: 1,800) -------------------- (L: 2,700)**

Ben drew a card.

"I have to pass for this turn…" he muttered.

"Very well…" said Loki.

He drew a card.

"I summon Blindly Loyal Goblin in Attack Mode," he said.

He played a card, and a short goblin with a squat face wearing a ragged pair of trousers and holding a sword appeared. (1,800/1,500)

"Both of you…" said the King of Lies, "take out two of those Scapegoats!"

Thestalos fired a smaller ball of flame, and the yellow Scapegoat was incinerated.

Blindly Loyal Goblin made a swipe with his sword, and the red one was cut in half.

"It's your move," said Loki with a grin.

Ben drew a card.

"I'll place one card facedown, and that will be all," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

"Is that the best you could do?" asked Loki. "All I must do is draw one Monster, and Thestalos will finish you off!"

He drew a card.

He gave the card an odd look.

"Didn't draw a Monster, huh?" asked Ben.

"Actually, I did," said Loki, adding it to his hand, "but it isn't one I'm willing to use right now.

"Anyway, first thing's first… destroy his goats!"

Thestalos and the Goblin destroyed the last two Scapegoats.

"His last defense is gone…" muttered Trisha. "Now what?"

"My move…" said Ben, drawing a card.

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted to bring back one Monster from my Graveyard. Guess who it is…"

Big Koala reappeared. (2,700/2,000)

"Him again…" growled Loki.

"You got that right," said Ben. "Attack Thestalos! Takedown from Down Under!"

Big Koala leapt forward and threw a punch. Thestalos was thrown backwards, and his helmet flew off of his head. He burst into flaming pieces.

**(B: 1,800) -------------------- (L: 2,400)**

"Wonder if I could get Odin's phone number…" muttered Ben. "From what I'm seeing, he and the other gods might have a chance of actually winning Ragnarok if he got a few Big Koalas on his side…"

Flames surrounded the God of Tricksters…

"I'm starting to get… angry!" he said with a sneer.

He drew a card.

"I'll move Blindly Loyal Goblin to Defense Mode…"

The Goblin knelt in Defense.

"Move…"

Ben drew a card.

"Big Koala, get him!" he shouted.

Big Koala pounced, and flattened the Goblin.

"Now I'll put a card facedown, and turn it over to you," he said.

Loki angrily drew.

And then he smiled.

"Heh, heh…" he said. "Ha, ha… HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!

"With this combo, the duel and your soul is as good as mine…"

He played a Spell Card. It showed the image of Mobius sitting on a throne of ice surrounded by frost giants.

"I play… Call of Jotunhelm. This allows me to Special Summon a Monarch from my Graveyard, so long as I cut his Attack Score in half. So I'll bring back the one who started it all…"

Mobius the Frost Monarch appeared. (1,200/1,000)

"And now, I'll use him to summon someone who'll end it all! You see, the Monster I'm holding can only be summoned by sacrificing another Monarch and removing it from play…

"So I banish Mobius…"

Mobius vanished.

"…to summon the mightiest Monarch of all, the King of the Night… Nergal the Night Monarch!"

The candles in the church were snuffed out. A dark shadow arose. Ben and the three students could vaguely make out a humanoid form in the darkness, and they could see that it was even bigger than Big Koala.

Two glowing red eyes peered from the Monster…

(3,300/1,600)

"Be grateful that you can't see Nergal clearly," said Loki's voice. "Legend has it that if anyone ever saw the King of the Night, he'd be frightened to death. Of course, there's no chance of that ever happening, because he rules the night itself, where the darkness hides him.

"Nergal… destroy Big Koala…"

Ben and the students heard what sounded like a scream from Big Koala, followed by throttling and strangling sounds, and then silence.

**(B: 1,200) -------------------- (L: 2,400)**

"I activate my Trap Card…" muttered Ben.

His Trap lifted.

"Animal Trail. Since my Monster was destroyed, I can take a Beast from my deck and add it to my hand."

He took his deck and found a second Des Kangaroo. He added it to his hand and reshuffled.

"As if that will matter," said Loki.

"I can take down your Night Monarch…" whispered Ben.

"Well, let me explain to you Nergal's special ability," said Loki's voice. "He's immune to Spell Cards, Trap Cards, and Monster Effects that destroy Monsters."

Ben started to say something, but Loki interrupted him.

"What's that you say?" he said. "You're thinking of using a second Wild Nature's Release, right?"

He placed a card in his Disk, and the glow from a facedown card illuminated the darkness.

"We'll just see about that," he continued. "It's your move."

Ben gestured, and a card flew into his hand.

"I activate a Trap Card!" exclaimed Loki. "Mask of Restrict!"

The facedown card lifted, and a hideous tiki mask appeared behind him.

"So long as this is in play, you're limited to Monsters of four stars or less," he added, "so unless you have one who's Attack and Defense adds up to 3,300 or more, Wild Nature's Release isn't going to cut it."

Ben grinned.

"Loki…" he said. "I don't know how you could be so small-minded…

"You said that Nergal couldn't be destroyed by Spell Cards… Well fine… But he isn't immune to Spells that do other things, now is he?"

Loki frowned.

"I'm going to fight your Night Monarch with a powerful force that sends all creatures of night cowering in fear…" said Ben, raising the card he had just drawn.

"I'm talking about… the sun!"

He threw a Spell Card into his Disk.

"Your Monarch may rule the night, but when the sun comes up, he and his minions run to the caves and holes in the ground where they came, and don't dare show their faces while the life-giving light shines in the sky!

"I play Ayer's Rock Sunrise!"

Suddenly, a glow started to pierce the darkness…

A beautiful, rocky plateau appeared behind Ben, and the light of the rising sun illuminated the church, filling the sacred shrine with radiant light!

Ben and the students now could see Nergal clearly – he was a diabolic-looking giant with fiendish features, dark skin, and demonically crafted armor. And he clearly did _not_ like the light very much. He shielded himself from the light, and seemed to be weakening…

"Now let me explain how this works…" said Ben. "First, it lets me Special Summon one Beast from my Graveyard, so I'm bringing back Big Koala for one more go…"

Big Koala appeared on Ayer's Rock, standing triumphantly in the light.

"And then," continued Ben, "for every Beast, Winged Beast, and Beast-Warrior I have left in my Graveyard, your nightmare over there loses 200 Attack Points!"

The spirits of two Des Koalas, one Big Koala, Behemoth, Eucalyptus Mole, Kangaroo Champ, and Des Kangaroo flew from the Rock and clung to the Night Monarch. He groaned, and his Attack Score fell to 1,900.

"Since I lowered his Attack Score, I could attack him now, but I'm hardly done," said Ben. "Next I use Polymerization, to fuse my Big Koala with the Des Kangaroo I'm holding…"

A Des Kangaroo appeared next to the Koala, and they swirled into a vortex of green and blue…

"Forming the terror of the outback… **_Master of Oz_**!"

A koala that was even bigger than Big Koala appeared on Ayer's Rock. His hindquarters had agile legs and a long tail, similar to Des Kangaroo's. He had green fur, boxing gloves, a jacket, and sneakers like Des Kangaroo's, and held a couple of odd tools in his pouch. He had blacking surrounding his eyes.

He made a boxing stance, and took a few warm-up punches.

(4,200/3,700)

"Is that really the legendary Master of Oz?" gasped Trisha.

"Apparently…" said Jason. "That's a Monster you don't see every day… They say he's the most powerful Beast-Type Monster in the game."

"Time to end this!" shouted Ben. "Master of Oz, attack Nergal the Night Monarch with Ayer's Rock Uppercut!"

Master of Oz charged, and delivered a vicious haymaker to the Night Monarch! Spit flew from the Fiend's mouth, and then he collapsed...

He shattered into bits.

**(B: 1,200) -------------------- (L: 100)**

"I'm… not… finished… yet…" threatened Loki.

"Neither am I," said Ben. "I still have one card to play… De-Fusion!"

He played a card, and Master of Oz glowed. It split into two orbs of green and blue light, forming into Big Koala and Des Kangaroo.

"Des Kangaroo, attack directly and end this!" shouted Ben.

Des Kangaroo flew at the God of Tricksters fist-first, and delivered an uppercut to his chin! The King of Lies fell on one knee, seething with rage…

**(B: 1,200) -------------------- (L: 0)**

"The winner!" shouted Russell, raising Ben's left arm.

"And still the champion!" shouted Trisha, raising his right.

The candles came back on, and Loki glared at Ben as the two Beasts vanished.

"You lose, Loki," said Ben. "Now release the girls!"

"Never…" growled Loki. "You're a fool…"

"We had a deal," said Ben with a snarl.

"Heh, heh, heh," said Loki, with an evil smile. "King of _Lies_, remember? How many times do I have to say it?"

He got up, and a ball of flame appeared in his hand.

"And since I wasn't able to defeat you and I have a reputation at stake," he said, "I'll just have to take the four of you… the old fashioned way…"

And then, a glowing light appeared behind him…

He stopped short.

"No…" he gasped. "I was so close…"

"I hate to break this to you, Mr. Pants on Fire," said Ben, with a grin, "but you aren't the only one who can lie! I knew you wouldn't keep your end of the bargain. The whole purpose of this duel… was to stall!"

Loki looked in fear as the portal started to grow…

"See," said Loki, "I knew that as soon as you escaped, your fellow Asgardians would find out that you had, and start looking for you so they could put you back. So I had to keep you from doing the ritual until they found you. And since you were too proud to refuse a challenge as I had hoped, you wasted precious time…

"And speaking of time, your chances of getting some off for good behavior just plummeted."

From out of the portal came an awe-inspiring sight. Four gorgeous women, dressed in golden armor, holding spears and riding winged horses flew out…

They didn't say a word. Three of them started stabbing at Loki with their weapons, and he howled in pain. He fell to his knees. They didn't let up, and he fell on his hands.

Then the fourth produced a net, and threw it over him, wrapping him up.

The Valkyries paused. One of them gestured, and Bianca, Melanie, and Sarah appeared, sleeping on the floor in front of Ben.

The one with the net dragged Loki through the portal. Two of the others followed.

The fourth turned towards Ben. She smiled sweetly.

Then she flew through the portal as well.

The electric lights came back on.

"Whew!" muttered Ben.

The three girls groaned and woke up.

"What happened?" asked Bianca. "Loki…"

"Loki is gone," said Ben. "But you three are confined to the dorm except for classes for the next three weeks. I'll decide whether or not to tell Dr. Artemis about this later."

They groaned.

"Now let's get back," said Ben.

"Old Ben the God-Slayer…" said Jason, with a grin.

"Hey, don't swell my head…" replied Ben.

"So Ben…" asked Trisha. "Why an Australia Deck?"

"Well…" said Ben, looking at his metal arm. "More or less to remind me how I got this. When something costs you your arm, you don't want to forget it…"

"Boy, Ben," said Russell. "You took on that guy like he was nothing… And you weren't even scared!"

"Of course I was scared," answered Ben. "Only an idiot wouldn't have been scared of Loki… He's dangerous.

"Let me tell you something… true courage isn't not being afraid. That's being foolhardy. True courage is when you're scared, but you act anyway."

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"A valid philosophy…" grumbled Fortunado. "Maybe we'll include it in your epitaph…"

As Fortunado watched, the Three Swordsmen and his dark accomplice were in the middle of a round of poker.

"I'll see you and raise you five dollars," muttered the dark figure.

"I fold…" sighed Sebastian, throwing his cards on the table.

"Yeah?" said Cleo. "Well, I'll see you, and raise you ten more."

She placed the money on the pile.

"I'll see you both and raise you another ten…" said Cassius, increasing the size of the pot. "Now, let's see if you two weren't just a load of hot air… All in."

They nodded.

Cassius put his hand on the table.

His hand consisted of a two of spades, three of clubs, four of spades, five of diamonds, and six of hearts.

"Straight," he said. "Beat that."

Cleo grinned.

She put her own hand on the table.

A two, three, four, seven, and king, all of hearts.

"Flush," she said. "Beat ya!"

"Damn!" shouted Cassius.

"So…" said Cleo.

"Hold it…" said the shadowy figure.

He revealed his hand.

Three aces, and two eights.

"I believe that's a full house, folks," he said. "I win…"

Cleo frowned.

"Nice…" muttered Sebastian. "Aces and eights… The proverbial Dead Man's Hand."

The figure reached for the money.

"This isn't Deadwood, South Dakota," he mused, "and I'm no Wild Bill Hickok…"

"Actually people," growled Fortunado, "Wild Bill's hand was two pairs, not a full house: two aces and two eights. What his fifth card was is open to debate."

"Still upset, boss?" asked Sebastian.

Fortunado seethed… He scratched the surface of his chair, leaving a mark.

"What's wrong boss?" asked Cassius. "It was an exciting duel…"

"I wanted one of the Chosen to duel Loki," growled Fortunado. "Not some gym teacher. I wanted one of the Dragons to defeat him, not some overgrown stuffed animal with boxing gloves! Sure, a scene where a powerful evil force is humiliated is good, but it isn't quite the epic clash of the titans I was looking for… I barely know where to put that scene now, if there's even a place for it…"

He thought for a minute.

"Cassius… Cleo… Sebastian… It's time for this film to reach the crescendo scenes…

"I want the three of you to duel them personally…"

"All right!" shouted Sebastian. "Let me take on Trisha… I want to get her good!"

"In due time, Sebastian," said Fortunado, "but I think we should target the one who holds Timaeus first…

"Cleo, you think you could handle Jason's deck?"

"Are you kidding?" laughed Cleo. "I'm sure I could handle the real Kaiba's deck!"

"That's exactly what Alister thought…" warned Fortunado.

Cleo paused.

"I'm reasonably confident that there is a good chance that I could handle the real Kaiba's deck," she said.

"Better," replied Faustus. "After all, as the ancient saying goes…"

He paused.

"_He who refuses to learn to lessons of the past is doomed to repeat them…"_ he said in an ominous voice.

_Tuesday, September 28th, 2106, 2:14 AM_

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**0**

**0**

**KOALA MARCH (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Several koalas with multicolored fur playing in a meadow.

**Card Description:** Special Summon one Monster with the word "Koala" in its name with four stars or less from your Graveyard in Attack Position. Then Special Summon a Monster with the same name from your hand in Attack Position.

_Note: "Koala March" was used by Chumley in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Family Business". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**0**

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**EUCALYPTUS MOLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **1,300

**Card Description:** This odd creature isn't very powerful, but he has very strong friends. When this Monster is destroyed as a result of battle, Special Summon one Monster that has the word "Koala" in its name from your hand or deck.

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**0**

**0**

**ANIMAL TRAIL (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A dark trail in a forest, surrounded by bushes and tall grass.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when a Monster on your side of the field is destroyed as a result of battle. Search your deck for one BEAST-Type Monster and add it to your hand.

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**0**

**0**

**AYER'S ROCK SUNRISE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Ayer's Rock, glowing in the light of a spectacular sunrise.

**Card Description:** Special Summon one BEAST-Type Monster from your Graveyard. Then, for every BEAST, BEAST-WARRIOR, and WINGED BEAST-Type Monster in your Graveyard, reduce the ATK of one face-up opposing Monster by 200.

_Note: "Eucalyptus Mole", "Animal Trail", and "Ayer's Rock Sunrise" were used by Chumley in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Magna Chum Laude". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**0**

**0**

**GOLDEN ROAD (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The Road of Yellow Brick, leading up to a beautiful Emerald City.

**Card Description:** Both players draw four cards from their decks. Then, both players discard any two cards from their hand.

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**0**

**0**

**POWER DISTRIBUTION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Dark Magician conjuring up three glowing cards with a spell.

**Card Description:** Discard one Monster Card with seven stars or more from your hand. Draw two cards from your deck, plus one for every star level the discarded Monster had above six.

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**0**

**0**

**HIDDEN SOLDIERS (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A group of knights hiding behind a ridge in the foreground while another knight fights a dragon in the background.

**Card Description:** You can activate this Trap when your opponent Normal Summons or Flip Summons a Monster. Special Summon a Dark Attribute Monster that has four stars or less from your hand.

_Note: "Hidden Soldiers" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

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**0**

**0**

**ENCHANTED MAUL OF THE MONARCHS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A large mallet made of stone and bound with leather.

**Card Description:** This card can be Equipped to any Monster with the word "Monarch" in its name. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 500. When the Equipped Monster battles a Monster with the same Attribute as itself, increase its ATK by another 800 during the damage step.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CALL OF JOTUNHELM (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Mobius the Frost Monarch on a throne of ice, surrounded by frost giants.

**Card Description:** Special Summon one Monster from your Graveyard that has the word "Monarch" in its name. Reduce the ATK of the Special Summoned Monster by half.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**NERGAL THE NIGHT MONARCH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **3,300  
**DEF: **1,600

**Card Description:** The most powerful of the Elemental Monarchs, this creature rules the darkness. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster must first be Special Summoned by removing from play one Monster on your side of the field with the word "Monarch" in its name. This Monster cannot be destroyed by Spell Cards, Trap Cards, and Monster effects.

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**Ben's Australia Deck**

_Old Ben's original deck was stolen, he suspects by an opponent whom he defeated in the last tournament where he used it. After being hired as headmaster of the Ra Dorm, he slowly started to build a new one, one that would remind him of a turning point in his life – the vacation in Australia where he lost his left arm. Why would he want to remember such a tragedy? Perhaps because he believes that any pain that doesn't kill him makes him stronger, and that experience was incredibly painful. Besides, a lot of the Monsters in his new deck are boxers, and he's still a big fan of the sport._

_Ben's deck is basically a Beast Deck with an Australia feel. His major weapons are the two Big Koalas and the one Behemoth the King of All Animals, and he has many ways to summon these seven-star Monsters easily. He has many staples of standard Beast decks, such as The Big March of Animals and Wild Nature's Release, as well as a few to take advantage of his own Monsters. (Loki used The Shallow Grave, but Ben actually has his own copy of that card, which lets him use the effect of his three Des Koalas more often.)_

_A duelist as experienced as Ben knows a lot of good combos. These include Wild Nature's Release plus Beast Soul Swap, Scapegoat plus The Big March of Animals, and Master of Oz plus De-Fusion. Ben currently only has one copy of Master of Oz (the card isn't really that common), but in a one-on-one fight, this Beast can likely defeat anything. (And he tries to have De-Fusion on hand just in case he falls victim to some Trap or other Monster-slaying effect. This returns him to the Fusion Deck, but there's the chance he can be summoned again later.)_

_Ever since Chumley Huffington's first card design, Ayer's Rock Sunrise, was released to the public, it was sought out by anyone who played Beasts and Beast-Warriors. This card works very well with any sort of Beast, not just those of Australia origin. Ben has heard of Chumley and knows of his particular taste in dueling – the difference is, Ben has had a lot more success as an actual duelist._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Jason boards a subway train, and the next stop may be oblivion. Cleo treats him to a duel he may never forget, as her Monsters are ones that may terrify the average man – not to mention the fact that she has the Seal, and isn't afraid to use it. **_

_**And on top of it, learn her origin as well!**_

_**Don't miss "Beautiful Headhuntress", coming soon.**_


	27. Beautiful Headhuntress

_**Since Russell dueled Fang, all three of us have encountered three young folks who name themselves Cassius, Sebastian, and Cleo. Up until this point, they've stayed on the sidelines of a few Orichalcos duels, supporting whoever opposed us, and not much else.**_

_**I often wondered why they didn't get involved personally. Was it due to lack of courage? Lack of skill? Did they think dueling us was beneath them?**_

_**Well, right now, I can render those three theories obsolete.**_

_**One of them has challenged me right now. She's not afraid to face me, is an /IincrediblyI good duelist, and as for the possibility of dueling being beneath her, she actually seems to be having fun, despite the terrible stakes that she's set. **_

_**For the first time in a long time, I'm in trouble…**_

_**And as Jaden Yuki was fond of saying, I'd better "get my game on"…**_

…_**or my game is going to be shut OFF, permanently…**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

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**Beautiful Headhuntress**

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_Thursday, September 30th, 2106, 4:05 PM_

The first thing that Jason always did when he got out of class was check the mail. He liked getting mail… Getting mail from another person was like an acknowledgement that other people knew you were alive.

He opened his mailbox, and found only one letter. He looked at it.

_Interesting…_ he thought.

It was marked fragile, and clearly there was a card in a plastic protector inside. No return address, though. He carefully opened it.

He looked at the computer-printed letter.

_Dear Jason,_

_You don't know who I am, but I'm someone who wants to help you. I know much about the struggle you are facing – I dare not write the name of the threat on paper, lest this be traced back to me._

_I want to help you…_

_Meet me by taking the Number Three train all the way to the Coney Island stop, and waiting while it prepares to switch directions at eleven o'clock tonight. Please bring your Disk and your deck – if your enemies find me… I might have to duel, and if that happens, I'll be Sealed for sure. Only your special card can help._

_As a token of my sincerity, take the rare card that I've enclosed as a gift._

_Sincerely,_

_A Friend_

Jason took the card out of the envelope.

_Dark Magician Girl?_ he thought in surprise.

He looked at it for a minute.

Something wasn't right.

He left, and headed for one of the exam rooms…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sneaking past Old Ben wasn't hard. Catching students who snuck out was, ironically, one thing he didn't do well. And even if Ben found out about this, he was sure he would be forgiven – this was a war, after all.

As the Number Three rolled into the station, not many folks were on it. It was late, and not many folks wanted to go to Brooklyn that night…

Much fewer wanted to go to Coney Island in the off season.

As the train moved deeper into Brooklyn, the few people on the train got off, until halfway to Coney, only Jason and an old woman dressed in worn clothes – likely a vagrant – who was asleep several seats down were on the same car.

Eventually, the train came to a halt at the Coney Island stop, the last stop on the line. The doors swung open. Jason's watch said eleven PM. In about five minutes, the train would go in the other direction, moving to Manhattan and then to the Bronx.

"All right, I'm here…" muttered Jason. "So where are you?"

The doors slammed shut.

"I'm already here, cutie…" said a voice.

Jason turned. It had come from the vagrant…

…who wasn't a vagrant after all.

She stood up and threw off the dirty clothes, revealing a halter and a brief pair of shorts. The distinguishable hairstyle with her long bangs covering the right half of her face made her instantly recognizable.

"So, it's you…" muttered Jason, not getting up. "I kinda figured…"

"It didn't fool you?" asked Cleo.

Jason lifted the Dark Magician Girl card.

"How dumb did you think I was?" he asked. "I was suspicious when you included this as the gift… Dark Magician Girl is _incredibly_ rare. Most of them are owned by rich collectors, and very few duelists have actually used one in duels – one of which was the King of Games himself.

"So I scanned this card in one of the devices that teachers use to check students' decks before vital exams, to prevent cheating… This card is a fake, not worth the cardboard it's printed on."

He tossed it at Cleo.

"Not quite…" said Cleo, with a grin. "Truthfully, it was a booby trap. If you had used it in a duel, it would have blown up in your face, costing you half your Life Points. The real text is hidden behind a spell. But I can't fool you, cutie!"

"That's just sad…" said Jason. "First the Orichalcos, then trying to sabotage someone's deck with a tempting card… You're a sorry excuse for a duelist, Cleo, and that's why I'll always defeat your kind."

"You've never met my kind, cutie," she said with a smile. "All the other minions you've met were just thugs who didn't know the half of it. Cassius, Sebastian, and I… We were hand-picked for special reasons. We're not minions… We're the Swordsmen of the Orichalcos!"

The train started to move…

"Catchy name," answered Jason. "How come all the bad guys have the great titles?"

Cleo shrugged.

"Don't think you can hop off this train at the next stop, Jason," she added. "This train has been commandeered by someone working for my boss, and it won't make any stops until we duel and someone is lying on the floor with his soul stripped from him. Emphasis on the word _him_."

Jason's eyes narrowed.

"What makes you tick, Cleo?" he asked. "Don't you have any decency? Why are you doing this, anyway?"

"Thrills!" answered Cleo. "You see, about two years ago, I was so poor, I couldn't afford to feed myself. But I lucked out. A billionaire tycoon named Lewis Dogsen thought I was beautiful – and I _was_, by the way – and he offered a deal. I'd marry him, and be set for life, and in return, I'd never leave him. See, he was old, had no family, and wanted a companion. I couldn't agree fast enough.

"But going from rags to riches wasn't all thrills. Sure, I was pampered and spoiled, but Lewis just didn't have the excitement I needed. Which shouldn't come as a surprise… I was seventeen, and he was seventy-nine…

"To look for excitement, I turned to Duel Monsters, and played with anybody who'd take me up on it. I taught Lewis's personal servants the game… And then I started making wagers with them… Very tempting ones…

"I'd offer them something valuable if they could beat me; maybe the string of pearls I was wearing, or the mink sole. But if they lost, I got to hurt them physically, however I wanted…"

"That's terrible…" muttered Jason. "Lewis approved of this?"

"He was even meaner to them than I was!" laughed Cleo. "Half the companies he owned, he acquired through hostile takeovers. And the wagers were too good for them to pass up. I didn't win all the time, but I had so much jewelry, and so many toys, that losing never bothered me.

"As I got better, I decided I wanted more, and Lewis was in my way. After I cleverly bumped him off – and believe me, he died happy – I got all of his money, since he had no other heirs to challenge me.

"That's when I finally got a Disk and started work as a Duelist Assassin. You know how it is in the movies when a rich person becomes a hired gun? They cater to people who have deep pockets and want someone important taken out. I handled ones who could duel. I attacked them and killed them by forcing them to duel, after giving them a… special Disk."

Jason's eyes narrowed.

He remembered the story of how the Trinity was formed… The Doom Disks that those terrorists had invented…

"And then, one year ago, someone introduced me to the ultimate thrill… the Orichalcos!"

She hugged herself.

"You should feel it Jason! How the magic just flows right through you… Ancient, raw energy, pure power… In fact, I'll share it if you want…"

"Share it?" gasped Jason.

She reached into a pouch by her side. She took out the cursed card.

"Here Jason," she said. "I'm only allowed to have one copy in my deck, but if you want, you can take my spare copy. Then the advantage will go to whoever draws it first, and…"

"ARE YOU NUTS?" shouted Jason. "Keep it away from me!"

"Can't say I didn't offer…" said Cleo, with a sigh. She replaced it.

"Look Cleo, I came here tonight expecting a duel…" he said.

He activated his Disk.

"So enough about your life story. If all you've said is true, I'm going to send your sorry ass to Hell where you belong!"

"Bring it!" laughed Cleo. "Next stop, Manhattan, the Bronx, and certain doom!"

Her Disk activated.

Jason noticed that it wasn't a standard Orichalcos Disk. It was made of what looked like bronze, and the tray was curved, shaped somewhat like a kopesh sword.

The train moved faster, and rode up an incline as the scores set…

"Get your game on…" muttered Jason.

**(Jason: 8,000) -------------------- (Cleo: 8,000)**

"You want to go first, or should I?" asked Cleo.

"By all means, go first…" said Jason.

_With stakes this high,_ he thought, drawing five cards, _I need the first attack, not the first move…_

"In that case…" said Cleo, drawing a first card.

She looked at it.

"…I'll summon a gal who you're sure to love… Amazoness Swords Woman, in Attack Mode!"

She played the card, and a tall figure appeared. It was a female Warrior, dressed in a skimpy bikini, wearing jewelry made of teeth. Her hair was loose and wild. She carried a large sword in her hands. (1,500/1,600)

"Well…" she continued, "maybe _she'll_ love _you_ even more."

Swords Woman grinned at Jason evilly.

_An Amazon?_ thought Jason. _Lovely. I hope this isn't a trend… Amazon Monsters can be incredibly tricky…_

_But I've got a pretty good hand right now…_

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon… X-Head Cannon!" he shouted.

A Monster appeared in front of him like a computer image starting to form. It was a powerful-looking Machine with bulky arms, no legs, two dangerous-looking guns, and a head like a helmet, colored blue. The visor on its helmet glowed red as it stared blankly at Swords Woman. (1,800/1,500)

"Impressive, isn't it?" he asked.

"Hunk of junk," answered Cleo.

Jason frowned.

"I'll teach you to insult my Monsters…" he growled. "X-Head Cannon, kill the Swords Woman!"

X-Head Cannon fired its blasters. Swords Woman screamed and was blown to particles.

"Heh, heh…" said Cleo. "Nice effort, Jason, but even when Swords Woman loses, she still wins, because my opponent takes all damage from a battle involving her!

"And there are two more living in my deck, so I'd be wary about summoning Monsters with a lot of Attack Points…"

Jason frowned.

**(J: 7,700) -------------------- (C: 8,000)**

"My move…" said Cleo, drawing a card. "And I'll summon another Amazon… Amazoness Fighter in Attack Mode!"

Another female Warrior appeared. This one wasn't dressed any more decently, but she was far more muscular, and her hair was tied in a long ponytail. She didn't have a weapon, but from the look of her, she didn't need one. (1,500/1,300)

"She's not as lethal as Swords Woman," said Cleo, "but I take no damage from a battle involving her.

"And I'll place a card facedown."

She played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"Is that so?" asked Jason, drawing a card. "Well, do direct attacks still work on you? I summon Y-Dragon Head!"

Another Machine, resembling a thin Dragon colored red, armed with laser guns appeared. It flapped its metallic wings, and hovered in the air. (1,500/1,600)

"X-Head Cannon, put her with her sister!" shouted Jason.

X-Head Cannon fired again. Fighter screamed and was vaporized.

"Heh, heh…" said Cleo. "You activated my Trap, cutie…"

The facedown card lifted, showing a silhouette of Swords Woman on a hill in front of the full moon.

"It's called Pride of the Tribe, and it lets me summon another Amazon from my deck when one is destroyed in battle…"

She took her deck.

"Only hard decision is, which one? I think Amazoness Spear Woman fits my needs…"

She placed a card on her Disk, and a new Amazon, appeared, again dressed in a bikini and teeth jewelry, also with a leather headband. This one was holding a nasty spear with a bone point. (1,500/1,200)

"You're free to attack her with your other Monster if you want…" purred Cleo, as she shuffled her deck.

Jason looked at his hand.

"I decline that offer…" he muttered.

_It may be risky…_ he thought, _but I can't purposely lose Y-Dragon Head right now…_

"Then it's my move…" said Cleo, drawing a card.

She looked at the card.

"I summon Amazoness Blowpiper in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and a younger Amazon dressed in skins with shorter hair, carrying a blowgun appeared. (800/1,500)

"Any jokes about her name, and this duel is going to get very painful for you," warned Cleo. "I've heard too many of them."

"Fine, I won't," said Jason, "but she's hardly a threat…"

Blowpiper and Spear Woman looked at each other and nodded to each other…

"Well, let me explain to you Spear Woman's special ability…" said Cleo with a grin. "She can attack you directly, so long as I sacrifice another Amazon first."

Jason's eyes opened…

"So say goodbye to Blowpiper…" continued Cleo.

Blowpiper vanished.

"And say _helllloooo_ to Spear Woman!"

Spear Woman leapt up, landed right on Y-Dragon Head, then leapt again, driving her spear into Jason's gut!

Jason staggered back almost ten feet and slammed into the subway pole.

_Whose bright idea was to have this duel on a moving subway?_ he thought, getting up.

**(J: 6,200) -------------------- (C: 8,000)**

"Come on, Jason, put up a little fight!" laughed Cleo. "This isn't exciting at all!"

Jason drew a card.

"You want exciting?" he growled.

He threw a card on his Disk.

"I summon Z-Metal Tank…"

With a whir, a yellow robot on tank treads with one optic sensor rolled into view. (1,500/1,300)

"And the best thing about these three Monsters is…" he said. "They combine!"

Z-Metal Tank rolled into the center of Jason's field. Y-Dragon Head retracted its wings and hovered over it. X-Head Cannon extended a device from its underside, and hovered over it…

And then the three Machines locked together, in a burst of steam and a blaze of energy, creating one huge, multicolored robotic creature!

"Meet Kaiba's second-favorite merged Monster," said Jason. "The XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"

(2,800/2,600)

"And now to activate its effect. See, by discarding one card from my hand, like Safecracker here…"

He discarded the Trap Card.

"…I can wipe out any card on the field. So Spear Woman dies!"

Spear Woman gulped as the massive Machine's guns glowed…

It fired, and she was blown into her component atoms.

"And that was just its effect…" said Jason. "I still have its normal attack to use on you…"

XYZ-Dragon aimed its guns at Cleo.

"So…" asked Jason. "Exciting enough?"

"Uh, huh, huh…" chuckled Cleo, nervously.

"ATTACK!" shouted Jason. "De-fission blasters!"

A barrage of lasers blasted, and Cleo was thrown back, her cards scattering all over the floor of the car!

"Ugh…" she moaned.

**(J: 6,200) -------------------- (C: 5,200)**

A whistle on the train blew, as it started to go down an incline…

"Why don't you quit while you still can?" asked Jason. "Or do you want me to do that again?"

Cleo got up.

"Oh, yes, yes!" she moaned happily. "Bring it on!"

She picked up her cards.

"My move…" she said with a smile.

She drew and looked at the card.

"Now the real fun starts!" she laughed, opening her Field Slot.

The train shot into a tunnel, transforming from EL-Train to true subway. Darkness shrouded the car for a few seconds…

And then the glow from the Seal lit it up!

As the lights came back on, Cleo raised her arms, as the Seal branded to her forehead, and she glowed with energy.

"Yes, YES!" she cried in pure joy. "Give me the power!"

"You're nuts…" said Jason.

"And you're in big trouble…" said Cleo with a grin.

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon the general of the Amazon army… Amazoness Paladin!"

A new Amazon appeared, this one dressed in a halter and a brief loincloth, as well as a cowl and a short caplet. (1,700/300)

"And in addition to the bonus from the Orichalcos," said Cleo, "she gains 100 more Attack Points for every Amazon on my side of the field, including herself."

The Paladin's eyes glowed evilly, as the Seal branded to her forehead. (2,300/300)

"That's not near enough…" said Jason.

"Not on her own," said Cleo, "but I have another card…"

She played a card, showing the image of an aged, female witchdoctor.

"Amazoness Spellcaster," she said. "It's a Spell… which swaps the base Attack Score of an Amazon with that of one of your Monsters for the rest of the round."

"_Base_ Attack Score?" gasped Jason.

"Right…" said Cleo. "Before any other bonuses. So now, Paladin has 2,800 Attack Points, plus 500 from the Orichalcos, plus 100 from her own effect, for a grand total of 3,400!

"And your Cannon has her base Attack of 1,700, plus no bonuses…

"Paladin, attack!"

Amazoness Paladin made a pose, and then leapt forward…

She brought her sword down on XYZ-Dragon Cannon, blowing it to scrap!

**(J: 4,500) -------------------- (C: 5,200)**

_Terrific… _thought Jason. _XYZ-Dragon Cannon was a NOMI, and I had to remove the three component Monsters from play to create it! Even worse, she has a Monster out who's stronger than anything that I can summon with no sacrifice…_

He drew a card.

_Time to stall…_

"I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode," he said.

He played a card, and the jerky jester appeared. He tipped his hat to Paladin and crouched in Defense. (500/1,200)

"Trying to stall, huh?" asked Cleo, drawing a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed!"

She played the card, and drew two cards.

"All right, Jason," she said, playing a card. "I'm Equipping my Paladin with Sacred Sword of the Amazons."

Paladin's regular sword vanished, and a beautiful bronze scimitar decorated with runes appeared.

"It gives the Amazon who holds it an extra 300 Attack Points," she said, as Paladin rose to an Attack of 2,600.

_Only 300?_ thought Jason. _There has to be something else to it, or it would be nothing more than a glorified Legendary Sword…_

"Paladin, attack Peten!" ordered Cleo.

Paladin leapt forward, and cut the Dark Clown in half.

Jason went to his deck and got his second Dark Clown. He placed the card on his deck, and Peten appeared again.

"Well, in that case…" said Cleo, "I end my turn…"

Jason drew.

He smirked as he looked at the Spell Card.

"I play Polymerization!" he shouted. "And I'm fusing the two Cyber Dragons in my hand, forming the mighty Cyber Twin Dragon!"

The two Cyber Dragons appeared, and then swirled into a vortex of light, and the huge, two-headed mechanical Dragon appeared! (2,800/2,100)

"He's just strong enough to take out your Paladin," said Jason with a grin. "And once his left head is done with her, his right is going to take care of you!

"Go, strident blast!"

Cyber Twin Dragon's left head blasted a stream of flame, and Amazoness Paladin was incinerated!

"And now… huh?"

The Sacred Sword of the Amazons was spiraling through the air…

It stabbed into Cyber Twin Dragon, and the Machine started to sizzle and smoke. It roared…

Then it exploded into pixels!

"What the…" gasped Jason.

Cleo grinned.

"When an Amazon Equipped with the Sacred Sword dies battle," she said, "so does the Monster who killed her. So she got the last laugh, Jason…"

Jason was angry now.

"I'll place down one facedown…" he muttered.

A facedown card appeared.

"I still have Peten!" he shouted. "Do your worst!"

**(J: 4,500) -------------------- (C: 5,000)**

"My worst, eh?" said Cleo, drawing a card.

She looked at the intimidating Monster on the card.

"I play Monster Reborn, to bring back one Monster from my Graveyard, and I know just the one…"

Amazoness Swords Woman appeared again, and the Seal appeared on her forehead. (1,500/1,600) –) (2,000/1,600)

"And next…" she continued, "I'll summon the Amazon tribe's faithful companion and bodyguard… Amazoness Tiger!"

She played the card, and a ferocious-looking she-tiger appeared, with a spiked collar around her neck. (1,100/1,500)

"Now, Tiger just _hates_ being alone," explained Cleo, "because she gains an extra 400 Attack Points for every Amazon on my side of the field. Now combine that with the bonus from the Orichalcos…"

The Seal appeared on Tiger's forehead, and her Attack rose to 2,400.

"And she has another ability," continued Cleo. "So long as she's on my side of the field, you aren't allowed to attack any Amazon except her!"

"I see…" muttered Jason.

"Swords Woman," said Cleo, "take out the second Peten!"

Swords Woman made a slash, and Peten was obliterated.

"Fine, but I have a third one!" replied Jason, as a third Peten appeared.

"Tiger, you know what to do…" said Cleo.

Amazoness Tiger pounced, and flattened the last Clown.

"Finally, I'll place a card facedown," she said.

A facedown card appeared.

"Your move, cutie…" she said.

Jason drew a card.

"I play my own Pot of Greed," he said.

He drew two cards.

_Oh yeah…_ he thought.

His Trap Card lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted," he said, "to bring back the third Peten."

Peten appeared, standing up. (500/1,200)

"And now…" he said. "I sacrifice Peten, to summon the mighty White Horn Dragon!"

Peten shattered, and a dark form arose…

It was a frightening Dragon, with rust-red scales, large wings, and most remarkably, a white horn like that of a unicorn on its forehead. (2,200/1,400)

"Well," said Cleo, "I'll admit I've never heard of him… But he's weaker than my Tiger."

"Is he?" asked Jason. "See that horn on his forehead? It lets him feed on residual magical energies.

"I'll explain… I can now remove from play up to five Spell Cards from your Graveyard, and for each one, he gains 300 Attack Points, permanently."

Cleo looked at her Disk as it started to shake…

Images of Amazoness Spellcaster, Pot of Greed, Sacred Sword of the Amazons, and Monster Reborn flew out, and were absorbed into the Dragon's horn. His Attack rose to 3,400.

"Attack Amazoness Tiger!" shouted Jason.

"I activate Amazoness Archers!" shouted Cleo, as her Trap lifted.

A squad of scantily-dressed Amazons armed with bows appeared, and started firing at the Dragon. He roared.

"These poisoned arrows weaken all your Monsters, lowering their Attack Scores by 500 Points!"

"My Dragon is still stronger than your Tiger!" replied Jason.

White Horn Dragon blasted a gout of fire, and Amazoness Tiger was burned up!

**(J: 4,500) -------------------- (C: 4,500)**

"Yeah, well don't forget…" muttered Cleo. "if you attack Swords Woman, all the damage goes to you…"

"I didn't forget…" said Jason. "Now move."

Cleo drew a card.

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Cleo.

"Your Dragon is going to get it now, cutie…"

She showed him a card… It looked like The Seal of Orichalcos, but without the star in the center.

"That's… a Card of Sin, isn't it?" asked Jason, in fear.

"Yes…" laughed Cleo. "It's an Equip… called Orichalcos Soul Sacrifice!

"Let me explain… Just as the Seal itself will seal the soul of the duelist who is defeated in this battle, this card will seal the souls of any Monsters in my Graveyard who were blessed by the Seal. There were two so far – Paladin and Tiger…"

She played the card. It appeared, and the images of Amazoness Paladin and Amazoness Tiger appeared in it.

"And for each soul it contains, the Equipped Monster gains 800 Attack Points."

Swords Woman glowed, and she rose to an Attack of 3,600.

"Attack his White Horn Dragon!" she shouted.

Swords Woman leapt up, and made a swipe with her sword, slashing the Dragon in half!

**(J: 4,200) -------------------- (C: 4,500)**

"Your move, cutie…" she said with a sweet smile.

"Stop calling me 'cutie'…" he said, drawing a card.

"I'll play a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared.

Cleo drew.

_Well, what do you know,_ she thought. _I drew my… escape route. Not like I really need to use it. I fully intend to beat this guy._

She added it to her hand.

"Swords Woman, attack!"

Swords Woman leapt forward…

A small woman in a wizard's outfit with a peaked hat and dragonfly wings appeared. She was cut down.

"Ha!" laughed Jason. "You just killed my Pixie Knight! So now, _you_ have to choose one Spell Card from my Graveyard, and I put it on the top of my deck!

"And there are only two to choose from…"

Images of Pot of Greed and Polymerization appeared above him.

Cleo paused.

"Well?" asked Jason.

"Uh…" muttered Cleo.

_If I choose Polymerization, he might well be able to summon Cyber End Dragon, and I'd never beat that…_ she thought.

"I choose Pot of Greed…" she said.

The card slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it on top of his deck.

"Anything else?" he said.

"No. Go on…" she said.

Jason drew.

"Well, I'll play it again…" he said.

He played the card, and drew two cards.

"I summon Troop Dragon in Defense Mode," he said.

The small Dragon-man holding a sword appeared, kneeling in Defense. (700/800)

"Next I'll play Monster Reborn, to summon back White Horn Dragon in Defense Mode."

He played the card. The ankh appeared, and White Horn Dragon appeared, crouching in Defense. (2,200/1,400)

"Finally, I place down one facedown and end my turn."

He played a card, and it appeared.

Cleo drew a card.

_I see,_ she thought. _He thinks I'm going to crash through four of his Monsters and a Trap Card before I can get to him. Well, this might take longer, but I can extend this duel a little…_

_This is just getting good, after all._

"First I summon another Fighter in Attack Mode," she said.

A second Amazoness Fighter appeared, and fell under the spell of the Seal. (1,500/1,300) –) (2,000/1,300)

"Then I play one of the rarest Amazon accessories…" she said, playing a Spell Card. "Amazoness Kiss!"

A disturbing-looking card appeared. It showed Amazoness Swords Woman giving a passionate kiss to Marauding Captain – who was chained to a tree.

"When I play this card," said Cleo, "every card on your side of the field is destroyed!"

Fighter and Swords Woman raised their hands, and Troop Dragon, White Horn Dragon, and Jason's facedown Mirror Force were blasted to pieces.

"Oh, please…" said Jason. "A card that powerful has to have some sort of drawback…"

"It does," assured Cleo. "I can't attack this round, for one. Also…"

She grinned, as Swords Woman stashed her sword on her back.

"…you also get a kiss from Swords Woman."

"Suppose I tell her to drop dead?" asked Jason, as Swords Woman walked up to him.

"Then you'd be an idiot," said Cleo. "It gives you 3,000 Life Points. So pucker up."

Jason sighed, and then closed his eyes. Swords Woman held his head, and then planted a wet one on his lips.

_Mmm… this isn't so bad…_ thought Jason, as she kissed him and energy flowed into him. _But if she thinks this is going to change anything…_

**(J: 7,200) -------------------- (C: 4,500)**

"But she's going to do her best to kill you next round," said Cleo, "so enjoy it while you can."

Swords Woman let go and smiled sweetly at Jason. Then she casually walked back to Cleo's side.

Jason drew a card.

_Oh, hello there…_ he thought.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode," he said.

The small, furry, winged Fairy appeared. (300/200)

"That will do…"

"You're trying to stall…" said Cleo, drawing a card. "Well, fine – he'll save you a lot of pain for one turn, nothing more.

"Fighter, destroy it!"

Amazoness Fighter strode up, and kicked Winged Kuriboh like a football. He sailed past Jason, disappearing in sparkles of light.

"Your move…" she said.

Jason drew a card.

"I play… Card of Demise!" he exclaimed, playing it.

"Now I get to draw five cards…"

He drew five.

"True…" said Cleo. "But in five rounds, you'll have no cards."

"I'd rather not think that far in advance," said Jason. "I have six cards in my hand right now, and I'm going to use them!

"First, I'll play Premature Burial, to bring back an old friend…"

He played the card, and Cyber Twin Dragon appeared in front of him.

"He can't beat Swords Woman…" said Cleo, with a chuckle.

"I don't intend him to," said Jason. "Next, I'll play De-Fusion, to take him apart…"

He played another card. Cyber Twin Dragon, glowed, and then split into two smaller Cyber Dragons. (2,100/1,600 x2)

"Now my Cyber Twin is back in my Fusion Deck," said Jason, "and since I have two Cyber Dragons, I can play this… Photon Generator Unit, sacrificing my two Dragons…"

The two Cyber Dragons faded…

"…to form Cyber Laser Dragon!"

The powerful upgraded Cyber Dragon appeared. (2,400/1,800)

"And now I can use his effect," said Jason, "which I can use once per turn to destroy any Monster who's stronger than he is!

"Swords Woman… Thanks for the kiss… But it never changed anything.

"Go! Blue lightning lash!"

Cyber Laser Dragon fired a blast of energy from its tail. Amazoness Swords Woman screamed, and was atomized.

"Now for your Fighter," he continued. "Blue lightning blast!"

Cyber Laser Dragon fired a blast of lightning from its maw. Amazoness Fighter was thrown back, and shattered.

"Forget?" asked Cleo. "I don't take any damage at all.

"And you might as well have destroyed Sword Woman… It's not good to keep a Card of Sin active for very long…"

"It's your move…" said Jason.

**(J: 6,400) -------------------- (C: 4,500)**

Cleo drew a card, as the subway started to make an ascent again.

"I play… Scapegoat," she said.

She played the card, and the four sheep tokens appeared. The Orichalcos even bonded to them, raising their Attack Score from zero to 500.

"Go ahead, cutie…" she said.

_This sweet talk is driving me nuts,_ thought Jason, drawing a card.

He placed the card on his Disk.

"I summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Attack Mode," he stated.

The gargoyle-like Fiend appeared, and scowled at Cleo. (1,600/1,200)

"Ryu-Kishin Powered, Cyber Laser Dragon, take out two of those tokens!" ordered Jason.

Ryu-Kishin Powered slashed with his claw, destroying one of the Scapegoats. Cyber Laser Dragon shot its lightning, destroying another one.

"Next round," said Jason, "you won't have anything to hide behind."

Cleo drew a card.

"Want a bet?" she asked.

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon Amazon Archer," she stated.

A younger Amazon than the others, wearing a halter, jacket, and a brief skirt appeared, holding a bow and a quiver of arrows. (1,400/1,000) –) (1,900/1,000)

"Attack his gargoyle!" shouted Cleo. "Savage arrow!"

Amazon Archer drew back her bow, and fired, striking the Fiend in the chest. He groaned, and shattered.

"Now I'll activate Archer's special ability," said Cleo. "By sacrificing two Monsters, she can create a special arrow…"

The two remaining Scapegoats vanished, and a golden arrow appeared in Archer's hand.

"And she can use this to fire a shot right past your Monsters and hit you for 1,200 points of damage!" she laughed.

The Archer fit the arrow into her bow and aimed at Jason… She fired…

He cried out in pain as it stabbed into him.

**(J: 4,900) -------------------- (C: 4,500)**

"To end, I'll place a card facedown…" she said.

A facedown card appeared.

Jason drew a card.

He looked at the three cards in his hand.

Tyrant Dragon, Magical Mallet, and…

He looked at the other Spell Card.

Often he wondered why he kept this in his deck. Maybe it was because of the significance it had on his idol. But it was a risky card to use…

He considered using Magical Mallet to swap it for a new one…

"I play…" he said.

_Jason, no!_ said a voice in his head.

Jason paused.

"_Who?"_ he responded.

_Don't get rid of that card just yet…_ said the voice. _Remember the story… Remember how it saved Kaiba from his most humiliating experience…_

Jason paused.

"_All right…"_ he said. _"If you say so… Who are you, anyway?"_

_Let's just say… Trisha sent me,_ said the voice.

Jason paused again.

"Cyber Laser Dragon, attack Amazon Archer!" he shouted.

Blue flames appeared in the Dragon's mouth.

"Not a very fast learner, are you?" asked Cleo.

Her Trap Card lifted…

It was a second Amazoness Archers.

"You remember how this works, right?" she said, as the squad of bow-women appeared. "The Attack Score of your Monster goes down by 500…"

Jason drew back as his Monster was pelted with arrows.

"Both our Monsters will destroy each other!" he shouted.

"Bingo…" said Cleo.

As Cyber Laser Dragon shot its blue lighting, Amazon Archer fired an arrow, and both of them shattered!

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Cleo. "That was rich…"

The subway burst through a tunnel, turning into an EL-Train again.

"And you're in big trouble, cutie…" she said. "All I need to do is draw a Monster, and you'll get hit hard…"

She drew a card…

She frowned.

"Heh, heh…" said Jason. "Didn't draw one, did you?"

"Actually, I did," said Cleo, placing it on her Disk, "it's just that she isn't the attacking type. I summon Amazoness Girl in Defense Mode."

A young teenager wearing a skimpy leather outfit, no shoes, and jewelry made from teeth (naturally) appeared and crouched in Defense. (300/300) –) (800/300)

"A girl?" asked Jason. "That was the best you could come up with?"

He drew a card.

"I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode."

The Dark Beast-Warrior appeared, and scowled at Cleo. (1,900/1,200)

Amazoness Girl squeaked in fear…

"Yeah, yeah," said Jason. "You're breaking my heart…"

He pointed, and Vorse Raider stomped on the young Amazon, crushing her.

"Nice try, Jason," said Cleo, "but while Amazoness Girl is too young to put up a fight, she has an ability just like your Troop Dragon, except that I get to summon another one if she's destroyed _any_ way, not just through battle."

A second Amazoness Girl appeared.

"Then it's your move…" said Jason.

"I draw…" said Cleo.

She looked at the card.

_Hmph,_ she thought. _I drew my most powerful Monster. She could clean Jason's clock in a hurry…_

_Unfortunately, summoning her is no simple matter…_

"I pass for this turn," she said, adding the card to her hand.

Jason drew.

"I place down _three_ facedowns," he said, placing three cards into slots.

Three facedown cards appeared.

"Then I attack with Vorse Raider!"

The gargoyle slashed at the second Amazoness Girl, and she shattered.

Cleo took another card from her deck, and a third Girl appeared.

"I end my turn…" he said.

"And your five turns are up!" laughed Cleo, evilly. "That means you have to discard your last card!"

"I know…" said Jason, discarding Tyrant Dragon. "Why do you think I put the other three facedown?"

Cleo drew a card.

She grinned.

"I summon my second Amazoness Paladin," she said, playing the card.

Another Paladin appeared.

"And now that there are two Amazons on the field," she added, "she's even stronger than the first one was…"

(1,700/300) –) (2,400/300)

"Destroy his Vorse Raider!" she shouted.

With one swipe of her sword, Paladin sliced the Beast-Warrior in half.

**(J: 4,400) -------------------- (C: 4,500)**

"Just a warning, Jason," said Cleo. "Paladin is one of three cards I need to summon the most powerful Monster in my deck, and I have another of those three cards in my hand right now…

"It's been a long duel… I don't have much of a deck left… I'm certain to draw the last piece soon.

"And once I do, you'll never defeat me…

"It's your move…"

Jason drew.

"Want a bet?" he said.

He showed her the card.

It was the Eye of Timaeus.

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Cleo. "Talk about bad luck! Timaeus is worthless without a Monster he can fuse with, and you're fresh out, Jason!"

"That all depends on whether your luck is better than mine, Cleo," said Jason. "We're going to play a little game…"

He pointed to one of his facedown cards.

"But first, let me tell you the story of this card that I placed facedown…

"Six months after the epic battle in which the Trinity was formed, Kaiba held Battle City 3. Of course, he entered himself, and both Yugi and Joey promised they would meet him in the finals…

"And Yugi thought up a way for them to keep that promise. Each of them would donate a card to each of the others' decks.

"Kaiba at first thought it was a dumb idea, but eventually they talked him into it. This card was the one that Joey gave him. At first Kaiba didn't want to put it in his deck because, like a lot of Joey's cards, it was a 'gamble' card, and such things just weren't his style. But eventually, he said the heck with it and added it to his deck.

"On Kaiba's very first challenge of the tournament, he faced a formidable opponent who used a hand destruction strategy. Kaiba was at the end of his rope, with no cards in his hand and 500 Life Points left. He made what would likely be his last draw…

"And _this_ is what he drew. Joey's card.

"He had a choice – use it and take a risk, or forfeit.

"Losing the first duel of his own tournament would have been the worst humiliation ever, and Kaiba would have rather died than forfeited. He used it.

"And I'm going to use it now…"

The card lifted.

"I play the Spell Card, Arduous Decision!"

"Never heard of it!" snapped Cleo.

"Then let me explain…" said Jason. "It lets me draw two cards…"

He made two draws.

He looked at them – Cost Down, and La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp.

"Okay, now you have to choose one of them without looking," he continued. "If the card you choose is a Monster that can be Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon it…

"If it isn't, I discard both of them, and my turn ends right now…

"So, it's your choice, Cleo…"

"Uh…" muttered Cleo.

She stared at him hard.

"In case you're wondering," said Jason, "one of them is a Monster, I already know what Timaeus can do with it, and you aren't gonna like it…"

Cleo started to sweat.

"What happened… when Kaiba used it?" she asked, nervously.

Jason grinned.

"The card his opponent chose was one of his Blue-Eyes," answered Jason, "and it won him the duel."

Cleo got very nervous…

"I choose… the le… no…"

She gulped.

"The right one!" she shouted.

"Pity," said Jason. "You almost chose left…"

He flipped the right card around, revealing La Jinn.

The genie appeared on his side of the field. He growled, not at all resembling his jovial self. (1,800/1,000)

"And like before…" he continued, "I play The Eye of Timaeus!"

The subway started to rattle and shake…

Cleo gazed in fear out the windows, and saw that the colossal form of Timaeus was flying alongside them! The Dragon appeared next to La Jinn, and roared!

"Merge!" shouted Jason. "Form Sorcery Dragon!"

The two Monsters combined into a well of darkness, and then a huge Dragon with emerald-green, sparkling skin that glimmered in the light, with fan-like wings appeared! (2,400/1,700)

"And now," said Jason, "to activate his effect. I can take any Spell Card from my deck or Graveyard and use it, once per round. After using the effect a third time, the Dragon itself is destroyed…

"But this duel will likely be over by then.

"And the card I choose is… Rush Recklessly!"

He took the card, and then played it. Sorcery Dragon rose to 3,100 Attack.

"Attack Amazoness Paladin!" she shouted. "Magical blast!"

Sorcery Dragon shot a blast of green energy from its jowls, and it consumed Amazoness Paladin. She was vaporized without even being able to scream.

Cleo looked at it in fear.

**(J: 4,400) -------------------- (C: 3,800)**

_He can use any Spell Card in his deck or Graveyard for the next two turns?_ she thought. _That includes Monster Reborn! He could bring back his White Horn Dragon!_

Cleo shook her hand nervously as she drew a card.

_No!_ she thought in fear. _I don't have anything to summon! If he draws a Monster next turn…_

_I'd be finished…_

She shakily reached for the card that had been in her hand for quite some time.

_I have to use it,_ she thought. _I have to use what I'm only allowed to use once…_

"Sorry, Jason," she said in a frightened whisper, "but my boss allowed Cassius, Sebastian, and I one special privilege…

"He let us each put in our decks a way out… An escape route of sorts… I'm only allowed to use it once… After this, I simply can't end a duel this way… He'll see to that."

She played a card.

"I play Amazoness Final Charge!"

The card appeared, showing a troop of Amazons fighting Dark Ruler Ha Des (and clearly losing).

"What does that do?" asked Jason.

"It lets me summon three Amazons from my Graveyard," she answered.

First, a Swords Woman appeared. (1,500/1,600) –) (2,000/1,600) Then, a Fighter. (1,500/1,300) –) (2,000/1,300) And finally, a Paladin. (1,700/300) –) (2,600/300)

"And then, they all attack you directly…" she continued.

"WHAT?" screamed Jason. "That has to be the most broken…"

"It's a perfectly legal card, Jason," she said, bowing her head, "because it comes with a very painful price. All the damage you take from the Final Charge, I have to take too, and there's no way I can avoid it. I can't beat you using this card…

"So, until next time then?

"Attack!"

Swords Woman leapt up and slashed at Jason with her Sword. He staggered backwards, and so did Cleo.

**(J: 2,400) -------------------- (C: 1,800)**

Then, Paladin slammed her sword into him, and they both staggered backwards again.

**(J: 0) -------------------- (C: 0)**

Fighter apparently didn't know or didn't care that it was over. She charged and gave a tremendous kick to Jason's stomach, and both he and Cleo fell to the floor, wincing in pain.

Then all the Monsters vanished.

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Jason had been knocked out cold for a minute. He thought for a second that the Seal had gotten him…

Then he looked up, just in time to see Cleo fleeing out the subway door.

"Bitch…" he muttered. "This should serve as a lesson… Never get into a life-or-death game of Duel Monsters with a spoiled brat…"

He picked himself up.

"This is getting more and more dangerous…" he said.

He thought for a minute.

"Wait a minute… If Cleo decided to face me…"

He ran out the subway.

The trains would be too slow. This time, he would splurge on a taxi.

_Friday, October 1st, 2106, 12:07 AM_

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**PRIDE OF THE TRIBE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Amazoness Swords Woman holding her sword aloft on a hill, with the full moon in the background.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when one of your Monsters with the word "Amazoness" in its name, or who is named "Amazon Archer", is destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon one Monster with the word "Amazoness" in its name, or who is named "Amazon Archer" from your deck.

_Note: "Pride of the Tribe" was used by Taniya in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Duel Distractions (Part One)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SACRED SWORD OF THE AMAZONS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Amazoness Paladin holding a bronze scimitar, etched with runes.

**Card Description:** This card can be Equipped to any WARRIOR-Type Monster who has the word "Amazoness" in its name, or who is named "Amazon Archer". Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. If a Monster Equipped with this card is destroyed in battle, destroy the Monster who destroyed it.

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**AMAZONESS GIRL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **2  
**ATK: **300  
**DEF: **300

**Card Description:** This young protégé of the Amazon tribe is still learning the ways of the Amazons. If this Monster is destroyed, you may Special Summon one "Amazoness Girl" from your hand or deck.

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**AMAZONESS SPEAR WOMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,500  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description:** This female fighter rigorously trains in the use of the spear among other weapons. If you offer a Monster on your side of the field with the word "Amazoness" in its name (other than this Monster), or which is named "Amazon Archer" as a Tribute during your first Main Phase, this Monster can attack your opponent directly during the next Battle Phase.

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**0**

**0**

**AMAZONESS KISS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Amazoness Swords Woman giving a passionate kiss to Marauding Captain, who is chained to a tree.

**Card Description: **You can play this card when you have at least one Monster on your side of the field with the word "Amazoness" in its name, or who is named "Amazon Archer". This card can only be used during your first Main Phase. Destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field. Your opponent gains 3,000 Life Points. Skip your Battle Phase after using this card.

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**0**

**0**

**AMAZONESS FINAL CHARGE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A troop of Amazons fighting Dark Ruler Ha Des and clearly losing.

**Card Description:** Special Summon from your Graveyard three Monsters with the word "Amazoness" in its name, and/or who is named "Amazon Archer". The Monsters you Special Summon in this manner must attack, and attack your opponent directly. Inflict battle damage to your own Life Points equal to the amount inflicted on your opponent by these attacks. The damage to your own Life Points cannot be negated or redirected by card effects. Destroy the three Special Summoned Monsters at the End Phase of the turn.

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**ORICHALCOS SOUL SACRIFICE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin: **Greed

**Image:** Like The Seal of Orichalcos, but with no star in the center.

**Card Description: **Remove from play from your Graveyard up to four Monsters who previously received the 500-point bonus from "The Seal of Orichalcos". The Equipped Monster gains 800 ATK for each Monster removed from play. If this card is destroyed, destroy the Equipped Monster.

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**0**

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**WHITE HORN DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,200  
**DEF: **1,400

**Card Description:** This creature is believed to have once been a peaceful unicorn who was cursed with the form of a dragon. When this Monster is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, select up to five Spell Cards in your opponent's Graveyard and remove them from play. For each card removed from play by this effect, increase the ATK of this Monster by 300 for as long as it remains on the field.

_Note: "White Horn Dragon" is a Japanese promotional card that has not yet been released in the United States._

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**ARDUOUS DECISION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A cherub flying between a split scene; on one side, an impoverished village, and on the other a beautiful meadow.

**Card Description:** Draw two cards from your deck. Your opponent chooses one at random. If the card he chooses is a Monster Card that can be Normal Summoned, Special Summon it. If not, discard both cards and end your turn.

_Note: "Arduous Decision" was used by Joey in the anime episode "Courtroom Chaos (Part Two)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SORCERY DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,400  
**DEF: **1,700

**Card Description:** This Monster is descended by activating "The Eye of Timaeus" and offering one "La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp" as a Tribute. During your Main Phase, you can select one Spell Card from your deck or Graveyard and activate it. A Spell Card activated by this card's effect is removed from play after its resolution instead of being sent to the Graveyard. This Monster's effect can be activated three times while it remains face-up on your side of the field. After the third resolution of this Monster's effect, destroy this Monster.

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**Cleo's Amazon Deck**

_When Lewis took Cleo as a wife, a lot of his colleagues (most of whom hated him – he had almost no friends, and didn't want nor need any) saw it as another reason to hate him, calling him such things as a cradle robber and worse. But some verbally attacked Cleo as well, thinking her a gold-digger. The nastiest individual actually accused her of planning to murder Lewis, calling her a black widow and saying that she hated men._

_It is worth noting that this man hated women himself, being a misogynist and a bigamist, and soon after, Cleo used her allowance to have /IhimI murdered._

_Cleo remembered that lout, and decided if she was to be known as a black widow, she would use Monsters known for not getting along with men. The Amazons seemed like a natural._

_Although technically Warriors, Cleo's cards follow much different rules. She has a few standard Warrior accessories, but most of her cards work for Amazons alone. A few of her cards are standard – Amazoness Archers, Amazoness Spellcaster, and Dramatic Rescue. However, having a great deal of money from her inheritance, Cleo was able to splurge on the rarest cards, and has access to Amazon cards that most duelists have never even heard of. _

_The problem with Amazons is, most of them are not very strong, and you can only have so many copies of Amazoness Spellcaster. Most of her cards make up for their weakness with their effects, and of course, the Seal is a big help – it usually can make a four-star Monster able to defeat any other four-star with ease._

_Although Cleo plays to win – the stakes are pretty high in this game – she can't resist the thrill, which is one reason she joined the Orichalcos. Danger is a thrill to her. And she most certainly would have given Jason the spare Seal if he had wanted it – danger for the thrill of it might lead to her losing some day, especially since she is not allowed to use her "escape route" a second time…_

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_**Coming up next…**_

_**The duel was a narrow escape, but this is far from over…**_

_**Sebastian confronts Trisha, and it's a battle of Machines versus…**_

_**Well… wouldn't you like to know?**_

_**Those of you who have been straining to figure out the strategies of these three villains, another question is answered next chapter, in…**_

_**Well, that would be giving it away.**_

_**Be there.**_


	28. Great Phantom Thief

_**The war has entered a new stage. The cannon fodder has stopped bothering us, and now it seems three duelists who make up the elite guard of the one behind this force have decided to get involved. **_

_**I'm standing face to face with one, and it seems he came looking for me. Little did he know, I was secretly looking for him.**_

_**Now I have regrets. His strategy is powerful, and he came prepared. Even worse, he seems to have a crush on me.**_

_**He has a lot to learn – when you fall for a girl, using evil magic to win her over is never the brightest idea…**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

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**Great Phantom Thief**

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_Friday, October 1st, 2106, 8:42 AM_

Cleo sat at a table nursing a bad headache and sipping coffee. Her boss was standing over her.

"So you're not mad?" she asked.

"Of course I'm mad!" he snapped. "What was meant to be an epic battle ended with a cop-out that could have come out of the notebook of the laziest Hollywood hack.

"However, seeing as I'm the one who unfortunately gave you the escape route privilege, I'll spare you a punishment…

"But you know the rules. It was only allowed once, and you used it. So hand over the card."

Cleo sighed, and handed him the Amazoness Final Charge card.

"From this point on," said Fortunado, "this is on the list of cards that you aren't allowed to have. That means no avenue of escape should you get in trouble again…"

"Why don't you let Cleo take it easy," said Sebastian's voice. "She had a rough night…"

Sebastian walked in.

"And I assure you, I can take down Trisha, Critias or no Critias. I'm prepared…"

He held up a Spell Card.

Fortunado chuckled.

"Incredibly diabolical, Sebastian," he said. "You know what to do…"

"Uh, boss," said Sebastian. "About what we discussed… Once I get Trisha, I want to make her that offer…"

Fortunado glared at him.

"On one condition," he answered. "The offer will include her surrendering Critias."

"Whatever," said Sebastian, shuffling his deck, "so long as I get what I want…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Several hours later, once classes were over, Trisha was arguing with her two partners.

"Trisha, please!" begged Jason. "One of those lunatics is looking for you! If you're gonna go out, just let me go with you."

"No," said Trisha, flatly.

"You're telling us you actually want to get into an Orichalcos duel?" asked Russell. "Trisha, even great soldiers know that you shouldn't go looking for a dangerous fight unless there's a good reason. Or your CO tells you to."

"Well, I have a good reason…" answered Trisha. "And my CO did tell me to, in a way…"

She looked at them.

"I don't know what Timaeus and Hermos said to you two," she said, "but I promised Critias that I would fight the Orichalcos. With great power comes great responsibility, guys, and if I have wager my soul to defeat these demons…

"I guess I'll just have to…

"I'm going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They'll think I'm just there to look at the exhibits, but I'll be waiting for them…"

She turned to leave.

"Uh, Jason?" asked Russell. "Normally, Trisha is interested in science and technology. Why the sudden interest in _art_?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

What indeed?

At the grand structure known as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a banner read, "The Majesty of Leonardo DaVinci".

As she approached the exhibition chamber, Trisha felt goosebumbs. But who wouldn't? How often could one say that they were in the presence of greatness?

Not in dueling, and not even truly in art – but in science and technology.

In the chamber, kept behind bulletproof glass and bolted to the wall was a very old pencil sketch, one of a nude, muscular, male figure, perfectly proportioned, with four arms and four legs spread out in perfect symmetry.

The title below was _Proportional Study of Man in the Manner of Vitruvius_.

"Ah…" said Trisha, closing her eyes.

"You like DaVinci, do you, love?" said a voice.

Trisha turned and saw Sebastian out of the corner of her eye. She turned her back to him.

"Yes," she growled. "I admire him… He was one of the greatest inventors who ever lived. In days before there were even steam engines, he drew blueprints for such things as the army tank, submarine, helicopter, and even the airplane. He never actually built them, but he was a pioneer in technology."

"And biology, apparently," said Sebastian, looking at the sketch. "Wonder how much that would be worth?"

Trisha turned to him in anger.

"You'd never get away with stealing it!" she shouted.

"True…" said Sebastian, "but I know some guys who I believe could sneak into Louve, filch the _Mona Lisa_, and be halfway to London before anyone even found out…"

"Liar…" she replied.

"But it's true!" he answered.

He held up a deck of cards.

"See my deck, Trisha?" she asked. "Five cards in this deck… are alive…"

"What do you mean?" asked Trisha, nervously.

"You know Jaden Yuki, don't you?" asked Sebastian. "He and six of his allies were tasked with protecting the seven Spirit Keys, and keeping them away from the Shadow Riders, duelists who wanted them so they could free the Sacred Beasts…

"One Shadow Rider was unique, because he was an actual Duel Spirit… And he had four companions who were Spirits as well. He challenged one of the Keykeepers, and the Spirit was defeated in a Shadow Game. As a punishment, he and his four partners were imprisoned in the cards that represented them…

"The Keykeeper took the five cards into his custody, hoping to keep them from causing any more trouble. But long after the crisis with the Shadow Riders was over, someone stole the cards.

"The thief fled to the mainland, and hours after he arrived, he was killed by another thief, who took the cards. One year later, that thief's lover killed him, and she took them.

"And on it went, and for ninety years since then, everyone who took those cards was murdered by a criminal. Most recently, I killed the one who had them last…

"The five Spirits are mine to command now…"

"It seems like those cards are dangerous to have, Sebastian," said Trisha. "Someone is sure to target you eventually…"

"Heh, heh," said Sebastian. "Not while I serve the Orichalcos. It protects me from the curse, and once our plans are successful, I won't even need it to be safe."

"What are your plans?" asked Trisha.

"Once I defeat you, I'll share that information with you," said Sebastian. "But for now…"

He loaded the deck into his Disk, and his Disk activated.

Trisha noticed that it seemed to be custom made. It looked sort of like a Mach-Two model, but was colored a dull black. The deck was held in a holder that was surrounded by black claws…

No, not claws… pincers of some sort.

_Like a lobster,_ thought Trisha. _Or a…_

"I've been waiting for this for a long time…" said Sebastian.

"Oh, I'll just bet you have," said Trisha with a scowl. "Game… start!"

Her own Disk activated.

She stood with the Vitruvian Man behind her…

_Grant me luck, Mr. DaVinci…_ she thought.

**(Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (Sebastian: 8,000)**

"Now, let's duel!" said Trisha, drawing five cards. "You make the first move..."

Sebastian drew a sixth card.

He grinned.

"Well, what do you know?" he said. "On my first draw!"

"Oh no…" muttered Trisha.

Sebastian threw the card into his Field Slot…

_Don't panic…_ thought Trisha, as the Seal started to form.

Sebastian's eyes glowed, and the Seal appeared on his forehead.

"Don't be afraid, Trisha," he said. "I fully intend to defeat you… But you won't have to stay sealed for long…

"See, once you lose, I'll let you go, if you accept my demands…"

"What demands?" asked Trisha.

Sebastian looked at her.

"You'll have to wait until you're in the prison of the Orichalcos," he replied. "I'll tell you when you're there, when you're sure to be more receptive."

"I won't be finding out," said Trisha. "This isn't my first Orichalcos duel, you know…"

"We'll see…" said Sebastian, taking a card from his hand. "I summon a creature called Avatar of the Pot, in Attack Mode."

With a laugh, a rocky green genie, whose head resembled the Pot of Greed appeared, and grinned wickedly. (1,200/1,300) –) (1,700/1,300)

"As you can see," said Sebastian, "everyone's favorite drawing tool is not only a Spell Card, but a Monster as well. And while he's on the field, I can discard my actual Pot of Greed card to the Graveyard…"

He slipped the Spell Card into the discard slot of his Disk.

"…and then draw _three_ cards instead of two."

He made three draws, bringing his hand size back up to six.

"And I'll end my turn on that note."

"Indeed," said Trisha.

She drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity!" she exclaimed.

She played the card, and drew three.

She went over her cards, and discarded Mighty Guard and Nutrient Z.

"I summon Nanobreaker in Attack Mode," she continued.

In a flash of light, the coldly beautiful female android appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"Heh, I get it…" said Sebastian with a grin. "That's supposed to be you, right? Well, she won't help you…"

"Will she?" asked Trisha. "Nanobreaker, attack Avatar of the Pot with nano-blade!"

"What?" said Sebastian, in surprise.

Nanobreaker leapt up, and slashed at the Avatar with her sword. The genie groaned, and then shattered into shards.

"WHAT?" shouted Sebastian. "He had 100 more Attack Points!"

"It didn't matter," said Trisha. "Nanobreaker automatically wins when she attacks a Monster who has three stars or less. It's all in her name – 'nano', which is Latin for very small, and 'breaker', meaning she… uhm… breaks them.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," she said.

A facedown card appeared.

"Good," said Sebastian. "I draw one card…"

He drew.

"And now I have everything I need to bring out my best…

"Remember that story I told of the Duel Spirit and his team? Well, now I summon one… The Boss himself, the one and only Don Zaloog!"

He threw a card on his Disk, and the infamous King of Thieves appeared, dressed in leather, wearing an eyepatch, and holding twin rapiers. His one good eye glowed, as the Orichalcos bonded to him. (1,400/1,500) –) (1,900/1,500)

"That's… trouble…" muttered Trisha.

"More than you know," replied Sebastian. "Because Don Zaloog isn't just one thief, he's the leader of a gang of them… the criminal team known as the Dark Scorpions!

"And I'm going to bring them all out, by playing this…"

He played a Spell Card…

"Mustering of the Dark Scorpions!"

"This Spell can only be used when Don is on the field, and lets me summon every member of the team that I have in my hand…

"So… you met the Boss, so let's bring out the Bronze… Gorg the Strong!"

In a flash, a hulking, bald muscleman, dressed like Don and holding a huge mace appeared. (1,800/1,500)

"Next, the Bandit… Chick the Yellow!"

In another flash, a young teenager with the same outfit, blonde hair, and holding a wooden mallet appeared. (1,000/1,000)

"Next… the Beauty… Meanae the Thorn!"

A raven-haired, young woman, dressed in a female version of the costume and holding a whip appeared. She grinned wickedly. (1,000/1,800)

"And finally, the Brains… Cliff the Trap Remover!"

In another flash, a man wearing the same costume with brown hair and spectacles gripping a long dagger appeared. (1,200/1,000)

"Of course, these guys are so dark, the word Dark is in their name, but the Orichalcos makes them even darker…"

The evil glow appeared in the eyes of the other Scorpions, and they each gained 500 Attack Points as the Seal bonded to them…

"Intimidating, isn't it?" asked Sebastian.

Trisha got nervous. She looked at the four cards in her hand.

_Five Monsters in one turn…_ she thought._ I've got to hope he aims for the right card, or this is gonna be a very short duel…_

"Don Zaloog…" ordered Sebastian, "attack Nanobreaker!"

Don Zaloog leapt up and made a slash with his sword, and Nanobreaker fell backwards. She exploded.

"Heh, not like it will matter…" said Sebastian, "but now his effect kicks in, forcing you to discard one card from your hand…"

One of the cards in Trisha's hand burned with dark flames.

She smirked.

"Actually," she said, holding it up, "it would be my pleasure…"

She discarded it.

Sebastian frowned.

"You're pretty cheery for someone who's about to lose… Get her, boys! And, uh, girl…"

The four other Dark Scorpions raised their weapons…

"I don't think so…" said Trisha.

She held her hand out, and a wave of strange energy covered the field. The Scorpions stopped dead in their tracks.

"What happened?" asked Sebastian.

Trisha smiled.

"The card that Don's effect made me discard was a useful Machine called Electromagnetic Turtle," said Trisha. "On a round when this Machine is sent to the Graveyard, I can end the Battle Phase whenever I want, and I just did."

Sebastian frowned.

"In that case," he said, "I'll place a card facedown and end my turn…"

He played his last card, and it appeared.

**(T: 7,700) -------------------- (S: 8,000)**

Trisha suddenly noticed something about Sebastian…

Those strange tattoos on his arms… They were identical to the ones that the Scorpions had on theirs.

_I heard of being attached to your Monsters,_ she thought, _but that's going a little overboard…_

She drew a card.

"I activate Call of the Haunted…" she stated.

Her facedown card lifted, and Nanobreaker appeared again.

"And now…" she continued, "I sacrifice her, to summon the Machine King!"

Nanobreaker shattered, and the powerful robotic monarch appeared. (2,200/2,000) –) (2,300/2,000)

"Terrific…" said Sebastian, sarcastically.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it…" said Trisha. "I'm Equipping him with this…"

She played a card.

"Cannon of the Machine King!"

A huge device resembling a futuristic bazooka fell from the ceiling, and Machine King caught it. He got down on one knee and pointed it at his foes…

"What does that do?" gasped Sebastian.

"This card can only be Equipped to Machines with the word 'King' in their names, and to Equip it, I have to pay 1,000 Life Points," said Trisha. "But it's worth the price, because it gives the Equipped Monster the same effect as Asura Priest."

"I'm really hoping that means he returns to your hand when your turn is over…" gulped Sebastian.

"No such luck…" said Trisha with a smirk. "It means he can attack as many Monsters as I want him to in one turn."

The five thieves trembled in fear…

"Of course," said Trisha, "this means that Machine King himself will be destroyed when he attacks Gorg, but I can attack your Monsters in any order I choose, so I'll simply take him out last…"

"Never!" screamed Sebastian. "I activate my Trap…"

His facedown card lifted, showing three police cars in a cloud of smoke…

"Retreat of the Dark Scorpions!"

The five Scorpions grinned, and then they vanished.

"Where'd they go?" asked Trisha.

Sebastian held up his hand, which had suddenly grown from no cards to five.

"Back here," he said, "completely safe from your King…"

Trisha lifted an eyebrow.

"Whatever you say…" she said. "Machine King, attack him directly! Plasma blast!"

Machine King fired a beam of burning energy from the Cannon! Sebastian screamed, and was propelled backwards, slamming against the wall of the Seal.

Smoke poured from the barrel of the Cannon… And from Sebastian's chest.

**(T: 6,700) -------------------- (S: 5,700)**

"Are you really so attached to them that you'd take 2,300 points of damage to save them?" asked Trisha. "I guess so…"

Sebastian slowly got up… He stared at her.

"It's true that I've grown somewhat attached to them, Trisha," he growled. "But that isn't why I used my Trap to save them… I would have let them die if that were the better option… But it wasn't…

"You see, to succeed as a duelist, especially with stakes this high, you have consider all the options… You have to think ahead. That's what separates a winner… And someone who the Seal has trapped."

"What do you mean?" asked Trisha.

"Consider this, Trisha," he answered. "If you had succeeded in your plan, I wouldn't have lost 2,300 Life Points… I would have lost more, 3,100 in fact.

"Plus, five of my Monsters would have been destroyed, leaving me with no cards in my hand, and in a very bad situation.

"But since I used that Trap Card, I didn't lose as many Life Points, and my Monsters weren't destroyed, they're right here…"

He held up his hand of cards.

"You tell me… did I make the better choice?"

Trisha looked at him. She had to admit, he was right…

"I'll take your silence as an affirmative," said Sebastian. "It's my move…"

He drew a card.

"And it seems that the luck of thieves is with me," he said. "I play Vase of Unholy Blight!"

He played the card, and the wicked version of Pot of Greed appeared on the field.

_Crud,_ thought Trisha. _Umbra used that thing…_

Sebastian leafed through his deck and a Monster appeared on the field (it was unmistakably Sangan), and it was drawn into the vase, which shattered. Then he reshuffled, and drew three cards.

He looked them over.

"And now I'll get rid of your King… I summon Chick the Yellow back to the field…"

Chick appeared again, holding his mallet aloft. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000)

"Next, I play a Spell Card," he said. "It's called Sneak Attack of the Dark Scorpions."

He played a card, showing the image of Chick and Meanae hiding behind the corner of a building, waiting to ambush Goblin of Greed.

"What does that do?" asked Trisha.

Chick drew a small dagger out of his belt…

"It's a Spell that can be used with any of the Dark Scorpions except Don," he replied. "It lets him attack you directly, so long as I cut his Attack Score in half."

Chick's Attack Score fell to 750, and then he vanished into the shadows…

And then Trisha screamed, as she felt a knife driven between her ribs!

Chick reappeared on Sebastian's side of the field and grinned.

**(T: 5,950) -------------------- (S: 5,700)**

"And Chick's effect still applies," said Sebastian, "which sends one card on your side of the field back to your hand, like Machine King."

Machine King vanished, and Trisha retrieved the card.

"And my turn isn't over yet, Trisha," continued Sebastian. "I play a Spell Card… the dreaded D.D. Designator!"

He played the card.

"Here's how it works… I name any card I can think of, and then I get to see your hand. If the card I named is there, it's removed from play. If not, a card in my hand is.

"Now, let's see…

"I name Machine King."

"Brilliant…" said Trisha, sarcastically, showing him her hand.

She took Machine King and placed it in the Removed From Play slot.

Sebastian was a little confused, however…

Of the three other cards in her hand, he only recognized one. The other two were a Monster and a Trap he had never seen before.

"Go ahead, love," he said.

Trisha drew a card.

"I don't have any fancy drawing cards," she said, "but Pot of Greed still works wonders!"

She played the card, and the grinning jar appeared. She drew two cards, and it shattered.

"All right Sebastian," she said, "take this… Swords of Revealing Light!"

The card appeared, and the Swords shot forward, trapping Sebastian in a cage of glowing blades.

"Tricky," he said. "But you know as well as I do that that's only a temporary solution…"

"We'll soon see…" said Trisha. "Next, I'll place a card facedown…"

She fit a card into a slot, and it appeared.

"…and then, I'll summon Red Gadget in Attack Mode."

She placed the card down, and a new Machine appeared. It was a cute robot, its torso shaped like a grenade, colored red and silver, with two long arms, two large, blocky feet and legs, and a small, dome-shaped head with two googly eyes. It had an enormous gear on its back. (1300/1500)

"What the…" said Sebastian, confused.

"And when Red Gadget is summoned," continued Trisha, taking her deck, "I can search my deck for a Monster called Yellow Gadget."

She found what she was looking for, and reshuffled.

"It's your move," she said.

"Fine…" said Sebastian, with a frown.

He drew a card.

"I summon Don Zaloog back to the field," he said.

Don appeared again. (1,400/1,500) –) (1,900/1,500)

"Your move, love," he said.

Trisha drew a card and looked at it.

"Stop calling me love," she said. "I summon Yellow Gadget in Attack Mode."

Another cute robot appeared. This one was – naturally – yellow, the gear on its back was split in half and moved to either side of its back so the two halves resembled wings, and another gear ran vertically through the middle of its torso. Its arms looked like metal pipe cleaners. Instead of a dome-shaped head, it had one central eye located closer to the center of its body. (1,200/1,200)

Trisha took her deck again.

"And when Yellow Gadget is summoned, I get to search for a guy called Green Gadget!"

"How many Gadgets are there?" asked Sebastian.

"You'll see," said Trisha, putting her deck back. "I end my turn."

Sebastian drew.

"I summon Cliff the Trap Remover in Attack Mode," he said, playing a card.

The bespectacled bandit appeared, holding his knife. (1,200/1,000) –) (1,700/1,000)

"Two turns to go…" he said.

Trisha drew another card.

"I summon Green Gadget in Attack Mode," she said.

A third robot appeared. It looked similar to the other two Gadgets, but it was – obviously – green, and its whole torso was a gear with a green center, and it had gears for shoulder pads as well. (1,400/600)

"Normally," she said, "summoning this guy would let me search for a Red Gadget, but he's already on the field, and I don't have another one."

"I can't believe it," said Sebastian, with a smirk. "You're actually staking the fate of your soul on these three twerps?"

"Well…" said Trisha. "Just wait until you see my facedown card! It's both a Trap AND a Monster… The biggest Gadget of all…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Stronghold the Moving Fortress!"

With a rumble, an enormous mecha slowly rose out of the floor! It was colored gunmetal grey, and covered with gears, gaskets, and pistons. Steam shot out of its pipes and vents. Its chest had three circular cavities, and the whole thing stood about thirty feet tall!

It knelt on one knee, clearly in Defense Mode. (0/2,000)

"Well, uh…" said Sebastian. "It's clearly… big, I'll say that. But I don't see how it's anything but a defensive wall."

"On its own, yes," said Trisha. "But watch…"

Red Gadget, Yellow Gadget, and Green Gadget leapt up, and their arms and legs folded into their bodies… Each of them embedded themselves in the three cavities on Stronghold's chest…

centerIMGhttp/ the Moving Fortress glowed with golden fire!

"When this Monster and all three Gadgets are on the field at the same time," said Trisha, "its Attack Score becomes three thousand!"

(3,000/2,000)

"I'm ending my turn, and you're still a prisoner of my Swords for one turn more…"

Sebastian shakily drew.

"I'll move my three Scorpions to Defense Mode…" he said.

Don, Cliff, and Chick knelt in Defense.

"And then I'll summon Meanae in Defense Mode too…" he said.

Meanae the Thorn appeared, and knelt in Defense. (1,000/1,800) –) (1,500/1,800)

"And I'll place one card facedown."

He played a card.

He waved his hand to end his turn, and the Swords vanished.

"Heh, heh…" said Trisha, drawing a card. "I was hoping you'd do that, Sebastian. You might have gained control of this duel if you kept them in Attack Mode…

"But you forgot one thing…

"This guy isn't one Monster… It's _four_!"

"I'll move Stronghold the Moving Fortress to Attack Mode."

The huge robot stood up, and its eyes glowed with fiery light.

"Red Gadget, attack Chick the Yellow!"

Red Gadget flew down, and socked the surprised bandit with his fist. The Dark Scorpion shattered.

"Yellow Gadget, attack Cliff the Trap Remover!" shouted Trisha.

Yellow Gadget leapt down, and punched Cliff. He shattered.

"And now…" she said. "Stronghold, obliterate Don Zaloog!"

The huge robot raised its fists, and its eyes glowed. He burst into flames! Burning beams of energy blasted from Stronghold's eyes, and Don Zaloog was incinerated in a fiery burst!

Only smoking ash remained where he stood.

"It's your move, Sebastian…" said Trisha, with a grin.

**(T: 5,950)--------------------(S: 5,700)**

Sebastian drew a card.

"You're tough, Trisha," he said. "That's just how I like my women…

"I activate my Trap… Dark Scorpion Pilfer!"

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of Don Zaloog snatching a priceless gem from a safe.

Meanae the Thorn vanished into the shadows.

"What?" asked Trisha.

"The Dark Scorpions are thieves, love," said Sebastian, "so they're very good at stealing. This Trap will let Meanae sneak into your Graveyard and grab a card from it."

Meanae appeared again, holding an oversized card. It was Pot of Greed.

"Not a bad choice," said Sebastian. "And now I'll play it, to draw two more cards."

He drew twice.

Then he played one of the cards.

"Next, I play The Warrior Returning Alive," he said. "Now I can transfer one Warrior-Type Monster from the Graveyard to my hand, and I choose Don Zaloog."

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

"But he won't stay in my hand, because I'm summoning him, in Attack Mode."

Don appeared again. (1,400/1,500) –) (1,900/1,500)

"Now I'll play a Spell Card," he said. "It's called… Dark Scorpion Tragedy of Love!"

As he played it, Meanae stood up and bowed her head… A tear appeared in Don's eye…

"What does that do?" asked Trisha.

"It's a rare card," said Sebastian, "which I can only play when Don and Meanae are together on the field. Now I can sacrifice Meanae to wipe out all your Monsters!"

Meanae the Thorn leapt up with a scream, and lashed with her whip. It entangled around Stronghold's neck…

She gave a yank, and an explosion erupted on Trisha's side of the field!

Meanae screamed, and then shattered into triangles.

When the flames died down, Don Zaloog was the only Monster left on the field. He looked at Trisha in rage…

"And now…" said Sebastian, "Don attacks you directly!"

Don Zaloog leapt forward and slashed at Trisha with his blade, and she winced.

"And don't forget his effect…" added Sebastian.

A card in Trisha's hand glowed. She discarded it.

**(T: 4,050) -------------------- (S: 5,700)**

"My move…" said Trisha. "And I'm not finished yet!"

She drew a card.

"I'll summon Machine King Prototype in Defense Mode."

She played the card, and Prototype appeared, kneeling on one knee. (1,600/1,500)

"That will do for now…" she said.

Sebastian drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" he snickered. "HA, HA, HA, HA!"

He played a card.

"I play Orichalcos Enticement!" he exclaimed.

A sinister-looking card, bearing the image of an evil-looking and barely dressed temptress seducing a knight appeared.

"A Card of Sin!" gasped Trisha.

"That's right…" said Sebastian.

Machine King Prototype glowed, and then it stood up.

"It moved into Attack Mode!" gasped Trisha.

"Yes," said Sebastian, "and that's not all. Until this card is destroyed, you can't play Monsters in Defense Mode… at all!"

"What about you?" asked Trisha.

"I could if I wanted to…" said Sebastian.

"Oh, come on…" muttered Trisha. "A card that powerful must have some cost…"

"Yeah, it has a cost," said Sebastian. "But I'm not going to tell you what it is…"

He smiled.

_What Trisha doesn't know is, _thought Sebastian, _the cost for using this card has no real effect on actual game play. It's a… dark cost… Some might tremble in fear at the thought of paying it…_

_But me, on the other hand… if I must pay that cost, it would actually be my pleasure._

"Now where were we?" said Sebastian. "Oh yes… Don, take out her Machine King Prototype!"

Don leapt up, and slashed at the Machine, blowing it into scrap.

Another card in Trisha's hand glowed. She sighed, and she discarded it.

**(T: 3,750) -------------------- (S: 5,700)**

"I'll play two cards facedown, and end my turn," said Sebastian.

Two facedown cards appeared.

Trisha drew a card. She looked at it and the other two cards in her hand.

_Rare Metalmorph,_ she thought. _I can defeat his Scorpions with this combo…_

"I place two cards facedown," she said.

She fit two cards into slots. Two facedown cards appeared.

"Oh, will you?" asked Sebastian. "I activate… Xing Zhen Hu!"

One of his own Trap Cards lifted…

A series of ropes appeared, and tied Trisha's two Trap Cards down!

"WHAT?" shouted Trisha.

"Xing Zhen Hu is a clever Continuous Trap," replied Sebastian. "I choose two facedown cards, and for as long as Xing Zhen Hu is on the field, they can't be activated."

Trisha scowled, and played her last card.

"I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode…" she said.

Mechanicalchaser appeared. (1,850/800)

"Clever," said Sebastian, drawing a card. "You think that by summoning that, you'll only lose fifty Life Points when Don attacks it. Well, you're wrong.

"First, I'll activate my other facedown card…"

Call of the Haunted lifted, and Meanae the Thorn appeared. (1,000/1,800) –) (1,500/1,800)

"And now," he said, "remember that remark I said about always thinking ahead as a duelist? Well, I put a card in my deck just for you, Trisha…"

"What?" asked Trisha. "Well, if you want to waste an Acid Rain card on one Monster, be my guest…"

"Not Acid Rain, Trisha," answered Sebastian. "Something much better…"

Trisha's eyes opened in fear…

Sebastian played a Spell Card.

"I play… System Down!" shouted Sebastian. "This may cost me 1,000 Life Points, but now every Machine on your side of the field and in your Graveyard is taken out of play…"

Mechanicalchaser vanished, and cards fell out of Trisha's discard slot.

She was horrified. In every nightmare she had had where she was dueling, whether her opponent was Bakura, Marik, or Darth Vader, that opponent was certain to have that Spell Card…

…the doom of all Machine duelists…

"And now," said Sebastian. "Don, attack her directly! Double slash!"

Trisha screamed as the Scorpion struck her with his rapier and dagger.

"Meanae, attack with thorn whip!" shouted Sebastian.

Meanae leapt up and lashed at Trisha with her whip. She groaned.

She fell on her knees.

"Now, since you have no cards in your hand," said Sebastian, "Don's effect makes you discard the top two from your deck…"

Trisha caught her breath. She took the top two cards from her deck, glanced at them, and discarded them.

"And Meanae's effect lets me retrieve any Dark Scorpion-related card from my Graveyard," he continued.

A card fell out of his discard slot.

"…like Cliff the Trap Remover.

"See how I think ahead, love?" asked Sebastian. "I always take my opponent into consideration. If I had been dueling your friend Russell, I would have packed three copies of Kinetic Soldier. If Dr. Artemis was dueling me, you would be sure I'd have three copies of Breath of Light. If I were to face a Fiend duelist, I'd have Exile of the Wicked…

"If it were Yugi himself, I would have three copies of Last Day of Witch. There's no one I can't beat so long as I think ahead.

"But face it, you've lost. No cards in your hand, your Graveyard is wiped out, you can't defend, and your Traps are tied down."

"We'll soon see…" said Trisha.

**(T: 350) -------------------- (S: 4,700)**

_This had best be the best draw ever…_ she thought.

She drew.

She grinned.

She showed Sebastian the card.

Monster Reborn.

"What good will that do you?" he laughed. "I wiped out all the Monsters in your Graveyard!"

"Oh, did you?" asked Trisha. "Maybe you didn't think ahead as well as you should have!"

"What?" asked Sebastian.

"You would have won on your next turn, Sebastian," said Trisha, "but you screwed up royally…

"See, you used System Down first, and then attacked me directly with both your Monsters – causing me to discard two cards from my deck.

"What you should have done was attack Mechanicalchaser with Don, and used System Down at the end of your turn. Sure, I would have taken less damage…

"But then you would have made sure that I truly would have had no Monsters in my Graveyard. You see, one card that I discarded from Don's effect, _after_ you had played System Down, was a Monster!"

Sebastian stared at her.

"Big deal…" he said. "Need I remind you that due to my Orichalcos Enticement card, you can't summon that Monster in Defense Mode?"

Trisha grinned.

She played the card.

"Did I say I even wanted to?" she asked.

The holy ankh appeared.

"If my defenses are shut down," she said, "I'll just move to offense!"

A large form appeared in front of her…

"Meet Cyber-Tech Alligator!" she shouted.

The creature that appeared was a ferocious, humanoid alligator in cybernetic armor, with metal claws and large metal wings! (2,500/1,600)

_GAAH!_ thought Sebastian. _She managed to summon a very powerful Monster!_

"Cyber Tech Alligator," shouted Trisha, "take out Don Zaloog! Blast breath!"

The cyborg breathed a blast of chilling mist, and Don cringed… He shattered.

**(T: 350) -------------------- (S: 4,100)**

"Okay…" muttered Sebastian. "Nothing I can't handle…"

He drew a card.

_Bull,_ he thought. _Even Gorg couldn't defeat that Monster… Only one Monster in my deck can without help._

He turned the card on his Disk.

"I'll switch Meanae to Defense Mode and summon Cliff in Defense Mode," he said.

Meanae knelt, and Cliff appeared, also kneeling. (1,200/1,000) –) (1,700/1,000)

"And I'll end my turn…"

"Then I'll draw…" said Trisha.

She drew a card.

"And I drew Mystical Space Typhoon!" she shouted. "Let's get rid of that Orichalcos Enticement now, shall we?"

She played the card, and the cyclone whipped across the field, shattering the Card of Sin…

And then something happened that Trisha didn't expect…

Sebastian screamed, and fell to his knees, clutching his head.

He moaned…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Inside his head, visions assaulted Sebastian's mind…

They started with visions of a blonde, blue-eyed, and busty young woman…

They turned to him kissing said woman in a passionate embrace…

More thoughts of the lover followed. Laughs, giggles, smiles… More kisses, each more passionate than the last…

…thoughts that could only be called love…

But even as he thought these thoughts, they started to fade…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sebastian slowly got up… He glared at Trisha.

"Too bad…" she said. "I was thinking you had a stroke and I might win by forfeit…"

"No such luck, Trisha…" he said, showing her the card that she had just destroyed. "Like I said, this card does have a cost… And since I won't remember anything about the cost in about five minutes, I'll tell you now…

"This card seems to give me an unfair advantage… But it has a dark cost, something that many Cards of Sin do. If it's ever destroyed, the user loses all memories of the first person who ever loved him…"

He smiled.

"But Trisha, truthfully, I _wanted_ you to destroy it, and do you know why? While I did truly love the girl who first loved me, that relationship ended in tragedy…"

"Let me guess," said Trisha, with a sigh. "She fell for someone else, and dumped you."

Sebastian's eyes narrowed.

"Worse…" said Sebastian. "She fell for someone else who told her to kill me to prove she was done with me. And she did her best to try to obey him… She tried to stick a knife between my ribs when I held her in the most passionate embrace ever…

"But she failed. I didn't hurt her… Instead I killed her new lover, and left her with nothing. Frankly Trisha, I only played that card because I _wanted_ to forget her…"

The card crumbled to dust.

"Of course, since that memory can only be lost once, I'll never be able to use that card again. But thank you, Trisha, you've helped me put one of the worst parts of my life behind me… Now I can move on… I'm a new man.

"And I vowed that my next lover wouldn't be able to betray me. That's the demand I intend to make, Trisha. Once you lose, your soul will go free, if you commit it to me."

"Eww!" shouted Trisha. "In other words, you wanted a love slave? You're dreaming, you bastard!"

"Once I tell you what ultimately becomes of the ones who lose these duels, you might change your mind," said Sebastian. "Remember Sersei? We would have made good on our threat if you had kept Patrick."

Trisha thought back and remembered the ransom note that was found with Sersei…

"**_One warning. At any time, Sersei's soul can be sacrificed to dark forces. If we see anyone except them, or they refuse to come, she will be lost forever."_**

"What…" started Trisha.

"Not telling just yet…" said Sebastian. "I'll tell you when I make my offer, and we'll see if you refuse then…"

Trisha's eyes narrowed.

"Cyber Tech Alligator, attack Meanae!" she shouted.

The Machine shot forth its breath weapon, and Meanae was eradicated.

"Your move…" she growled.

Sebastian drew.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Trisha drew a card.

"Destroy Cliff!" she shouted.

Cyber-Tech Alligator wiped out the Trap Remover.

"This could take a while…" she mumbled.

Sebastian drew.

"Oh, I pass this turn…" he said.

Trisha drew a card. She had two cards in her hand now, and she had almost what she needed for a combo…

"Attack his facedown Monster!" she shouted.

Cyber-Tech Alligator fired his breath weapon, and a Mystic Tomato appeared before being blown up.

"You know what that means," said Sebastian. "Think I'll summon another Mystic Tomato!"

A second Tomato appeared. (1,400/1,100) –) (1,900/1,100)

_He's stalling…_ thought Trisha.

"Just move…" she said.

Sebastian drew.

"I'll move Mystic Tomato to Defense Mode," he said, as the Tomato backed up, "And that will be my turn."

Trisha growled as she drew.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And now I'll attack!"

Cyber-Tech Alligator destroyed the Tomato, and a third one appeared.

"So now what?" asked Trisha. "Do you even have a Monster that's strong enough, or are you just going to stall until you're decked out?"

Sebastian drew.

_I have one that's strong enough…_ he thought. _And I'll stall until I have what I need to draw it!_

"Once again, I'll move it to Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said.

The Tomato moved to Defense.

Trisha drew another card.

"I summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car, in Defense Mode," she said.

She played the card, and Bokoichi appeared.

"Next, I'll play Machine Duplication!"

She played the Spell Card, and two more Bokoichis appeared.

"Now I'll flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!"

With a flip, Dekoichi appeared. (1,400/1,000)

"And that means, I get to draw four times!"

She drew four cards.

She looked at them.

"And one," she continued, "goes facedown…"

"Dekoichi, destroy the last Tomato!" she shouted. "Loco motion!"

Dekoichi charged forward, running the Tomato down.

"Not so fast!" shouted Sebastian. "I can still use its effect to summon… Familiar Knight!"

The knight in plate armor appeared. (1,200/1,400) –) (1,700/1,400)

"Cyber-Tech Alligator, take it down!" shouted Trisha.

Cyber-Tech Alligator shot forth its burst breath and the knight shattered.

**(T: 350) -------------------- (S: 3,300)**

"Well…" muttered Sebastian. "Technically, we can both now summon a four-star Monster from our hands… But you have no room for one, and I don't have one."

"Then you have no Monsters left, pal…" said Trisha.

Sebastian angrily drew.

"I activate… Dust Tornado!" shouted Trisha.

The Trap she had just set lifted.

"And I'll use it to destroy Xing Zen Hu!"

Sebastian's Trap card shattered, and the ropes holding Trisha's Trap Cards snapped.

Sebastian looked at her…

He drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity!" he shouted.

He drew three cards.

He grinned.

He discarded Gorg the Strong and a second Mustering.

"First, I play two cards facedown," he said.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Next, I play… Spell Economics."

He played a Spell Card, and it appeared in front of him.

"And finally," he said, "I play Revival of the Dark Scorpions!"

He played a frightening looking Spell Card. It showed the five Scorpions running in fear from the gates of a cemetery at night.

"What does that do?" asked Trisha.

"Of all the rare Dark Scorpion cards," said Sebastian, "this is the rarest. Less than ten copies exist. To play it, I have to have one copy, no more, of each of the Scorpions in my Graveyard.

"Then I pay 2,000 Life Points. Or rather, I _would_ have had to, but Spell Economics negates that cost.

"And as a result…"

Five shadows appeared on his side of the field…

And then the five Dark Scorpions reappeared! Their eyes glowed, and the Seal branded to them!

_No…_ thought Trisha, in fear. _Dekoichi is in Attack Mode… I've lost…_

"You haven't lost yet love," said Sebastian, as if he could read her mind. "I can't attack on the round I use this card. So make your move."

_She'll obviously attack Don Zaloog,_ he thought. _He's the most dangerous. Little does she know, one of my facedown cards is Rush Recklessly, which will make him 100 Attack Points stronger than that Alligator._

_Then one powerful assault will finish her off…_

Trisha drew a card.

"I play Thunder Crash!" she shouted, throwing a card into her Disk. "By destroying all my Monsters, I can blast away 300 of your Life Points for each!"

Her five Monsters shattered, and a bolt of lightning shot forward, striking Sebastian!

He groaned.

**(T: 350) -------------------- (S: 1,800)**

"Why'd I do it?" asked Trisha. "To make room. First, I'll summon my second Mechanicalchaser."

She threw a card on her Disk.

"Now I play… The Fang of Critias!"

The whole museum grew dark…

…and then, the immense form of Critias appeared, looming over Trisha! He roared!

"Now…" said Trisha, as one of her facedown cards lifted, "I combine Critias… with Rare Metalmorph, to form…"

The Trap was absorbed into Critias, and he started to mutate…

"Mechanized Dragon!"

Critias glowed in silvery light. In a flash of light, a new Dragon appeared, this one with pure, silver skin, and a slim, streamlined face. His wings were thin and shone like mirrors. (2,500/2,500)

"Uh…" muttered Sebastian.

"Not only does he have a powerful Attack Score," said Trisha, "but he increases the Attack of all Machines on the field by 300 Points."

Mechanicalchaser rose to (2,150/800)

"Mechanicalchaser, take out Don!" she shouted.

"I activate Rush Recklessly!" shouted Sebastian, as his Quickplay lifted.

"Will you?" continued Trisha. "I activate my other Trap… Spell Shield Type-8!"

Her other Trap lifted, and the Quickplay card shattered.

Mechanicalchaser rammed Don Zaloog with his rod. The bandit screamed and burst.

"Mechanized Dragon, destroy Meanae the Thorn!"

The huge Dragon breathed out a blast of ones and zeroes combined in an aura of blue energy, and Meanae staggered back. She was vaporized.

Trisha looked at him.

"Your move…" she dared.

**(T: 350) -------------------- (S: 550)**

_What do I do?_ thought Sebastian, almost in panic. _If I don't draw my secret weapon on this turn…_

He drew a card.

_This isn't it… I only have one chance…_

He played a card.

"I play Soul Release. I'll use it to remove from play those five Monsters you destroyed with Thunder Crash…"

"Why did you do that?" asked Trisha.

"I have my reasons," he said. "Now…"

He placed a card in his Disk.

"I play… Evil Idol!" he said.

A spooky mist appeared in the center of the arena. A creepy looking idol appeared in the center, with three gems for eyes: red, blue, and yellow.

"What?" asked Trisha.

"Ever watch the old Indiana Jones movies, Trisha?" asked Sebastian. "This is one of those cursed idols you find in forbidden tombs…"

He walked up to it.

"The Dark Scorpions wouldn't think twice about trying to snatch these gems, but most others would be wary. One is a treasure, and two are curses. And since I played that card, we both have to choose one.

"I'll even let you have the first choice."

Trisha got nervous.

She walked up to the idol and looked at it…

_Which one? _she thought.

She paused.

"What does each of them do?" she asked.

"One will destroy every Monster on your side of the field and in your hand," said Sebastian. "One will remove every card in your Graveyard from play. The other will grant you 500 Life Points for each of your cards that have been removed from play."

Trisha gave him a funny look.

She looked at the idol again.

_Okay…_ she thought. _Red, blue, and yellow…_

_Wait, how did this go in that old spy movie? The one where the guy had to disarm the bomb?_

_Red, I'm dead, blue, I'm through…_

_Yellow… I'm mellow!_

She grabbed the yellow gem!

And then she was startled, as golden fire appeared all over her!

All of a sudden, she felt like she had just drunk a gallon of Gatorade…

Her Life Points started to go up…

**(T: 8,350) -------------------- (S: 550)**

"You choose wisely…" said Sebastian. "And it seems you discarded a couple Machines from Don's effect. Just enough…"

"What are you planning?" shouted Trisha, as the gem crumbled. "Wait…

"You wouldn't have benefited even if you had picked the treasure! And you played Soul Release on my Graveyard… You made sure I'd benefit even more if I picked it!"

"Guess it's my choice now…" he said with a sigh.

He reached for the red gem.

Then the remaining three Dark Scorpions on his side of the field screamed and fell to their knees. They shattered into shards.

Sebastian shook his head.

"It's your move…" he finally said.

She paused.

"Fine…" she said with a shrug. "I would have preferred you to just surrender, but I guess you had to take a big chance and be humiliated…"

She drew a card.

"Trap activate…" muttered Sebastian.

His last Trap Card lifted…

Trisha looked up.

"Wait…" she said. "That's…"

"Next time then, love?" said Sebastian.

And then Trisha was thrown off her feet, as it seemed the whole world was consumed in an explosion…

**(T: 0) -------------------- (S: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Trisha!" shouted Jason's voice. "Trisha, please!"

Trisha slowly opened her eyes.

She was on the floor of the exhibition hall, and her two friends were trying to shake her awake. Losing over 8,000 Life Points from only one card had knocked her completely out, it seemed.

"Oh, thank God, thank God!" gasped Jason, hugging her. "For a minute I thought…"

"I know what you thought…" said Trisha, sitting up. "For all his gusto, he could dish it out, but he couldn't take it…"

"What happened?" asked Russell.

"He had an ace up his sleeve," sighed Trisha. "I almost won. But he used a card that could raise my Life Points to over the maximum. Then he triggered a Trap called Self-Destruct Button…"

"Don't think I've heard of that one…" said Russell.

"Well, if you're using it in your deck, you need a new deck," answered Trisha. "It can only be used when you're losing by 7,000 Life Points or more – it reduces both duelists' Life Points to zero."

"His escape route…" muttered Jason. "All three of them have one, which they can use once…"

"Worst of all," sighed Trisha, "that bastard has some sort of demented crush on me…"

She turned to Russell.

"That leaves Cassius…" she said.

"Don't worry…" said Russell. "Tomorrow, I'm not giving him a chance to find me, because I intend to find him first!"

_Friday, October 1st, 2106, 6:37 PM_

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**ELECTROMAGNETIC TURTLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description:** This strange Machine dampens an area with electromagnetic energy. On the turn that this card is sent to the Graveyard from your side of the field, your hand, or your deck, you can forcefully end the Battle Phase at any time. You choose the timing at which to use this effect.

_Note: "Electromagnetic Turtle" was first used by Yugi in the anime episode "Clash in the Coliseum (Part Three)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**CANNON OF THE MACHINE KING (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Machine King hoisting a huge, space-age cannon on his shoulder.

**Card Description:** This card can be Equipped to any MACHINE-Type Monster with the word "King" in its name. Pay 1,000 Life Points to Equip this card to a Monster. A Monster Equipped with this card can attack all Monsters on your opponent's side of the field. You cannot attack your opponent directly with the Monster Equipped with this card if you attack any Monsters first.

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**RED GADGET (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,300  
**DEF: **1,500

**Card Description:** When this Monster is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned, search your deck for one "Yellow Gadget" and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.

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**YELLOW GADGET (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,200  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description:** When this Monster is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned, search your deck for one "Green Gadget" and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.

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**GREEN GADGET (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,400  
**DEF: **600

**Card Description:** When this Monster is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned, search your deck for one "Red Gadget" and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.

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**STRONGHOLD THE MOVING FORTRESS (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A giant mecha covered with gears with the Red, Yellow, and Green Gadgets in three cavities in its chest.

**Card Description:** This Trap can only be activated during a Main Phase. When this card is activated, it is treated as a Monster Card, and is summoned to your side of the field in face-up Defense Position. (Machine/Earth/4 stars/0 ATK/2,000 DEF) If one "Red Gadget", one "Yellow Gadget", and one "Green Gadget" are face-up on your side of the field, increase this card's ATK by 3,000.

_Note: "Red Gadget", "Yellow Gadget", "Green Gadget", and "Stronghold the Moving Fortress" are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States (no matter how much folks want them…).They were used by Little Yugi during the Pharaoh's Memory Arc in the anime._

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**CYBER-TECH ALLIGATOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **5  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **1,600

**Card Description:** This winged dragon is strengthened with metal. This monster is the master of cyborgs from where dragons are destroyed.

_Note: "Cyber-Tech Alligator" is a promotional Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States. It was used by Joey in the anime episode "Fighting For A Friend (Part 5)"._

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**RETREAT OF THE DARK SCORPIONS (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Three police cars in a cloud of smoke.

**Card Description:** You can use this card when you have "Don Zaloog", "Cliff the Trap Remover", "Dark Scorpion – Chick the Yellow", "Dark Scorpion – Meanae the Thorn", and "Dark Scorpion – Gorg the Strong" face-up on your side of the field. Return all of the above named Monsters to your hand.

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**DARK SCORPION TRAGEDY OF LOVE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Meanae the Thorn's portrait, tangled in thorny briars.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have at least one "Don Zaloog" and at least one "Dark Scorpion – Meanae the Thorn" face up on your side of the field. Offer one "Dark Scorpion – Meanae the Thorn" as a Tribute and destroy all opposing Monsters.

_Note: "Retreat of the Dark Scorpions" and "Dark Scorpion Tragedy of Love" were used by the Spirit of Don Zaloog in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Dark Scorpions". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**DARK SCORPION PILFER (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Don Zaloog snatching a priceless gem from a safe.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have at least one Monster with the words "Dark Scorpion" in its name, or who is named "Don Zaloog" or "Cliff the Trap Remover", face-up on your side of the field. Take one Spell or Trap Card from your opponent's Graveyard and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Dark Scorpion Pilfer" first appeared in "City of Souls"._

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**SNEAK ATTACK OF THE DARK SCORPIONS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Chick the Yellow and Meanae the Thorn hiding behind the corner of a building with weapons drawn as Goblin of Greed strides towards them.

**Card Description:** Choose one Monster on your side of the field who has the words "Dark Scorpion" in its name, or who is named "Cliff the Trap Remover". Reduce the ATK of the chosen Monster by half for the remainder of the round. The chosen Monster can attack your opponent directly during the round you use this card.

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**REVIVAL OF THE DARK SCORPIONS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The five members of the Dark Scorpions, all of them frightened, fleeing through the gates of a cemetery at night.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field and one copy of each of the following Monster Cards in your Graveyard: "Don Zaloog", "Cliff the Trap Remover", "Dark Scorpion – Chick the Yellow", "Dark Scorpion – Meanae the Thorn", and "Dark Scorpion – Gorg the Strong". Pay 2,000 Life Points. Special Summon all of the above-named Monsters from your Graveyard. You cannot declare an attack or summon any other Monsters during the turn you use this card.

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**EVIL IDOL (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A sinister-looking idol with three gems for eyes: Red, blue, and yellow.

**Card Description:** Take one Monster Card, one Trap Card, and one Spell Card from your deck, and rearrange them facedown. Each player must choose one without looking at them. If a player chooses the Monster Card, all Monsters on his side of the field and in his hand are destroyed. If a player chooses the Trap Card, all cards in his Graveyard are removed from play. If a player chooses the Spell Card, he gains 500 Life Points for every one of his cards that has been removed from play. After the effects of this card have been resolved, discard the three cards.

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**ORICHALCOS ENTICEMENT (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin: **Lust

**Image:** A demonic and barely-dressed temptress seducing a knight.

**Card Description:** When you activate this card, all opposing Monsters switch to Attack Position. Flip effects are not activated. While this card remains in play, your opponent cannot set or summon Monsters in Defense Position. If this card is destroyed, your memories of the first member of the opposite gender who loved you are forever erased from your mind. Also, if this card is destroyed, it is removed from play and you may never use it or another copy of this card again.

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**MECHANIZED DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **2,500

**Card Description:** This Monster is descended by activating "The Fang of Critias" and offering one "Rare Metalmorph" as a Tribute. Increase the ATK of all Machine-Type monsters on your side of the field by 300 points. Also, while this card remains face-up on the field, Machine-Type monsters on your side of the field cannot be targeted by the effect of a Spell, Trap, or Monster effects.

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**Sebastian's Dark Scorpion Deck**

_A hardened killer who would do in anyone for a quarter, Sebastian is not one to be trusted – odds are, anything he says is a lie. However, the story of how he got the five stars in his deck is true; they are the cards that contain the Spirits of the real Dark Scorpions, whom Chazz Princeton defeated in a Shadow Game so many years ago. Thus, his cards are truly alive, and work with him in many different ways. They don't do so willingly, but the Orichalcos shields him from the curse they have put on everyone who has taken these cards (other than Chazz himself, who they were forced to accept as the rightful owner of the cards), so they have no choice but to serve the Orichalcos for now._

_To many duelists, Don Zaloog is a useful card that works well in many ways, with his discarding ability. Only a few duelists can actually combine him with his four teammates to make a useful Dark Scorpion Deck. (It is difficult to do.) Since all of the Scorpions are very weak, they'd be wiped out fast in many cases. Thus, the Seal of Orichalcos is a great benefit in Sebastian's case. _

_Sebastian has many ways to bring out his stars quickly. They include three copies of Mystic Tomato, Familiar Knight, Sangan, and other searchers. Although he doesn't have access to the vast amounts of wealth that Cleo did, he was able to make bargains and do jobs for the underworld, and gain access to Dark Scorpion cards that most duelists have never even heard of. _

_Sebastian always makes a point to study his opponent beforehand, and prepare his deck in a way to give his opponent grief. He added System Down because he knew it would ruin Trisha's deck. If he had targeted Russell, he might have added Kinetic Soldier. Every type of strategy has a card that can be used to counter it, and Sebastian is smart enough to find them._

_Sebastian also has a secret weapon in his deck who is Dark, but is no Scorpion. This Monster is used when all other options fail. The identity of this powerful Monster will remain a mystery for now, as he likely will seek a rematch with Trisha in the future._

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_**Sebastian has fled to lick his wounds, but this arc is only half over.**_

_**Coming up next, Russell goes looking for Cassius, but the leader of the current Swordsmen has big plans for their confrontation. Very big plans.**_

**_You folks likely think by now that it will end the same way that the last two duels did… _**

****

**_Wrong. _**

****

**_This next duel will definitely have a clear winner. _**

"_**Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil."**_

_**What do I mean by that?**_

_**The chapter is called "A Deal With Dark Ruler"…**_

_**Figure it out.**_


	29. A Deal With Dark Ruler

_Hello everyone! It's the Fourth of July!_

_And even though I disagree a great deal with the current government, this a day that makes me think of all the things that make me love America. _

_Things like the free press. Freedom of religion. Freedom of speech. And all the things that define America._

_I love America._

_And hey, if you're someone reading this who isn't American, that's fine… I'm sure you have many reasons to love whatever country you live in._

_As a member of a family who has served the U.S. Armed Forces for a long as family history has recorded, I'm pretty sure that Russell feels the same way. So it's fitting that this chapter should star him._

_So will his clash with Cassius end in triumph or in tragedy?_

_Prepare to find out._

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_**Cleo and Sebastian have run back to their holes like dogs, unwilling to accept the punishment they were so intent on dishing out.**_

_**So now it's me against Cassius… but this time, I'm more than prepared to stop his plan before it even starts. And I have the right tools to do so. **_

_**I just wish I was a bit more confident…**_

_**There's something wrong about this whole plan… I don't know what it is… It seems foolproof, but…**_

_**Ah well.**_

_**I'm still going through with it, because there's no way I'm putting my soul on the line a third time…**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT**

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**A Deal With Dark Ruler**

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_Friday, October 1st, 2106, 8:53 PM_

Sebastian sat on a couch with an ice pack on his forehead. Cleo was sitting next to him.

Faustus stood above them and frowned.

"You two were warned," he said. "Next time it will be different.

"The next time, you will either claim the soul of your opponent, or give up your own."

Their faces sank.

Cassius walked up.

"Actually, boss," he said, "I have an idea that might make for a ground-breaking scene."

"Well," said Fortunado, with a sigh, "it can't be worse than what they pulled…"

"Listen…" said Cassius, putting his arm around him.

"Take it off, or I'll break it off," warned Fortunado.

"Uh, right…" said Cassius, nervously, retracting his arm. "Anyway, here's what we do…

"You see, we've been going at this whole thing with the wrong angle the whole time. Maybe outright attacks using the Orichalcos aren't a good idea…"

He grinned.

"Perhaps a duel of a… different flavor would whet the appetite of an audience more than what these two tried to do…"

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Russell was lying on his bed, slowing shuffling his deck.

Then he noticed an envelope slide under his door…

He got up, ran up to the door, and threw it open.

No one was there.

He slowly picked up the envelope. He opened it.

_It was a bomb…_

Well, it probably wasn't, but he was wary of unanimous gifts…

He held it up to a lamp, and saw that there were two cards inside it.

It seemed benign. Nonetheless, he held it far away from his face as he carefully opened it. Then he dumped the cards on the floor.

He looked at them.

They were two Spell Cards. They weren't Cards of Sin, and didn't seem to have any devices or strange substances on them.

Finally he decided they were all right. He picked them up and looked at them.

One was a pretty common card. He never really had a use for it, but some duelists did. The other…

_Hmm…_ he thought, looking at both of them.

He paused.

_Oh, I get it…_

He removed two cards from his deck, and shuffled them into it.

"Whoever sent these," he said, "thanks…"

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One hour later…

Cassius was in his own quarters, going over his deck.

The three Swordsmen had been given some pretty good accommodations. There was a comfortable king-size bed, a nightstand, a television (it got cable, and the premiums), and even a small refrigerator.

One furnishing that he really didn't like was the painting that was on the wall next to the door. He tried to get rid of it many times, but every time he tried, something just wouldn't let him.

The painting was a portrait of a man who looked like him, but about ten years older, apparently, dressed in more formal clothes.

He put his deck in a holder and glared at the portrait for a few seconds.

"_Stalking the big hunt again?"_ said a voice that seemed to come from it. _"You're certainly dressed for it."_

"What do you want?" asked Cassius. "Go away."

"_Can't a man have a heart-to-heart now and then with his first born?"_ was the response.

"I'm your _only_ born," answered Cassius, "and frankly, no. Like I just said, go away. I can do without your heart-to-hearts."

"_I'm just here for support, Cassius,"_ said the voice. _"This is a dangerous business."_

"I'm a big boy, dad," he replied, angrily. "I can take care of myself. Besides, I'm undefeated."

He took out his cards.

"I can use these better than _you_ ever could."

"_I hope so,"_ said the voice. _"They have to be used right in this business."_

"Oh, shut up," answered Cassius. "What do you know about using them right? You couldn't use a starter deck right!"

"_You're exaggerating, Cassius,"_ said the voice. _"I was one of the best of my time. And I had high hopes."_

"For me?" asked Cassius. "Get real. You weren't exactly father of the year…"

"_I was an excellent parent!"_ said the voice. _"Listen… Did I ever tell you to eat your vegetables? Brush your teeth? Listen to decent music? No, I didn't. I respected your independence. I wanted you to be like me when you were older."_

Cassius stared at the picture.

"Yeah…" he muttered. "Like you… A complete and utter failure!"

He glared at it angrily.

"Don't think the boss didn't tell me about the last attempt to revive the Orichalcos, dad," he said. "You started an attempt ten years ago, when the Master started looking for recruits. But the first duel of the campaign was one you started… and lost.

"And once you did, everyone who you were with was so scared when they saw what happened to you, they threw the Orichalcos cards away in panic. Your campaign lasted one hour. And it's only getting started again now, ten years later.

"You were a big humiliation. And if you were here right now I'd…"

He clenched his fist.

He paused.

"I'm talking to a painting…" he muttered. "I should see a shrink…"

He got up. He tore the portrait off the wall and slid it under his bed.

"Maybe that will keep you quiet," he said. "You were a failure for the Master's plans, dad, and to top it off, you were a lousy father. But I'm going to prove once and for all that I'm better than you…"

He looked at his deck.

"In every way…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next day, at noon, Russell strode into Central Park.

The trees were all an explosion of colors by now: red, yellow, orange, and brown, as Autumn was in full swing.

He went up to a vendor.

"Two dogs, with sauerkraut and mustard, and a Diet Coke," he said.

He brought the two frankfurters to a park bench and sat down. Few things in this city were more satisfying than an old-fashioned New York hot dog.

But as he started on the second, he paused.

It didn't taste as good as it had a second ago, and he knew why.

"You might as well come out," he said between chews, "I know you're there…"

Cassius stepped out of the brush, distinguishable by his outback-style jacket and hat decorated with teeth. The nasty-looking whip was coiled up by his side.

"I knew I couldn't sneak up on you, pal," said Cassius.

"I'd recognize your deodorant anywhere," replied Russell. "Or should I say, your lack of it thereof."

Cassius snarled.

"And I knew I'd come across you eventually," continued Russell. "Your two friends gave mine a lot of trouble over the past two days…

"If you want to duel me, I'll happily oblige… But let me finish my lunch first."

"Certainly," said Cassius, raising his deck. "But when you see what my deck holds, you'll have to do your best not to lose it…"

"Would you mind not standing downwind?" asked Russell.

_Insult me now,_ thought Cassius, now getting rather angry. _It will change pretty soon…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The two of them stood facing each other.

"So," said Russell, "what's with the whole rural outback getup? I mean, who do you think you are, Crocodile Dundee?"

Cassius gave him a look.

"You know," he said with a grin, "you might be the first opponent I've ever faced who compared me to the hero of those old films…

"And to be honest, yes, I saw those movies on the classic cinema station once, and I admired Dundee. He was a guy who was tough, brave, and not afraid to get a little dirty."

"Well, you seem to be tough," answered Russell, "and you certainly play dirty…

"But both Cleo and Sebastian weren't very brave. They were cowards who could dish it out but not take it. They both had a way to escape when it was apparent that they would lose."

"Can't say that I blamed them," said Cassius. "After all, the darkness of the Orichalcos isn't a very pleasant place…"

He flicked his arm. A fan-like tray that was a silvery color protruded from the console on his arm, forming into an odd Disk.

He placed his deck into it.

"But you'll find out firsthand," he continued. "So far, my two partners have both failed, Russell. What's that old saying? Third time's the charm?"

"Don't count on it," replied Russell. "If all goes right, I'm going to take you AND the Seal out!"

"I'd like to see you try it!" laughed Cassius. "What part of 'can't be destroyed' don't you understand?"

_We'll soon see…_ thought Russell.

"Atten… shun!" shouted Russell.

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Cassius: 8,000)**

"Feel free to make the first move," said Cassius, drawing five cards. "It barely matters… I've never been bested. I have a perfect record."

"There's a first time for everything," said Russell, drawing six.

_I got the card I needed in my opening hand!_ thought Russell. _Time to take away his edge…_

"I'll start by playing a Spell Card," he said, playing a card. "A rare and powerful one, called Kozaky's Kontraption."

He played the card, and the fiendish scientist appeared in the center of the arena beside a weird contraption.

"When this card is played," said Russell, taking his deck, "the user gains an advantage, but takes a great risk. You see, I can now add any card I please from my deck to my hand, but I have to let you do the same thing. Also, I must skip my Battle Phase on the turn I use this card, but since this is the first turn of the duel, that doesn't matter at all."

"Any card at all?" laughed Cassius, taking his deck. "That seems foolish…"

They both got what they wanted from their decks.

Kozaky and his machine vanished.

"We'll soon see," said Russell, reshuffling. "Next, I'll play the card I just searched for… Exchange!"

The Spell Card appeared.

Cassius smirked.

"Clever…" he said.

He walked up to Russell.

"I guess you got me…" he sighed, showing him his hand.

Russell smiled. The Seal of Orichalcos was clearly there.

"I'll just take this," he said, taking it. "I knew you'd use my card's effect to search for it. So much for you using it in this duel.

"Now you take one, so we can continue."

Cassius took a card from his hand and walked back.

"Just because you took it from me doesn't mean it won't be played…" warned Cassius. "I swear it will be…"

"Don't count on it," said Russell.

Russell looked at the cursed card. It gave him chills.

_At least I disarmed him of his most potent weapon,_ he thought. _And all it cost me was my Reinforcement of the Army card. Now to just end this duel as quickly as possible…_

"I'll end my turn by placing a Monster in Defense Mode," he said.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

Cassius smirked again as he drew.

"That's Big Shield Gardna, right?" he asked. "You forget, I saw your hand, Russell. Tell me, were you paying any attention to mine?

"Since I got your Reinforcement of the Army card, I'll play it…"

He played the card.

"And I'll use it to get a little guy named Mystic Swordsman LV 2…"

He held up the card.

"And next, I'll summon him to the field…" he continued.

What looked like a child wearing a purple bodysuit and a silver robe and peaked hat appeared, holding a scimitar. (900/0)

"Attack!" shouted Cassius. "Severing slash!"

Mystic Swordsman LV 2 dashed up, and with one swipe of his sword, sliced Big Shield Gardna in two!

"What?" said Russell, surprised. "But… Gardna's Defense was nearly three times too strong…"

"When Mystic Swordsman attacks a Monster in facedown Defense Mode, that Monster is automatically destroyed," said Cassius with a grin. "It was his effect that did it, and Attack Points didn't matter.

"And I'm hardly done. I now play the Spell Card, Level Up!"

He played the card.

"Level Up! lets me evolve a leveled Monster into his next evolutionary form instantly, regardless of the requirements."

_Leveled Monsters…_ thought Russell. _This guy isn't fooling around…_

"So let's welcome Mystic Swordsman LV 4!" exclaimed Cassius.

The child Warrior glowed, and then grew, transforming into a teenage version of himself with a gleaming, two-bladed sword, and a more elaborate robe. (1,900/1,600)

"That will be my turn," said Cassius.

"All right…" said Russell, drawing a card.

"I'll summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Defense Mode," he said.

He played the card, and Grepher appeared, kneeling and shielding himself with his sword. (1,700/1,600)

"Go ahead…" he muttered.

Cassius drew a card.

"Mystic Swordsman, attack!" he shouted.

With one swipe of his sword, Mystic Swordsman cut Grepher down.

"That takes care of him," said Cassius. "And on the end of a round where Mystic Swordsman LV 4 wins a fight, he can evolve further…"

The Swordsman started to glow…

"…into Mystic Swordsman LV 6!"

The new Warrior who appeared was an adult version, with two long daggers instead of a sword and a similar robe. (2,300/1,700)

So what will you do, Russell?" asked Cassius. "My Swordsman is just as strong as Freed. You'd have to summon a pretty powerful Monster to defeat him."

Russell drew a card.

"I agree…" he replied.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Goblin Attack Force in Attack Mode."

A squad of four goblins with shifty eyes carrying clubs appeared. They yawned, and then turned to face the opponent. (2,300/0)

"Get him!" shouted Russell. "Goblin rush!"

The squad charged forward… Mystic Swordsman stood his ground…

In a fierce burst, both Warriors were smashed to bits!

"That will be all for now," said Russell. "So attack me if you want… I can take it."

Cassius frowned.

He drew.

"First I'll place one card facedown…" he said, fitting a card into a slot.

A facedown card appeared.

"Next I'll play… Giant Trunade!"

He played a Spell Card, and a wind whipped across the field. The facedown card vanished.

"Now, you may be asking," he continued, "why did he do that? Because, the card I placed facedown was this special Trap…"

He held up the card. It was called Treasure Map.

"Treasure Map activates when it goes from the field to my hand. It lets me draw two cards, so long as I then discard one from my hand.

"So I'll draw twice…"

He drew two cards.

"And since I no longer need it, I'll discard Treasure Map."

He discarded the card.

"Now I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"About time…" said Russell.

He drew a card.

"I summon Command Knight in Attack Mode," he said.

Command Knight appeared on the field, holding her sword aloft. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900)

"Next," he said, "I'll play Premature Burial, to bring back Warrior Dai Grepher!"

He played the card, and Grepher appeared again. (1,700/1,600) –) (2,100/1,600)

"Grepher, attack his facedown Monster!" shouted Russell.

Grepher charged at the facedown Monster…

A Dragon with red and orange scales, metallic wings, and a steel mask over its face appeared on the card. Grepher slashed with his sword, and it shattered to pieces.

"That was a Masked Dragon, Russell," said Cassius. "When it's destroyed in battle, I can Special Summon another Dragon from my deck that has 1,500 Attack Points or less…

"Now, let's see… I'll summon _another_ Masked Dragon!"

A second Masked Dragon appeared, in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,100)

Russell raised an eyebrow.

"Command Knight, destroy it!" he shouted. "Blazing blade!"

Command Knight's sword blazed with fire, and she slashed at the second Masked Dragon, wiping it out.

"Thank you…" said Cassius. "Now the real fun can begin! I'll use his effect to summon Armed Dragon LV 3!"

A small Dragon with metallic parts colored orange and silver appeared. (1,200/900)

Russell looked at him hard.

"I end my turn…" he said.

**(R: 7,200) -------------------- (C: 8,000)**

"Then mine can start," said Cassius, drawing a card. "And during my Standby Phase, I can sacrifice his LV 3 form, to summon someone better…"

The Dragon started to glow…

"Armed Dragon LV 5!"

A bigger, meaner-looking Dragon appeared, with rust-red skin and spikes all over its body. (2,400/1,700)

"I… see…" muttered Russell.

"And now we get to the good part…" said Cassius, taking a card from his hand. "If I discard one Monster from my hand, this guy can destroy one Monster who has equal or less Attack Points that the one I'm discarding…"

He showed a card to Russell.

"So, if my second Mystic Swordsman LV 4 has 300 more Attack Points than your Command Knight…"

Command Knight slunk back in fear as Cassius discarded it.

"Now go!" he shouted. "Shrapnel blast!"

The spikes on Armed Dragon's body shot up like rockets and honed in on Command Knight! She screamed and was blown to pieces!

Grepher's ATK fell back to 1,700.

"And I still have his normal attack…" continued Cassius. "Attack Warrior Dai Grepher! Inferno roar!"

Armed Dragon blasted forth a wave of burning energy, and Grepher was blown away!

"Next, I'll summon my third Masked Dragon in Defense Mode…" he continued.

He played a card, and another Masked Dragon appeared. (1,400/1,100)

"And finally, since my Armed Dragon won a battle, we can take this to the next level, and evolve Armed Dragon LV 5, to Armed Dragon LV 7!"

Armed Dragon started to grow again, until it was a huge creature that seemed as much metal as it was flesh, with blades and sharp edges all over. It let out an unearthly roar… (2,800/1,000)

"Uh… That's… Not good…" said Russell.

"No…" said Cassius. "It isn't good. Frankly, I'd say it's bloody awful. For you, anyway."

**(R: 6,500) -------------------- (C: 8,000)**

Russell drew a card.

_I've got to do something…_ he thought, looking at his hand.

He paused.

**_You can destroy him easily. It's completely in your power…_**

"Huh?" said Russell. "Who said that?"

**_Don't fight it, Russell,_** said the voice. **_Ultimate power is within your reach…_**

Russell shook his head, and the voice faded.

"Where was I…" he muttered. "I place a Monster in Defense Mode…"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Clever…" said Cassius, drawing a card. "You know that Armed Dragon's effect doesn't work on facedown Monsters. "So I'll have to take care of you the old fashioned way…

"I sacrifice Masked Dragon…"

Masked Dragon vanished.

"To summon… Jinzo!"

The dreaded android, with his enlarged cranium, glaring optic sensors, a fanged grill for a mouth, and dressed in a dark robe appeared. (2,400/1,500)

"Well, since I already took out your Big Shield Gardna," he noted, "and I know you don't have two in your deck, Jinzo, attack his facedown Monster! Cyber energy shock!"

Jinzo formed a ball of crackling black energy in its hands, and hurled it. Axe Raider appeared on the card, and was blown up.

"Armed Dragon…" continued Cassius.

Russell gulped.

"Attack directly! Dragon talon terror!"

The huge Dragon's claw bore down on Russell…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At this moment, Trisha and Jason were at a table on the Green, with their cards spread out. Timaeus and Critias were in the center.

Suddenly, both of them started to glow.

"I was afraid of this…" said Jason, in worry. "I think Russell just took a powerful hit…"

"Oh…" moaned Trisha, almost crying. "That lunatic probably has him trapped in that awful Seal… He might be losing… He might have…"

"No…" assured Jason. "If Russell had lost, I'd feel it in my gut… He isn't finished yet.

"We have to have faith in his skill…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(R: 3,700) -------------------- (C: 8,000)**

Russell sat on the ground, the pain from the Dragon's powerful direct attack having made him dizzy…

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Cassius. "Who needs the Seal? I'm having loads of fun just beating you black and blue!

"Heh, heh… It's your move…"

_This is nuts…_ thought Russell, as he tried hard to catch his breath. _He still has all his Life Points, and I've lost more that half of mine…_

_Jinzo? How come the bad guys always have the good cards?_

"Didn't you hear me?" asked Cassius. "I said it's your move…"

"I heard you…" said Russell. "Just give me a minute…"

He picked up his cards and got up.

He drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed…"

He drew two cards.

"And I got some good ones!" he said with a grin. "I summon Blue Flame Swordsman in Attack Mode!"

He played the card, and the blue Fire Warrior appeared. (1,800/1,600)

"And next…" he continued, "I Equip him with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!"

Blue Flame Swordsman's normal sword vanished, and the magical katana appeared in his hand. His Attack rose to 2,600.

"Now…" he started.

**_Now's your chance,_** said the voice in his head. **_Don't let a great opportunity pass. Use what you have and obliterate him!_**

Russell paused.

"Get out of my head…" he snarled.

"Get out of my head!"

He shook his head again.

"Blue Flame Swordsman, attack Jinzo!"

The Warrior charged, and swiped at Jinzo with his blade. Sparks flew from the android's body, and then it burst in an explosion.

**(R: 3,700) -------------------- (C: 7,800)**

"Okay…" muttered Cassius. "Nothing I can't handle…"

"Just move…" said Russell.

He drew a card.

"Okay, Russell," he said. "I'm activating Armed Dragon's ability, and this time I'm discarding this…"

He held a card up.

"The Masked Beast. I keep three of these guys in my deck just to use to activate Armed Dragon's ability. Since it has 3,200 Attack Points, it lets Armed Dragon destroy almost anything…"

He discarded it.

"Destroy him! Serrated sonic disks!"

Armed Dragon growled… It raised its arms…

It shot three energy disks from its torso, and Blue Flame Swordsman was eradicated.

"Perhaps you don't know about Blue Flame Swordsman's special ability," said Russell, with a grin. "If he's destroyed, I get to summon the real Flame Swordsman! Defense Mode!"

Flame Swordsman appeared, and knelt in defense. (1,800/1,600)

Cassius frowned.

"Fine…" said Cassius. "I still have his normal attack. Armed Dragon, attack Flame Swordsman!"

Armed Dragon raised his claw and brought it down, crushing Flame Swordsman.

"Thanks, for taking the hit, pal…" said Russell, as he discarded the card. "Now let's hope I get something good.

He drew a card.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode," he said, placing a card on his Disk.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That will be all."

Cassius drew a card.

"Armed Dragon, destroy his Monster!"

Armed Dragon's claw thundered down…

Warrior Lady of the Wasteland appeared on the card, and was crushed.

"Huh?" asked Cassius.

"Yes…" said Russell with a smile. "And I'll use her effect to summon… Hero Kid!"

A Hero Kid appeared on the field, did a somersault, and landed on his feet. (300/600)

"And since he was Special Summoned, I get to Special Summon his two brothers as well!" continued Russell.

Two more Hero Kids appeared and somersaulted into view.

"Heh, heh, heh," laughed Cassius.

He showed Russell his hand, which had six cards in it.

"Don't you know, Russell," he said, "that all I have to do right now is discard a Monster no stronger than a Kuriboh, and my Dragon will wipe out all three of your Kids?"

Russell and the three Hero Kids stared at him…

"Now… uhm… uh… I'll…" said Cassius, looking at his hand.

There was a long pause.

"Uh huh…" he muttered.

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Russell. "You have no Monsters in your hand to discard, do you?"

"Yes I do, smart guy!" answered Cassius. "However, the one I have isn't one I'm willing to discard right now, so you lucked out big time. I end my turn."

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Russell. "That's rich… Six cards and the one Monster you have is the one you can't discard!"

He drew a card.

"You made a big mistake, Cassius," he said. "Remember how I beat Fang?"

"Oh… no…" muttered Cassius.

"I sacrifice my three Hero Kids…" exclaimed Russell.

The three Kids shattered.

"To summon Gilford the Lightning!"

Thunder rolled in the sky, and with a flash of light, the mighty Gilford appeared! (2,800/1,400)

"All right, Gilford…" said Russell, "let's show him how it's done…"

Gilford slowly drew his sword…

Lightning struck the Armed Dragon, blowing it to atoms!

"And now… Get him!"

Gilford slashed at Cassius with his sword, and the Swordsman fell backwards.

"Ooh…" he moaned.

**(R: 3,700) -------------------- (C: 5,000)**

"I end my turn, Cassius," said Russell, "and the tide of this battle is turning…"

Cassius drew a card.

"Well, that will do," he said. "I summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Defense Mode."

He played a card, and a rocky, sleepy Dragon with no wings appeared, curled up in Defense. (1,300/2,000)

"Go ahead…" he said.

"One round too late, huh?" asked Russell.

He drew.

"I summon Exiled Force!" he said, playing a card.

The small band of disheveled Warriors appeared. (1,000/1,000)

"And now, I'll sacrifice them to destroy your Dragon!"

Exiled Force turned into a collection of ghostly shapes. They flew into The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, and it roared before bursting into shards of rock.

"Gilford, attack him again!" shouted Russell.

Gilford slammed his sword into Cassius, and Cassius toppled over on his back.

**(R: 3,700) -------------------- (C: 2,200)**

**_You almost have him,_** said the voice. **_Do what you have to do to finish him off… forever…_**

"Shut up…" muttered Russell. "Shut up! Who are you?"

Cassius got up, and his eyes reflected what must have been hate…

He drew a card.

"I play… Level Modulation!" he exclaimed, playing a Spell Card.

"This Spell is so powerful," he explained, "that to play it, I have to allow you to draw two cards…"

Russell's eyes narrowed. He drew twice.

"…and in return," continued Cassius, "I get to bring back any leveled Monster from the grave, so you can guess who's coming back."

Armed Dragon LV 7 reappeared with a roar. (2,800/1,000)

"You forgot one thing," said Russell. "A Monster can neither attack nor use its effect on the round it's resurrected with Level Modulation. And although I hate to lose Gilford, I will attack that thing with him to prevent you from storming the field again."

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Cassius. "Remember that Monster I had in my hand that I wasn't willing to discard? I simply brought this guy back to sacrifice him for that stronger one!"

"What?" asked Russell. "What on earth are you summoning?"

"Russell…" said Cassius, in a sinister voice, "when I was your age, I competed in many tournaments using leveled Monsters, and I used Armed Dragons many times. And I believed, like you do, and like my father did before me, that this LV 7 form, its third form, was as powerful as it could grow…

"But when I joined the Orichalcos, you could imagine my surprise when my boss informed me that it had a fourth form beyond it!"

"A fourth form?" gasped Russell. "What in the world…"

"So, I sacrifice Armed Dragon LV 7…" said Cassius.

The Dragon vanished.

"And feast your eyes on the final form of the Armed Dragon… The Master of Disaster…"

A large shadow started to appear.

"The one… the only…"

The shadow started to take shape. The winds around the park started to pick up…

"…_the mighty Armed Dragon LV 10!"_

The creature in front of Russell had to be the biggest Dragon he had ever seen. Of course, whether it was a Dragon or a Machine shaped like one was open to debate. Like the LV 7 version, it was covered with spikes and blades, and it seemed to be covered with solid, metal armor. (3,000/2,000)

"And now…" continued Cassius. "By discarding any card at all, he can wipe out all of your Monsters!"

He discarded card called Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension, and the Armed Dragon let out a blast of green energy, vaporizing Gilford!

"Now, attack Russell directly!" shouted Cassius. "Genocide beam!"

Russell gulped…

Armed Dragons eyes glowed, and rays of burning death blasted him, knocking him over.

**(R: 700) -------------------- (C: 2,200)**

"And I'm not done with you…" said Cassius. "I play a Spell Card… One that Dartz himself used…"

"Who the heck is Dartz?" asked Russell, sitting up.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," replied Cassius. "Almost all the cards in his deck were Cards of Sin. This one was not, however. I play Impact Revive."

He played the card. A rumbling noise sounded on Russell's side of the field...

"This card revives the Monster that I most recently destroyed to your side of the field."

Gilford the Lightning appeared again. (2,800/1,400) –) (3,300/1,400)

"Why?" asked Russell. "Why would you give me back my Monster?"

"Well, the second effect of this card lets me repeat my Battle Phase," answered Cassius. "However, since it also grants Gilford 500 more Attack Points, I'm just going to have to forfeit it.

"But don't get too comfy… That bonus goes away when you start your turn."

"What's the point?" asked Russell again.

"Because I want to kill him again!" laughed Cassius. "This is fun, after all."

He placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"But face it, Russell, it's over…" he said. "My Dragon is simply 200 Attack Points stronger than your Warrior…"

He grinned. He waved his hand, and Gilford's Attack returned to 2,800.

_Russell won't have a choice now,_ he thought. _Of course, it won't make a difference… My facedown card is Rush Recklessly, which will win me this duel regardless…_

_My plan was perfect…_

_See dad? I'm gonna do more than you could ever have dreamed. I'm not only going to pave the way for victory, I'm going to defeat the Chosen of Hermos!_

Russell paused.

**_Do it…_** said the voice.

He looked at The Seal of Orichalcos in his hand…

_I get it now…_ he thought.

_**Do it… Do…**_

Russell drew a card.

"So sorry to disappoint you…" he whispered angrily.

"I play Graceful Charity!" he shouted, playing it. "Now I can draw three cards…"

He drew three cards.

"Of course, I also have to discard two, and we'll start with _this_ one!"

He held up The Seal of Orichalcos.

"What?" shouted Cassius. "NO! You can't!"

"Oh? Just watch me…" said Russell, with a snarl, as he discarded it and another card.

"Silence at last," he muttered, as the sinister voice went dead.

"See Cassius, I figured out your plan. _You_ slipped that envelope under my door, the one with Kozaky's Kontraption and Exchange. The whole point of this duel wasn't for you to use the Seal…

"It was to tempt _me_ into using it. You may be dressed like Crocodile Dundee, but this was all a classic Emperor Palpatine-inspired plot. You think I don't watch movies?

"Well guess what, Cassius? No one tells Russell Majors what to do. Not my family, not my peers, and certainly not _you_! I took charge of my life when I decided to go to Duel Academy instead of West Point, and I do not take kindly to someone who tries to control me.

"And like the Bible says, 'Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.' Temptation is something I'm very good at avoiding, especially when the tempter is evil."

He took three cards from his hand.

"I summon my second Command Knight!"

He played the card, and the determined female fighter appeared in a burst of flame. (1,200/1,900)

"Next," he said, "I'll use Monster Reborn, to bring back an old friend…"

He played another card, and the ankh shone with light. Flame Swordsman reappeared. (1,800/1,600)

"And now…" he said. "I play… The Claw of Hermos!"

Thunder rolled, and the immense form of Hermos flew down, alighting beside the three Warriors!

"Hermos, merge with Command Knight to form Blazing Command Saber!"

Command Knight stood in front of Hermos, and the huge Dragon turned into fiery energy. In surrounded Command Knight in a flaming aura…

And then she transformed into a blade made of pure fire. Gilford took hold of it, and his Attack score went up to 3,500.

"And it does more than just boost his Attack Score by 700 points," added Russell. "It also protects all other Warriors on the field from death, so long as they have less stars than the one holding the Saber. And Gilford has eight stars."

Cassius frowned.

"I activate Rush Recklessly!" he shouted.

His facedown card lifted, and Armed Dragon LV 10 rose to 3,700 Attack.

"I figured as much," muttered Russell.

He played a card.

"I activate MY Rush Recklessly!" he said, as Gilford rose to at Attack of 4,200. "See, Cassius, I had one too.

"So right now you should be asking yourself… What would have happened to you if your plan had worked?"

Cassius gulped…

"Gilford…" ordered Russell, "_Slay his Dragon!_"

Gilford leapt up, and brought the burning sword down on the Dragon's skull! Sparks flew, and the Dragon howled as Gilford cut down…

And then, Armed Dragon LV 10 exploded.

"Flame Swordsman, attack directly!" shouted Russell. "Flaming sword of battle!"

Flame Swordsman slashed at Cassius with his bronze sword, and Cassius fell over with a scream.

**(R: 700) -------------------- (C: 0)**

"At ease…" said Russell.

"Humph…" he continued, taking the Seal out of his discard slot.

He took a lighter out of his pocket and set fire to it.

"So much for that…" he said, as it burned to ashes.

Cassius got to his feet.

"You're gonna regret this, Russell…" he said, taking a card out of a pouch on his side. "Next time, you can be sure, it will end differently…"

He threw the card in his Disk, and his Interdimensional Matter Transporter appeared…

The device drew him into it, and he was gone.

"Unbelievable…" muttered Russell. "I feel like I'm in the middle of some movie that isn't following the script…

"At least I learned a valuable lesson. The Orichalcos isn't just a destructive force… It's a seductive and persuading one that tries to corrupt. I'm going to have to spread a warning…

"No one can ever attempt this strategy again…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I hope our insurance covers collision, Cassius," said Fortunado, sarcastically.

He stared at him, who was sitting on a couch between Cleo and Sebastian.

"My Corruption of the Chosen One scene would have been the highlight of the movie," continued Fortunado, "but now, I can't even _use_ that scene… It was unexpected, sure, but audiences don't like unexpected."

"I should have put Hand Control in that deck…" muttered Cassius, "like I _wanted_ to!"

Fortunado grabbed hold of his throat.

"Uh, boss, I can't breathe…" he gasped.

"That's because I'm choking you, you moron," growled Fortunado. "When I said no, I _meant_ no! The whole idea of that scene was for Russell's fall from grace to be his fault. So he had to have used the Seal on his own.

"Had you used Hand Control, you would have forced him. It would have been _your_ fault, not his."

Then Fortunado groaned. He let go of Cassius and held his head.

"Boss?" said Cleo.

_Don't you dare blame Cassius!_ ordered a voice in Fortunado's head_. You were the biggest fool of all for agreeing to this plan! There were flaws in it from the start!_

"I thought it would work…" whispered Fortunado. "If the Pharaoh couldn't resist the Seal…"

_Only those with darkness in their hearts can be convinced to use the Seal, fool, _said the voice. _The darkness inside Russell is less than one percent the amount that the Pharaoh had. Russell's heart has the light of justice and morality inside it. He would have accepted defeat before he used it!_

_I agreed to let you film these scenes for your benefit, but the true plan is more important than the need to make it a box office draw! Any more ludicrous ideas…_

…_and to borrow a term from your film industry, you'll never eat lunch in this town again._

"Yes master…" he whispered. "It won't happen again…"

He took some deep breaths.

"I need a drink…" he said, going up to a cabinet.

"Perhaps it is time…" said a sinister voice, "to show these foolish children the true might of the Orichalcos…"

A shadowy form came into the room…

He was a tall man, in a bizarre costume. He wore a violet spandex bodysuit and a cape with a high collar. He wore a tall, pointy hat with a wide brim, and his mouth and nose were covered by a mask that had a picture of a hand with the index finger pointing upward. His grey eyes were topped by bushy eyebrows.

"In other words," he said, "it's time for the normal specters to be put aside, and the Master Specter to do his work."

"You?" said Sebastian, nervously. "I dunno… I don't like that Monster you have in your deck…"

"What, you mean this one?" asked the man, taking a card off of his deck.

The Swordsmen drew back in fear…

"Keep it away from me…" gulped Cleo.

"This is one duel I'm gonna be sitting out…" gulped Cassius.

"Well…" muttered Fortunado. "It can't hurt, I guess… At least, I don't think it can…

"Do it…

"But be careful. Even if our insurance does cover collision, I know for a fact it doesn't cover acts of God…

"So it likely doesn't cover acts of demons either."

_Saturday, October 2nd, 2106, 2:17 PM_

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**KOZAKY'S KONTRAPTION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Kozaky in front of a large machine that is printing out Duel Monsters cards.

**Card Description:** Both you and your opponent take any card from your respective decks and add them to your hands. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase during the turn you use this card.

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**IMPACT REVIVE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A muscular giant bursting out of the ground.

**Card Description:** Special Summon the Monster from your opponent's Graveyard that was most recently destroyed to his side of the field in Attack Position to his side of the field and increase its ATK by 500 until the End Phase of your current turn. You may repeat your Battle Phase if you have already ended it.

_Note: "Impact Revive" was used by Dartz in the anime episode "A Duel With Dartz (Part 4)". (This was the only card that he used that did not seem to have a particularly evil effect, so I do not consider it a Card of Sin, although it may have been a custom card.)_

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**BLAZING COMMAND SABER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description:** This card is descended by activating "The Claw of Hermos" and offering one "Command Knight" as a Tribute. This card can only be equipped to a WARRIOR-Type monster. Increase the ATK of the equipped monster by 700 points. Monsters on your side of the field with fewer level stars than the equipped monster cannot be selected as attack targets.

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**Cassius's Level Deck**

_Strictly speaking, there is no standard blueprint for Cassius's deck, because it is rarely the same deck twice. He is a big fan of leveled Monsters, and he has many to choose from – often, his deck contains two evolutionary chains. Although one of them is usually one of the Dragon chains, the other might be Mystic Swordsman, Silent Swordsman, or Ultimate Insect. Rarely, he uses Silent Magician, but she is a difficult Monster to use, as she will be destroyed quickly unless he happens to have Level Up! handy. _

_Often he also has a few copies of the Dark Mimic Fiends to fill in the gaps. These are good for drawing power as well. Another Monster that is constant is Jinzo, one of his favorites. As stated, when using Armed Dragons, he also carries three copies of the Masked Beast to use for using its effect._

_Since he uses Jinzo, he plays very few Traps; the Spells he uses depends on what Monsters he is using. A few remain constant, like Level Up, Level Modulation, and The Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension._

_The Seal of Orichalcos makes a deadly combo with leveled Monsters. When one of these Monsters gets to its final form, it is often quite powerful. The Seal's 500-point bonus to their Attack Score increases an Attack Score that is already incredibly powerful. (When packing Silent Swordsman, he is careful always to play the Seal before evolving it to its final form.)_

_Cassius's most powerful Monster is one that he likes to use to deliver the final blow. However, the identity of this creature will remain a mystery for now._

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_**Next chapter:**_

_**We'll see just who that weird guy is, as the next arc of this story begins. Things are going to get darker quickly, as Russell faces a force he's wholly unprepared for. I'm not going to reveal the name of the chapter – that might give it away. **_

_**Be there… or be square.**_


	30. Ultimate Obedient Fiend

_**All right…**_

_**When I came here, I expected a duelist who meant us no good. I wasn't wrong.**_

_**I expected answers from him regarding all the craziness. I wasn't wrong.**_

_**I expected a duel in which The Seal of Orichalcos would be used. I wasn't wrong.**_

_**Maybe I kind of even expected a Fiend Deck. Again, I wasn't wrong.**_

_**However…**_

_**The biggest part of this whole situation…**_

_**Is something that NO duelist could have ever expected.**_

_**And right now… Well, I'm starting to expect a lot of other things, most of them very unpleasant…**_

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

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**Ultimate Obedient Fiend**

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_Saturday, October 2nd, 2106, 5:24 PM_

As the afternoon slowly turned into evening, the three Chosen Ones were at a table on the Green.

"He tried to get _you_ to play the Seal?" asked Trisha with a laugh. "Who'd be dumb enough to do that?"

Jason took The Eye of Timaeus from his side deck and looked at it intently.

"Trisha, somehow, I don't really think it's all that funny…" he muttered.

He stared at the card.

"And he doesn't seem to think so either…"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Somehow he's trying to tell me something…" he answered. "Not with words yet, but with some sort of feeling…"

Trisha turned back to a catalogue.

"Immortal of Thunder…" she read. "Imperial Order, Imperia… No Russell, there's no card in here called Impact Revive."

"Must have been some sort of custom card," muttered Russell. "He said someone named Dartz used it. Odds are that this Dartz guy, whoever he is, is the key to something somehow…"

Valon, Alister, and Raphael were listening behind them, unseen as always, and words couldn't describe how upset one of them was…

"Maybe you should go tell them…" said Valon to Raphael.

"And do what?" asked Raphael. "Ruin Yugi's reputation?"

There was a pause.

"Good point…" answered Valon.

"Well, at least Russell didn't play it…" said Alister with a shrug. "All's well that ends well, eh?"

"Yeah, well I was scared!" snapped Raphael. "I even tried to grab that thing out of his hand… But I couldn't… It had some sort of protection spell on it. They must have guessed I'd try something."

"All's well that ends well!" repeated Alister. "His plan didn't work, and those three goons will likely think twice before…"

He stopped short.

"WATCH OUT!" he screamed to the three teenagers.

They fell off their benches, and heard something strike the center of the table.

They slowly got up and saw what it was…

A nasty-looking dagger had been embedded in the table, and impaled on it were three Duel Monster cards and a folded piece of paper.

"Uh…" muttered Trisha.

Jason grabbed the dagger and yanked it out of the table.

He turned white…

The three cards impaled on it were Vorse Raider, Nanobreaker, and Freed the Matchless General.

"Lovely…" muttered Jason, sarcastically. "_That's_ a subtle hint…"

"More like a challenge…" said Trisha.

He took the note. On it was written a simple sentence:

_Be at a computer online at seven o'clock._

"Well…" said Russell. "It can't hurt…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At six-fifty-seven, all three of them were in Jason's dorm room, and he was seated at his computer with the two of them watching.

They kept their eyes on the clock on the screen.

Slowly, it moved to six-fifty-eight…

Then to six-fifty-nine…

"Your firewall and anti-virus protection are up to date, right?" asked Trisha.

He nodded.

At seven o'clock on the dot, the ring that signaled the arrival of an instant message appeared.

**Puppeteer2B wishes to chat,** said the message on the screen.

"Puppeteer2B?" asked Russell. "What kind of online name is that?"

Jason clicked on it.

"Let's find out…" he said.

"_Who is this?"_ he typed.

"**_The Puppeteer of Death,"_** came the response.

Jason paused.

"_Interesting name,"_ he replied.

"**_It suits me,"_** was the response.

Jason typed again.

"_What do you want?"_

Whoever was on the other end started typing a long message.

"**_I'm someone who would have gotten to know you eventually, and there's no time like present. I have a deal to make._**

_**I can give you some valuable information about the strange phantasms that have been plaguing you and your fellow students. However, in return, I want a duel once that is done.**_

_**If you dare, meet me on the roof of the Milford Plaza Hotel at eleven. I'll be waiting."**_

The message vanished.

"The Milford Plaza…" said Trisha. "The best hotel on Broadway…"

They looked at each other.

"We dare!" they all said at once.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Broadway…

The most glamorous and ritziest part of the city, just off of Time's Square, the practical center of New York.

This was the tourist center of the city, and the hotels, restaurants, and theaters were all top notch.

As the night moved closer to midnight, clouds started to move in. People on the streets below grew worried, fearing rain…

…but few knew what was about to happen on the roof of Broadway's best hotel…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was almost eleven when the doorway to the roof of the Milford Plaza opened, and three teenagers holding Duel Disks walked onto the spacious place. The Plaza wasn't the type of building where one comes to the roof often, so décor wasn't much. Ventilation shafts and antennae were the only things up here.

"So, when's the… Puppeteer getting here?" asked Russell.

A single Duel Monsters card fluttered down and landed at their feet.

Russell picked it up.

Mysterious Puppeteer.

"All right…" said Russell, placing it in his jacket, "are you going to come out, or are we going to play games all night?"

He seemed to appear out of the shadows themselves – the man in the strange costume, hat, and odd mask covering his mouth and nose.

"Nice threads…" said Trisha with a smile. "Where'd you get them, a circus supply store?"

"Actually, yes," said the Puppeteer. "This was more or less the costume I wore when I did a ventriloquist act for a small circus. I added the mask later for show…"

"So, you're some out-of-work carnie…" muttered Jason. "I'm so frightened…"

The Puppeteer stared at him.

"The last time I worked at a circus…" he said, "was well over a century ago…"

They stared at him.

"Oo-kay…" answered Jason. "Maybe now I'm a _little_ frightened…"

"Yes, circus life was good," said the Puppeteer. "I got to travel, see the world, perform for people who found such things entertaining. But I wanted more… adventure, thrills… a bigger paycheck. So I did some research, and learned some things…

"Dark things… Frightening things…

"I delved into the occult, and learned how to summon… Specters…"

"Specters?" said Trisha. "Okay, now I'm freaked out…"

"Well, it was just a few minor manifestations at first…" continued the Puppeteer, "harmless little poltergeists who couldn't do anything but make noises. But then I was hired by Maximillion Pegasus. He wanted a special specter, so he boosted my abilities with his Millennium Eye.

"What he wanted was an opponent for Yugi to face in his Duelist Kingdom, a special one. He wanted me to channel Seto Kaiba's dark side… his evil self which Yugi had banished in their first confrontation.

"The plan was that this specter would defeat Yugi, not only through psychological warfare by posing as Kaiba's restless, undead spirit, but with Kaiba's powerful deck, which Pegasus had stolen.

"But things went… wrong. First, we didn't count on the real Kaiba interfering. He wasn't going to let anyone beat Yugi who wasn't him, and certainly not some imposter who had stolen his cards. The meddler actually hacked into Pegasus's system and sabotaged the dueling station where the duel was taking place…

"Not only did that give Yugi an advantage for a moment, I was… distracted, and couldn't keep up the façade. Yugi saw the specter's true face.

"I figured it didn't matter – it was still using Kaiba's deck, and if Yugi lost, Pegasus would still get what he wanted. So rather than abort the plan – like I would have done if I had been smart – I told the creature to keep dueling.

"Unfortunately, I underestimated Yugi on several factors. Dueling skill, craftiness, and magical power. In those days, I was far from the only one who foolishly underestimated him. He not only won the duel, he used his own Millennium Item to destroy the specter once he had…

"I was connected to that creature though a path of mental energy. When it was destroyed, my body was struck with a massive dose of Shadow magic…

"Darkness consumed my body and my mind… Was I still among the living? Apparently, Pegasus didn't think so, because he had my body disposed of… He didn't think much of it. It was one failed plan, and he had plenty more. And I was one less employee that had to be paid."

"This is creepy…" said Trisha.

"If you think it's creepy, Trisha, think how I must feel," answered the Puppeteer. "For what must have been decades, my mind drifted in the ether, neither alive nor dead, and barely conscious.

"Eventually, a powerful individual whose identity I won't reveal created a new body, a duplicate of my old one, and drew my essence into it. What you see before isn't truly flesh, but shadows made solid.

"From that point on, I was a specter myself, but I could now be the Master Specter. With my old powers increased tenfold, I gained the ability to call forth the dark sides of deceased duelists from the past. You've met many of them so far…"

He paused.

"That's the how," muttered Russell. "Now we get to the why. Exactly why did you decide to cast such black magic and bring the spirits of the dead back to haunt the living?"

"Why?" asked the Puppeteer.

He stared at Russell for a few seconds.

He made a shrug.

"Why not?"

There was a long pause.

"That's your reason?" asked Russell. "'Why not?' That's not a good reason…"

"Put yourself in my shoes, Russell," said the specter. "I'm a regular Rip Van Winkle. My true life ended a hundred years ago. Everything and everyone I once knew is gone. The world I live in is a different and strange place… And my body doesn't function like it once did. I don't eat, I don't sleep, most forms of entertainment don't amuse me.

"I had to find a way to cope. So when I was brought back, the one who did so needed use of my talents, and frankly, I didn't have anything better to do. What else could someone like me do in this world? Find a new job?

"I mean, what would I put on my resume? Previous experiences: Using the black arts to call spirits? Reason for leaving old job: Miscast evil spell? If I went back to a circus, I'd scare the kids away.

"Frankly, I'm in a bad situation, and I'm making the most of it. Besides, I like what I'm doing. If nothing else, it gives meaning to my new life…

"Without the Orichalcos, my new life would be meaningless."

He paused for a second.

"By the way, you might be wondering who Dartz was, since Cassius blabbed out that name…" he added. "We aren't scared to tell you – we have nothing but contempt for him. I'll tell you that he was the biggest egotist who ever lived.

"One hundred years ago, he _thought_ that he was the one in charge of the first Orichalcos organization. He never realized that the one who was truly in charge was playing him for a fool and using him. Dartz wanted to destroy the world and remake it in his own image, but other plans were being made behind his back…

"He thought that his personal strategy was perfect. His whole deck of cards seemed unbeatable. His Monsters could not be destroyed or defeated so long as the Seal stood, and he had two additional Seals that gave him added powers.

"The fool didn't know that those two additional Seals had fine print on them that he couldn't read, thanks to the true source of their power. If he had won the final duel with the Pharaoh, the Orichalcos would have taken both of them. That was, of course, the true plan…"

They all stared at each other for a minute.

"Unfortunately, the King of Games threw a major monkey wrench into it. He actually found a way to destroy the Seal, something that the Master believed was truly impossible. Apparently, it wasn't. I guess _nothing_ in this world is impossible. I'm living proof of that.

"Not only was the Pharaoh victorious, Dartz was spared, every soul that the Orichalcos had taken was freed, and the Master's plans were completely ruined. A new set of plans had to be started from scratch, which have taken a whole century to put to fruition.

"The specters I have created were only cannon fodder in that plan…"

"And they've given us nothing but trouble…" said Russell. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, Puppeteer of Death, but these hauntings end tonight."

"Only if one of you can defeat me…" replied the Puppeteer.

He raised his arm, and a strange Disk appeared on it. Again, it wasn't the standard Orichalcos Disk… It was bronze, and the tray somewhat resembled the wing of a bat.

The Puppeteer produced a deck and started to shuffle.

"You've had a great deal of luck so far, Chosen Ones," he said, "but tonight…"

He placed the deck in his Disk.

"…it ends…"

"Enough talk!" snapped Russell. "You want a duel, I'll be happy to oblige. I'll take you down just like all the others!"

He stood to face the specter and his Disk activated.

"You'll soon see," said the Puppeteer, "that I'm not like the others."

"DUEL!" they both shouted.

"Atten… shun!" shouted Russell.

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Puppeteer of Death: 8,000)**

Thunder rolled…

"You may make the first move," said the specter.

"I will…" said Russell, drawing his first hand.

He threw a card on his Disk.

"I summon Axe Raider, in Attack Mode!"

The armored barbarian holding his axe appeared. (1,700/1,150)

"Next, I'll place two cards facedown, and end my turn."

He played the two cards, and they appeared behind Axe Raider.

"Interesting…" said the Puppeteer.

He drew a sixth card, and then placed one on his Disk.

"I summon Gil Garth in Attack Mode," he said.

An aura of darkness drifted onto the field, and a spooky form rose up. It was an evil looking creature made of metal, hunched over and holding a wicked-looking sword. It had no face, and yet it glared at Russell. (1,800/1,200)

"Oh, a Fiend…" muttered Russell, sarcastically. "_What_ a surprise…"

"From what I can see, he's a Fiend with 1,800 Attack Points," said the Puppeteer, "and that's exactly one-hundred points stronger than your Axe Raider. Gil Garth… attack with doom blade."

Gil Garth raised its sword and flew at Axe Raider.

A grin appeared on Axe Raider's face.

"I activate… Reinforcements!" exclaimed Russell, as his Trap Card lifted. "It gives 500 more Attack Points to one Monster on the field. So who's stronger now?"

Axe Raider's Attack Score rose up to 2,200. As Gil Garth swung with his sword, the Warrior caught it with his free hand…

Then he slashed his axe into the creature's "skull", and it blew to pieces.

"Ergh…" muttered the Puppeteer. "That wasn't supposed to happen…"

He dropped a card into his Disk.

"I'll end with one card facedown," he said.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (PoD: 7,600)**

"My draw!" said Russell, drawing a card.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Queen's Knight in Attack Mode," he said.

Queen's Knight appeared on the field. (1,500/1,600)

"You activated my Trap," said the Puppeteer, as his Trap Card lifted. "Selection of Ark."

The Trap Card was a new one to Russell. The art showed Noah's Ark under a cloudy sky.

"What does that do?" he asked.

"This Trap is activated when you summon a Monster whose Type matches that of a Monster who is already on the field," started the Puppeteer, "which you did because both those Monsters are Warriors. Then I pay 1,000 Life Points…

"And as a result… Queen's Knight dies."

A blast of energy shot from the Trap Card, striking Queen's Knight! She screamed in pain, and then was blown to pieces.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled the Puppeteer. "This would have worked against Trisha too, in case you didn't notice. Bottomless Trap Hole only works on Monsters with at least 1,500 Attack Points. The regular Trap Hole, 1,000 or more. But this card works on _anything_ if you're facing the right opponent."

"Seems this guy is no slouch…" said Jason.

"Don't worry," said Trisha. "He still has Axe Raider."

"Right…" growled Russell. "Axe Raider, attack directly!"

Axe Raider lifted his axe and leapt at the Puppeteer, slamming his axe into his chest. The specter grunted and staggered backwards.

"That's my turn…" said Russell. "Want more?"

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (PoD: 4,900)**

"Yes…" said the Puppeteer, drawing a card.

He added it to his hand and chose another one.

"No more fooling around," he said.

A Field Slot opened on his odd Disk.

"I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"

Lightning flashed, and both Jason and Trisha were thrown back as the evil Field materialized.

"He had that card in his hand from the start!" gasped Trisha. "He was just toying with Russell!"

"You guys catch on fast," said the Puppeteer, who was now sporting the cursed symbol on his forehead.

Russell glared at his foe.

"I thought you guys couldn't use the Seal," he said. "None of your… specters have."

"You have to have your soul with you to use the Seal," said the Puppeteer. "The lesser specters don't have theirs with them. But as the Master Specter, I have mine, and I'm fully capable of using it.

"Next, I will place one card facedown, and also a Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared.

"The countdown to your demise begins in earnest. I end my turn."

Russell drew a card.

"Axe Raider, attack his facedown Monster!" he shouted.

Axe Raider charged…

A slimy, purple sphere covered with filth appeared on the card, and burst.

Purple gas started to cover Russell's side of the field, and he started to cough.

"What the…" he sputtered.

"That was a Giant Germ, Russell," said the Puppeteer. "Since you destroyed it, not only do you lose 500 Life Points, but I get to summon two more from my deck."

Two more Giant Germs appeared. (1,000/100) –) (1,500/100)

"Fine…" muttered Russell, wiping away the residue. "I end my turn…"

**(R: 7,500) -------------------- (PoD: 4,900)**

The Puppeteer drew a card.

"I activate Call of the Haunted," he said, as his Trap Card lifted.

Gil Garth rematerialized, and the Seal formed on its forehead. (1,800/1,200) –) (2,300/1,200)

"Well, let's see…" said the Puppeteer. "I could attack with all my Monsters and deal you 3,600 Life Points of damage this round…"

He took a card from his hand.

"…but where would be the fun in that?"

He held up a card.

Lightning flashed…

"I know that for a guy like me, a Fiend Deck seems a natural," he said. "But actually, I had a reason for using this theme other than personality.

"I sacrifice _all three_ of my Fiends to summon my ultimate weapon…"

Lightning flashed again…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Dr. Artemis sat at her desk with her chin on her hands.

She was startled, as a feeling rushed through her… She stood up.

She turned to the window, and lightning flashed again.

"A force of darkness has been unleashed…" she said. "Unholy energy… Something has been created that shouldn't have…

"Evil unlike any the world has seen in decades…

"Whoever you are that is facing it…

"God help you…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The creature that stood before Russell – all thirty feet of it – was something that his mind told him should not be there…

Something that could not possibly be in any duelist's deck…

Something that had been buried, and was never to see the light of day again…

Standing thirty feet tall, it had a rough, muscular hide the color of slate. Its huge feet ended in talons, and its giant arms ended in claws. From its back grew enormous, bat-like wings. It demonic face had a plated forehead, and its mouth was fixed in what seemed to be a permanent frown, and full of razor-sharp teeth.

From a distance, one might have mistaken it for Obelisk the Tormentor… But up close, it was clear that this was actually the evil counterpart of that divine being of Light…

It raised its arms, and let out a great bellow…

(4,000/4,000) –) (4,500/4,000)

"How?" gasped Jason. "How can you have Raviel, Lord of Phantasms?"

"Jaden took the Sacred Beasts down," whispered Trisha. "Way down…"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh," said the Puppeteer. "Well, I promised you all answers, so before I take this duel by storm, I might as well explain myself.

"First and foremost, how can I have Raviel in my deck?

"Answer: I can't.

"This isn't the real Raviel. Using powerful magic supplied by my benefactor, I constructed a counterfeit version of this Sacred Beast, with all the powers and strength of the original."

"A counterfeit Sacred Beast?" asked Russell. "I've seen people do some dangerous things in the past, but this ranks up there with performing brain surgery on yourself!"

"I'm hardly worried," said the Puppeteer. "And we have big plans. _Very_ big plans. Once more power is gained with the souls taken by the Orichalcos, I'll use the magic to create my own versions of Hamon and Uria as well…"

"You're insane!" shouted Russell. "The real Sacred Beasts will get angry! They might be imprisoned, but they'll find a way to strike from where they are, and…"

"But that's the beauty of it…" said the Puppeteer. "I'll combine the Seal with the three doppelgangers to defeat every duelist I come across, and with each soul taken, more power will be gained, which will flow into the cards. Once all three of my cards gain even more power, I'll use their might to claim the _real_ Sacred Beasts."

"No…" gasped Trisha.

"The Sacred Beasts must never be freed!" shouted Jason. "They'll consume every card on Earth… Duel Monsters will cease to exist!"

"I don't plan on using them to duel once I have them," answered the Puppeteer. "I have another purpose in mind for them, but that I will not reveal, on the off chance that any of you leave this rooftop intact. But they will be mine…"

"Over my dead body!" cursed Russell.

"Very well, Russell," said the Puppeteer. "I can arrange that. Raviel… Attack the Axe Raider with shivering scraper."

The enormous Fiend lunged with its claw…

"Hold on!" shouted Russell. "I activate… Ready For Intercepting!"

His Trap Card lifted, and Axe Raider transformed into a facedown card.

Raviel's claw struck the card, crushing him.

"So I don't take any damage at all…" said Russell.

"Brilliant…" said the Puppeteer. "But now your side is clear, and I know you don't even have a Monster who's this powerful."

"We'll see…" said Russell, drawing a card. "The bigger they are, the louder they cry to their mommies when they get punched!"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Reinforcement of the Army, to bring Marauding Captain to my hand," he said.

"Go ahead," said the Puppeteer. "Do you think I'm afraid of him?"

"Let's find out," said Russell. "I summon him to the field…"

Marauding Captain appeared, and glared at the huge Fiend without fear.

"…and I'll use his effect to summon my second Marauding Captain."

The Captain let out a whistle, and then motioned with his hand. His twin walked out onto the field, and stood beside him. (1,200/400 x2)

"Now… huh?"

A black flame appeared on the Puppeteer's side of the field.

"What's that?" asked Russell.

"This may not be the real Raviel," said the Puppeteer, "but it may as well be the real one, because it has all of the real one's powers. For instance, whenever you Normal Summon a Monster, it creates one Phantasm Token on my side of the field."

A man-sized version of Raviel appeared. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000)

"I can't attack with it, but it has other uses," he continued.

"You can't attack at all, due to my Captain Lock," said Russell. "So make your move."

"A mere annoyance for now…" said the Puppeteer, drawing a card. "I believe I'll simply pass for this turn…"

Russell drew a card.

"I summon Command Knight in Attack Mode," he said.

Command Knight appeared in a burst of flame. She nodded to the two Captains. (1,200/1,900)

All three Warriors rose to an Attack of 1,600.

"That means I get another token," said the Puppeteer, as another one appeared in a black flame.

"Well, you can't attack, but I can," said Russell. "Captains, smash his tokens!"

The two Marauding Captains charged forward, and slashed the Phantasm Tokens in two.

**(R: 7,500) -------------------- (PoD: 4,700)**

"And you still can't attack any of my Warriors," he added, "since Command Knight can't be attacked if I have at least one other Monster on my side of the field."

The Puppeteer drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed…" he said.

The evil jar appeared, and he drew two cards.

"Now I can defeat your Captain Lock," he said. "I play this Spell Card… Evil Fog."

Raviel's eyes glowed, and a dark mist started to cover the field… A misty skull appeared in it…

Command Knight and the two Captains drew back nervously… And then they fell over, choking!

"What's happening?" shouted Russell.

"When Evil Fog is played, I choose one Fiend or Thunder Monster on my side of the field, and all Monsters on your side who have fewer level stars die.

"Unfortunately for your three Warriors, Raviel is a Fiend, and he has ten stars."

The three Warriors gave a last gasp, and then shattered.

"However, I can't attack on the round I use this card, so I'll end my turn there."

"Do something Russell…" moaned Trisha.

"This is unreal…" muttered Jason. "He's not only managed to create a carbon copy of one of the strongest Monsters ever created, he's using some of the most lethal Spells and Traps ever made. All that's missing is Lightning Vortex."

"Come on guys!" shouted Russell. "Don't give him ideas!"

He drew a card.

"I play a Monster in Defense Mode…" he said, placing a card on his Disk.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And one card facedown," he continued.

A facedown card appeared.

"Your move."

The Puppeteer drew a card.

"Raviel, attack," he ordered.

The Lord of Phantasms lunged forward.

"I activate… Shadow Spell!" shouted Russell.

Huge chains sprang up from the ground, and bound the huge Fiend! It roared, and its Attack Score fell to 3,800.

"Bah!" grunted the Puppeteer.

"Now, let's take care of this…" said Russell.

_I only have one Monster in my deck that can bring down this thing…_ he thought. _Come on deck…_

He drew…

_YES!_

"I flip-summon Big Shield Gardna…" he said.

The card flipped up, and Gardna appeared. (100/2,600)

"Next, I play Command Offensive," he continued. "Now, I can sacrifice Gardna for Freed the Matchless General, and we both draw twice."

Gardna vanished, and Freed appeared. (2,300/1,700)

Both of them drew two cards.

"And finally, I summon Exiled Force!"

The disheveled band of Warriors appeared. (1,000/1,000)

"That means I get another token," said the Puppeteer, as another one appeared.

"Like it will matter," answered Russell. "I sacrifice Exiled Force, to take down Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!"

Exiled Force faded into a gang of spirits, and they flew into the huge Fiend! It groaned, and then fell on one knee…

And then it exploded into shards of blue rock!

"YAY!" cheered Trisha.

"Way to go!" shouted Jason.

"Well…" said Russell. "The only thing left to do is take out that last token… Freed, do the honors…"

The Matchless General leapt up, and sliced the Phantasm Token in half. It shattered.

**(R: 7,500) -------------------- (PoD: 3,900)**

"So, what are you gonna do now?" asked Russell. "Your trump is gone."

There was a long pause. The specter stared at him.

"Heh, heh, heh…" he finally said. "That is funny. Did you really think that one card could destroy Raviel for good? That one card would be the end of it?"

"Well… yeah…" said Russell. "The Sacred Beasts are NOMIs. You can't summon them from the Graveyard."

"My draw…" said the Puppeteer.

He drew a card.

"That may be true," he said, nodding, "but I'm well prepared for that."

"I play Monster Reincarnation…"

He played a Spell Card, and then discarded a card.

"Oh, no!" gasped Jason. "Now he can discard a card to bring a Monster from the Graveyard to his hand!"

"Any Monster at all," added the Puppeteer, showing them the Raviel card.

"Next, I place these three cards facedown…"

He fit three cards into slots.

"And then… I play Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and a fierce wind whipped across the field. His three cards – all three the same Trap Card – lifted up and shattered.

"Oh, geeze…" said Trisha.

Three menacing creatures that looked like crosses between bugs and serpents wearing crowns rose up in front of the Puppeteer. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000 x3)

"Statue of the Wicked…" muttered Jason. "They create Wicked Tokens when they're destroyed."

"Exactly…" said the Puppeteer. "And since Wicked Tokens are classified as Fiends, I can sacrifice them…"

The three Wicked Tokens were consumed by fire and vanished.

"…to summon Raviel once again."

The giant Fiend appeared once more. (4,000/4,000) –) (4,500/4,000)

"Attack his general," shouted the specter. "Shivering scraper."

Raviel slammed down with his claw, and Freed was thrown backwards in pain before he was blasted apart.

**(R: 5,300) -------------------- (PoD: 3,900)**

"I'll place one card facedown," said the Puppeteer, "and that will be my turn…"

Russell looked at him.

He looked at his deck.

_Here goes nothing…_ he thought.

He drew.

"This ends now, Puppeteer!" he shouted.

He played a card.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive, to bring Marauding Captain back to my hand…"

He played the card, and retrieved Marauding Captain.

"Then I'll summon Marauding Captain, and use his effect to summon King's Knight!"

The two Warriors appeared, side by side. (1,200/400), (1,600/1,500)

"And finally… I play The Claw of Hermos!"

He threw the card on his Disk, and the lightning reached a crescendo. Hermos flew from out of the clouds, and landed behind the two Warriors.

"Now, Hermos, merge with King's Knight once again to form the Monarch's Mask!"

The Warrior and the Dragon combined, and the golden mask formed. Marauding Captain took it, and it appeared on his face, his eyes glowed…

Marauding Captain glared at Raviel. His Attack rose to 2,200.

"And now…" said Russell.

"Sorry to rain on your parade…" interrupted the Puppeteer.

His facedown card lifted.

The card was a hideous image of a demon draining the energy from a woman who was chained down, and writhing in pain.

"That's a Card of Sin!" gasped Russell.

"Indeed… a very powerful one…" replied the Puppeteer. "One I included to defeat any creation of your Dragons that you could three could come up with.

"It's a Trap called Orichalcos Absorption. I simply have to pay half my Life Points, and I get to sacrifice one of your Monsters…"

Marauding Captain vanished.

"And even better, his base Attack Score gets added to one of my Monsters. Naturally, I choose Raviel."

Raviel's Attack rose to 5,700!

"Well…" said the Puppeteer. "For someone who was so sure of himself a minute ago… You don't seem so sure of yourself now…"

Russell looked at the rest of his cards.

He just stared at the Puppeteer for a few seconds.

"I'll take your silence as a confirmation that that's all you can do…" said the Puppeteer, drawing a card.

"NO!" screamed Trisha.

She pounded on the wall of the Seal.

"RUSSELL!"

"Well," said the Puppeteer, "just to make the last part of this more agonizing, I'll activate Raviel's other effect. I'll sacrifice my token, and for one round only, Raviel gains its Attack Points."

Raviel grabbed the token, and glared at it, draining it dry, and tossing aside dusty remains. Its Attack rose to 7,200.

"And now…" said the Puppeteer.

"Can I say one thing?" said Russell, softly.

The Puppeteer glared at him.

"Make it quick," he answered.

Russell turned to Jason and Trisha.

"Guys…" he said, "whatever happens here, don't let this make you lose hope. The war must continue, and I have faith that it will be won.

"I couldn't win, but learn from what has happened. Remember what he did, and try to find a weakness.

"You have to beat him…"

"Enough!" shouted the Puppeteer. "Raviel, attack directly!"

Russell screamed an unearthly scream as the faux Lord of Phantasms swiped at him with his mighty claw…

**(R: 0) -------------------- (PoD: 1,950)**

Russell crawled to his knees as the Seal started to glow. The evil specter walked up to him.

"I can hold back the Seal for a few seconds…" chuckled the Puppeteer. "Long enough for you to see me take that card you're so fond of…"

Rage filled Russell's eyes.

He took The Claw of Hermos out of his discard slot.

"Don't count on it, freak-face!" he yelled. "Jason! Trisha! Catch!"

He hurled the card, and it pierced through the Seal! Trisha desperately caught the precious card.

"Don't let him… get it…" muttered Russell, and the Seal shrank. "Avenge… me…"

He collapsed.

Tears formed in Jason and Trisha's eyes.

Then they noticed that Raviel had not left the field.

"You'd best hand over that card," said the Puppeteer.

"He never wagered it!" screamed Trisha.

"I don't care," said the fiend. "Hand it over, or Raviel will take it."

The huge Fiend lumbered towards them…

Almost by instinct, Jason and Trisha pulled the top cards off of their decks…

The Eye of Timaeus and The Fang of Critias glowed in front of them…

They threw the cards on their Disks, and lightning flashed more violently than ever. From out of the sky, the emerald dragon and the sapphire one, now burning with anger, flew down…

They breathed burning energy at the huge Fiend, and Raviel screamed! Explosions rocked over its hide, and it burst into fragments!

The Puppeteer hollered as pieces of what had once been the Lord of Phantasms rained down on him…

"You're next!" yelled Trisha.

The specter's eyes widened in horror…

"Fine!" shouted the Puppeteer. "Keep the damn thing! I didn't want it _that_ bad! At least I have his Chosen!"

He turned and ran, and then vanished into the shadows.

The dragons vanished.

Trisha knelt before Russell's body.

"No…" she sobbed. "How could this have happened…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

An hour later, the Puppeteer approached Fortunado, holding an ice pack to his head.

"One down, two to go…" he said, holding up the card that held Russell prisoner. "It could have done without this migraine they gave me, but…"

"Excellent…" said Fortunado, taking it.

"Now just dispose of him like you do all the others," muttered the Puppeteer, "and we'll have one less enemy to worry about."

Fortunado took the card…

He gestured, and black flames surrounded it…

"Goodbye, Russell Majors…" he said.

Then the black flames were replaced by a golden aura…

"Huh?" said Fortunado.

Then he screamed in pain and dropped the card!

He held his hand for a minute…

"My hand…" he groaned.

Then he carefully picked up the card.

It glowed with golden light.

"Well?" said the Puppeteer. "Get rid of him. I worked hard enough to get this far, you know…"

Fortunado concentrated.

"Master?" he whispered.

He waited a few seconds.

There was no response.

He concentrated again. The black flames surrounded it again…

Then it burned with golden fire! He screamed and dropped it again!

He slowly inched towards it and picked it up.

"Like sticking my hand into a furnace!" he gasped.

He looked at it.

"I don't think I'll tempt fate by trying to do that again…"

"What's the problem?" asked the Puppeteer.

"I can't do it…" muttered Fortunado. "Hermos apparently won't let his Chosen perish so easily… The card is emitting holy energy that's countering my magic. I can't even communicate with the Master when I'm holding this…

"Hermos apparently sensed that Russell was about to lose, and cast some sort of ward on him just in time…"

He glared at the Puppeteer.

"I'm starting to think that Russell's little goodbye to his friends was actually his way of buying time so that Hermos could do it!

"He's not going to let what happened to Joey happen to this Chosen One…"

"How could the Dragons do _that_?" shouted the Puppeteer.

Fortunado walked up to a picture in the wall, and moved it aside, revealing a safe.

"Do the math," he grumbled. "The Orichalcos evolved over the past century and learned new tricks. Just the same, the Legendary Dragons evolved over the past century and learned new tricks.

"Apparently, Hermos is using all of his energy to preserve Russell's soul. He's anticipating a rescue attempt."

"Take it to the Master personally, then," groaned the Puppeteer.

"Right…" snarled Fortunado. "That's probably just what Hermos wants me to do! Who knows what other hexes he put on Russell? Do you have any idea what might happen if his holy magic invaded the inner sanctum?

"We're going to have to get rid of Hermos before we can get rid of Russell. And I don't know how we can do that. Maybe if _something_ had gotten the card…"

"I tried my best…" muttered the Puppeteer.

Fortunado placed the card in the safe.

"Well, next time," he said, slamming the door, "try harder!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Long after midnight…

Russell's body had been tenderly placed in the infirmary, while Dr. Artemis wondered just how this new threat would be dealt with. She hoped beyond hope that it wasn't too late for Russell.

What would she tell his parents?

And in the darkness, Sersei crept into the infirmary. She sat beside Russell's bed…

And she broke down into great sobs…

_Sunday, October 3rd, 2106, 2:10 AM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SELECTION OF ARK (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Counter  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Noah's Ark, on land, with storm clouds forming overhead.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your opponent Normal Summons, Flip-Summons, or Special Summons a Monster of the same Type as one that is currently face-up on the field. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Destroy the summoned Monster.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**EVIL FOG (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A dark mist, forming a skull in the center.

**Card Description:** You can only use this card during your first Main Phase. Select one FIEND or THUNDER-Type Monster on your side of the field. All face-up Monsters on your opponent's side of the field with fewer level stars than the selected Monster are destroyed. You must skip your Battle Phase on the turn in which you use this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GIL GARTH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,800  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description:** _An extermination machine protected by iron armor. Without mercy, he'll attack with his giant katana._

_Note: "Selection of Ark", "Evil Fog", and "Gil Garth" are Japanese promotional cards that have not yet been released in the United States. ("Evil Fog" will likely be given a new name if it ever is, but until then, I'll call it by the original name.)_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ORICHALCOS ABSORPTION (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin:** Gluttony

**Image:** A fiendish creature sucking the power out of a woman who is chained down and writhing in pain.

**Card Description:** Pay half your Life Points. Tribute one opposing Monster. Permanently increase the ATK of one of your face-up Monsters by an amount equal to the base ATK of the Tributed Monster.

**0**

**0**

**0**

_**Next chapter…**_

_**Russell's fate hangs not in the hands of the Chosen of Timaeus or Critias, but in the girl who has secretly loved him for some time. Sersei vows to win his soul back, even if she must risk her own to do so. But this time, she's going in prepared, with a little help from a guest star. **_

_**This is not the beginning… This is not the end… But this is the end of the beginning.**_

**_Don't miss "Hero Heart", coming soon._**


	31. Hero Heart

_**My name is Sersei Rhineheart, and I have a confession to make…**_

_**I'm in love with Russell Majors. **_

_**Every time I see him duel, I get excited by his powerful voice, his strong muscles, and his courage. He's everything I always wanted in a man...**_

_**Recently, I was attacked. I was lured into a duel by someone using an evil card, and I was taken hostage. The place they put me was cold, dark, and lonely, but when I was let out, it eased the pain to find that I was in Russell's arms.**_

_**And now… The same thing has happened to him.**_

_**Russell…**_

_**I may not be as skilled, or have the special card you have…**_

…_**but I will save you…**_

…_**or I'll lose my soul again trying.**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Hero Heart**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Sunday, October 3rd, 2106, 2:35 AM_

How long she sobbed, Sersei didn't know. She wanted Russell to wake up, hoping it was only temporary, but knowing that he wouldn't only made her cry more.

And then finally, a stern female voice came out the darkness.

"Stop blubbering, honey. Do grown girls cry?"

Sersei looked up.

A woman was in front of her, nearly transparent. She looked young, about early twenties, with large, deep, violet eyes, and long, wavy blonde hair. She wore a halter covered with a violet jacket, and a short, violet skirt.

"Mai… Valentine?" stuttered Sersei.

"Mai Valentine-_Wheeler_," answered the ghost. "Most folks forget that part."

"But you're…" started Sersei.

"Dead?" asked Mai. "Oh yeah… I came down from the other side because I thought you needed some help. And I just can't overlook a fellow Harpie Duelist."

"Wow…" said Sersei. "I have so many questions…"

"Stop…" said Mai. "If it's about where I was before I came here, I can't tell you. You can't find out until you die…"

She smiled.

"But as you can see, they give you your youth and beauty back…"

She looked at Russell and sighed. She sat down on the edge of the bed.

"So, the Orichalcos is back…" she said. "I hoped I'd never see that awful thing again…"

"Someone used it on you?" asked Sersei.

Mai paused with a sad face.

"I used it myself…" she muttered.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

What followed was a long and harrowing story, which Sersei found hard to believe.

"After it was over," muttered Mai, "I did some soul searching and traveled the world. I did some dueling to keep my blood flowing. I made friends with Vivian Wong in China, and we teamed up to duel the Paradox Brothers… We beat them good…

"Vivian could be a little spacey at times, but she wasn't a bad duelist… She comboed Rush Recklessly with a Quickplay called Flying Dragon Whirl to cut down Gate Guardian with her Dragon Lady… but they countered with an ugly thing called Dark Guardian.

"Once they destroyed Dragon Lady, I was able to use Phoenix Formation, and the duel was ours…"

She sighed.

"It was a year before I had the courage to face Joey. I intended to simply fall on my knees and beg him to forgive…

"But you know… I didn't have to. Before I could say a word, he just kissed me… deeply. And no more needed to be said.

"Of course, it wasn't over even then. We found out that the Orichalcos had branded me with a curse. But Joey was more than willing to do what he had to do to lift it. When the next crisis reared, he had the opportunity…"

She grinned.

"You know, he always depended on luck, but before he and his two pals officially teamed up, it tended to wane. In Duelist Kingdom, he came in second, right after Yugi. In Battle City, he was fourth. But in the KC Grand Prix, he was taken out in the second round…

"It was during this crisis that he finally got a chance to be the hero…"

"I'm listening…" said Sersei.

"Well, about a year after the thing where he, Yugi, and Seto officially 'teamed up', so to speak," said Mai, "Kaiba started to have trouble with a businessman named Kyodi. Now, all of Domino knew that Kyodi was the leader of the biggest Yakuza crime family in the city, but no one could prove it…

"But Seto eventually came close to being able to. Kyodi wasn't about to let Seto ruin him. Kyodi had his wife kidnapped…

"Then Kyodi called Seto, and told him that since he and his 'accomplices' as he called them liked dueling so much, they would play a game, a scavenger hunt of sorts. Kyodi had many of his henchmen who were able to duel scattered around the city. He told Seto to take Yugi and Joey to a place where they'd find the first. If one of them could win a duel, they'd get the location of the second one… And so on, until they got to Kyodi…

"With Ishizu's life at stake, they had little choice…"

"Ishizu?" asked Sersei.

"Seto's wife…" answered Mai. "She… well, how they fell in love is another story.

"Anyway, the three of them took down Kyodi's men rather easily at first, but it got harder. And eventually, they found Kyodi… In a bunker with Ishizu chained to the wall. From what Joey later told me, he had never seen Kaiba angrier. But Kyodi wouldn't duel him. He told them that he would duel Joey, and if they refused, he would kill Ishizu.

"Joey almost expected it, and he agreed… And he took Kyodi completely by surprise. See, Kyodi thought that Joey had the weakest deck, and his deck was prepared to counter it. But Joey wasn't using his deck for this duel – he was using _mine_. And he secretly dedicated it to me.

"Kyodi was overwhelmed, and was soundly defeated. He tried to escape, but Kaiba had prepared in advance himself – the mobster ran right into the arms of the police."

She chuckled.

"Of course, once I was free from the curse, there was one small thing I wanted to do," continued Mai. "I wanted to duel Yugi once more… As I promised I would when he beat me way back in Duelist Kingdom. He agreed…"

Sersei looked surprised.

"How'd it go?" she asked.

Mai smirked.

"I thought I had him," she said. "He had one card in his hand. His side: Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, Queen's Knight, Beta, and Gazelle in Defense Mode, and 1,100 Life Points left… My side, Harpie Ladies 1, 2, and 3 and Harpie's Baby Pet Dragon, Harpie's Hunting Ground, and 3,000 left…

"His Swords of Revealing Light wore off… I used the Dragon's effect to destroy Beta, and then took out his Monsters with the Harpies… One direct attack from my Dragon would finish him…

"…sadly, the last card in his hand was his Kuriboh.

"Then on his next turn, he played Card of Sanctity. With the cards I got, I drew Phoenix Formation. I thought I'd win for sure…

"But then, he Fusion Summoned his Dark Paladin. With my Dragon there, he had 3,400 Attack Points…

"And he had just enough Life Points left to use one of his other cards – Diffusion-Wave Motion.

"I was beaten."

She sighed.

"But, it didn't hurt as much any more," she continued. "I had all I needed now, and the dueling didn't matter as much."

She looked at Russell.

"But it seems the horror is back…"

Sersei paused.

"I want Russell back…" she muttered. "I'll do whatever it takes… I'll duel anyone. There has to be a way to destroy that Seal…"

"Well, possibly…" answered Mai. "But it takes cards you can't get. But still, the Seal can be defeated… You have to just dispose of it before your opponent plays it."

She reached into Sersei's knapsack.

"This your binder?" she asked.

Sersei nodded, and Mai looked through it.

"This is quite a reversal of roles, you know," said Mai, looking through it. "In fairy tales, the handsome prince always risked life and limb to rescue the beautiful princess from a fierce dragon or evil sorcerer. But now, it's the handsome prince who needs rescuing, so now the beautiful princess is going to do what she can to rescue him."

Sersei blushed.

"You know…" said Mai, looking at a card, "I'm already starting to see a strategy that might work…"

She giggled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At noon the next day, Sersei walked up to a large restaurant in Brooklyn Heights. Mai was close behind her.

The restaurant was a popular sushi joint called Won Ton's.

"You sure she's in here?" asked Sersei.

"Positive," answered Mai. "Now take a deep breath, and go get her…"

Sersei paused for a minute, and then walked in.

Sure enough, Cleo was sitting at the counter, impatiently tapping her fingers on the counter.

"Come on…" she muttered. "You going back to the Yellow Sea to get the fish?"

"Hey! Bitch!" shouted Sersei.

Cleo looked over her shoulder.

"Oh, it's you…" she said with a grin. "Get lost…"

"I don't think so," said Sersei. "I want to deal with you…"

"Get real…" said Cleo, as a waiter set a tray of sushi in front of her. "I have better things to do than mess with losers."

"Loser?" said Sersei. "See the blue blazer? I didn't get to Obelisk by being a loser."

Cleo's cell phone rang.

"Can't even eat lunch in peace…" she muttered, answering it.

"Yeah, hi… You'll never guess… That bimbo that Alphonse caught is here yelling at me. Yeah, she never learns, I guess."

Sersei looked at the piece of sushi that Cleo had her eye on…

Then she took the small jar of greenish mustard, and spread a huge amount of it on the piece with a butter knife. Mai gave her a thumb's up.

Cleo put away the phone.

"Scram!" she snapped. "I'm eating!"

She picked up a pair of chopsticks and lifted the piece to her mouth…

And then her eyes almost popped out of her head. She clutched her throat, and fell to her knees.

She reached for the beverage on the counter… Sersei grinned, and moved it out of her reach.

"Aw…" said Sersei. "Looks like someone put _way_ too much wasabi on that sushi. Now who could have done that?"

Cleo coughed for a minute. Then she got up and stared at her.

"You're either very brave or very stupid, kid," she said, angrily. "I'm going with the latter right now. What do you want?"

"A duel," said Sersei. "And a wager. If I beat you, you let Russell go."

Cleo glared at her.

"You've already been in our dark prison once, Sersei," warned Cleo. "Are you so anxious to go back?"

"I can beat you…" said Sersei.

"That seems unlikely…" said Cleo, picking up her phone again.

She turned and speed-dialed a number.

"Boss?" she said. "Listen…"

Sersei couldn't hear most of the conversation, but after five minutes, Cleo hung up.

"Very well, Sersei," said Cleo. "I'll give you one last chance to simply walk away, and if you do, we can forget this incident ever happened. You have no idea what you're up against here…"

Sersei just glared at her.

"Fine, then," replied Cleo. "I'll duel you if you want… But I fully intend to have the Seal in my deck. If you lose, you find out what happens to Monsters who are used to activate Bazoo the Soul Eater's effect."

_Don't panic…_ thought Sersei, closing her eyes.

"If you win, which you won't, I don't have the authority to release Russell, since I didn't take him. However, since I'll be out of commission if that happens, someone will arrange for a chance to win his release.

"That's the best offer you'll get. Either take it, or..."

She reached into her pocket and took something out. A switchblade.

Sersei nervously stepped back as she replaced it.

"All right…" muttered Sersei. "I agree..."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sersei faced Cleo in the center of the sushi bar. The two Disks activated.

"You know, Sersei," said Cleo, with a sly look, "I think I know why you're doing this… I can read people pretty well. Call it a gift…"

She stared at her.

"You're in love with Russell, aren't you? You have been for some time…

"Touching… But are you willing to risk your soul to get him back? If by some miracle, he returns, what if he rejects you? What would you do then?"

Sersei angrily looked at her.

"It's sad, Cleo," she replied. "I'm beginning to think that the only reason you do these horrible things is because you want to feel… big."

Cleo frowned.

"And what if I do?" she asked. "Let me tell you something, Sersei, when I was poverty-stricken and begging for my next meal, people looked down at me like vermin. I had nothing…

"When Lewis made the offer and I married him, I had money, and I was well-fed, but everyone still looked down on me. I was a sham wife, and people thought I was no better than some fancy car he owned. I was an object, and as far as the big picture was concerned, I was still nothing.

"But you know something? When my boss offered me the Orichalcos, I got the one thing I truly wanted…

"Recognition.

"I was respected. I was appreciated. I was feared. After that, when I walked into a room, people took notice. People knew that if they crossed me, I could force them to duel, and they'd be sentenced to a pit of darkness. I got what I wanted after so long…

"And right now, you're gonna find out why… After this duel is over, you're gonna find out what it's like to be nothing…

"This time, you won't escape."

**(Sersei: 8,000) -------------------- (Cleo: 8,000)**

"This shouldn't take long," continued Cleo, drawing five cards. "To show I'm not so bad, I'll let you move first."

Sersei drew six cards.

_Wow…_ she thought. _I couldn't have asked for a better hand._

She turned to Mai and grinned.

"I'll start with a Spell Card," she said, playing it. "It's called, Topdeck Quiz."

"What does that do?" asked Cleo, annoyed.

"Let me explain," said Sersei. "Each of us names a card. If her opponent has the card she names in her deck, her opponent has to place it on the top of her deck. If she doesn't have it in her deck, she gets to place any card she wants on the top of her deck."

"Sounds interesting…" said Cleo, with a smirk.

"And since I played it, I get to name one first," said Sersei. "The card I name is…"

She paused.

"…The Seal of Orichalcos."

Cleo looked dumbfounded.

A loud "ding" came from her Disk.

"That means you have it," said Cleo. "So put it on the top of your deck."

"Why would you _want_ me to put that on top of my deck?" asked Cleo, searching through her deck. "Don't you know what it does?"

She placed it on the top of her deck.

"Well, now I get to name a card," she said with a smile. "And I'll name the card in your deck that's the most useless – Harpie's Pet Dragon."

A "buzz" sounded from Sersei's Disk.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" said Sersei, "but I'm afraid that card isn't in my deck. Like you said, it's rather useless nowadays, especially with Baby Pet Dragon, so I took it out."

Cleo frowned.

"So now," said Sersei, looking through her deck, "I get to place any card I want on top."

She found what she wanted, and placed it on top of her deck.

"Still my move…" she continued. "Next, I'll place two cards facedown…"

She fit two cards into her Disk, and they materialized.

"And then, I'll summon my Sonic Shooter in Attack Mode."

In a gust of wind, a bird-man with silvery skin and large, silver wings appeared, his head crowned by a feathered plume. He crouched down, ready to pounce. (1,300/600)

"Scared yet?" asked Sersei.

"Ha!" laughed Cleo. "Scared of THAT? Don't make me laugh!"

"Then I end my turn," said Sersei.

"And I start mine!" laughed Cleo. "Look out, because here it comes!"

She snatched the card off of her deck...

"I activate… Drop Off!" shouted Sersei.

Her Trap Card lifted.

"Drop Off?" gasped Cleo.

"It sends that card straight to the Graveyard," said Sersei. "_Now_ do you see why I put it on top?"

Cleo smirked, and discarded it.

"You think you're so smart…" she said. "But you haven't won yet…"

_Especially since I have my Magician of Faith right in my hand,_ she thought.

"I place one card facedown," she said, "and a Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

"I activate my other Trap!" shouted Sersei. "Icarus Attack!"

Her other Trap Card lifted.

"Now, by sacrificing one Winged Beast, I can destroy two cards on the field!"

Sonic Shooter's wings turned to fire, and he flew forward, trailing a blazing stream…

In an explosion of flame, Cleo's two cards were incinerated!

Cleo looked at her in hate as the flames died down...

"Even better, whatever Monster that was doesn't get its Flip-Effect activated," added Sersei.

"Congratulations…" growled Cleo. "You saved your own soul. But you'll find saving Russell's to be much harder."

"We'll see," said Sersei. "I'm willing to bet that you've played using the Seal for so long, your normal dueling skills have slipped!"

"An interesting theory," answered Cleo. "We'll soon see if it holds water."

"It's my draw," said Sersei, "and due to my Topdeck Quiz, I know exactly what card I'll be drawing…"

She drew a card.

"I'll play it now… my good old Pot of Greed."

As she played the card, and the image of the goofy jar appeared. She drew two cards, and it shattered.

"Next, I summon Harpie Lady 2 in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and the Harpie with bangs appeared. (1,300/1,400)

"And since you're defenseless," said Sersei with a grin, "she can go straight for you! Harpie Lady 2, attack that bitch directly!"

Harpie Lady 2 soared into the air, and swooped down on Cleo, talon first! Cleo screamed as she was raked by the Harpie's claw.

**(S: 8,000) -------------------- (C: 6,700)**

"That ends my turn," said Sersei, as Harpie Lady 2 alighted in front of her. "How's THAT for nothing?"

"You'll pay for that…" growled Cleo, drawing a card.

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon Amazoness Swords Woman in Attack Mode," she said.

The sword-wielding Amazon appeared, looking somewhat pissed off.

"Swords Woman, send her bird to the pet cemetery!" shouted Cleo.

Swords Woman slashed with her blade. Harpie Lady gave a look of shock, and then shattered.

**(S: 7,800) -------------------- (C: 6,700)**

"Sersei, be careful," warned Mai. "I know how these Monsters work – my deck in Battle City was a Harpie/Amazon hybrid.

"Even if you summon a stronger Monster, attacking that Swords Woman will cost _you_ Life Points, not Cleo."

"Maybe…" said Sersei, "but I might have to make a few sacrifices to win."

"Make your move," said Cleo.

"I will," said Sersei, drawing a card. "And you may find this hard to believe, but my duel with Alphonse benefited me. He gave me a few ideas to improve my deck.

"Let me show you. First, I play Monster Reborn."

She played the card. The holy ankh appeared, and Harpy Lady 2 reappeared. (1,300/1,400)

"Next, I play the Spell Card that good old Alphonse – may he rot in Hell – inspired me to add to my deck," continued Sersei. "Inferno Reckless Summon!"

She played the card, and the frightening Spell Card that the King of the Swamp had used to instantly summon three Treeborn Frogs and three T.A.D.P.O.L.E.s appeared.

"Now, since I Special Summoned my Harpie, and all the Harpies are considered to have the same name, due to their effects, I can now summon Harpie Lady 1, and Harpie Lady 3 from my deck."

First, Harpie Lady 1 appeared to her sister's right. (1,300/1,400) Then the third sister appeared to her left, this one dressed similar to the other two, with spiky blue hair. (1,300/1,400).

"Forget?" asked Cleo. "Now I also get to summon two more Swords Women."

Two more Amazons, seemingly twins of the first, appeared in front of her. (1,500/1,600 x2)

"Fine…" said Sersei, "but now that Harpie Lady 1 is on the field, the Attack Scores of all Wind Monsters, including her own, increase by 300 points."

The three Harpie Ladies rose to 1,600 Attack.

"And now, Ladies," said Cleo, "take out those Amazons!"

The Harpies flew into formation, and swooped at the Swords Women. Harpie Lady 1 clawed one of them in the gut, and she fell over. Harpie Lady 2 dive-bombed another with her leg talons, and she was knocked flat. Finally, Harpie Lady 3 slashed at the last, and she dropped her sword and fell over.

The three Amazons gasped for breath, and then shattered.

"Good job…" said Cleo, with a frown. "But all the damage from those battles goes to you rather than me."

"It was a small price to pay to clear your field," said Sersei. "It's your move."

**(S: 7,500) -------------------- (C: 6,700)**

Cleo drew.

_Maybe I underestimated this sorority chick,_ she thought. _But this will slow her down…_

"I play Nightmare's Steelcage," she said, playing a card.

Fire erupted around Sersei and the Harpies, and a domed, iron cage studded with spikes formed around them.

"What better place for your Harpies than a big birdcage?" asked Cleo. "That will hold them back for two turns."

The three Harpies crossed their arms and looked at her angrily.

"I'll summon Amazoness Blowpiper in Defense Mode, and that will be my turn," continued Cleo.

She played a card, and the young Amazon with her blowgun appeared, kneeling in Defense. (800/1,500)

"I draw one card…" said Sersei.

She drew.

"…and I'll end at that."

"What more can you do?" asked Cleo, drawing a card.

She played a card.

"I summon Amazoness Fighter in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and the muscular Amazon appeared. (1,500/1,300)

"Not that I'm leveling accusations," said Sersei, "but I have the feeling she's been using growth hormones…"

"Aren't we funny," said Cleo with a frown. "I end my turn."

"One of my opponents in Battle City made the same joke," said Mai. "He regretted it after she racked him."

"Ouch…" muttered Sersei. "You, uh… Did make it to Heaven, right?"

"Relax…" said Mai. "Yes, once I married Joey, all the arrogance and egotism fell away. And I can assure you it's a great place, where this harlot likely will never go. Now don't let her distract you – you can still beat her."

Sersei drew a card.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" she shouted.

She played the card, and the cyclone shattered the Cage!

"Now then…" she said. "I'll Equip Harpie Lady 1 with Arrow Nail."

She played a card, and a sharp blade appeared on Harpie Lady 1's wrist.

"The new manicure gives her an extra 300 Attack Points," said Cleo, as the Harpie's Attack rose to 1,900, "and should she be destroyed, I can Equip it to another Harpie.

"Now, let's clean up. Harpie Lady 2, attack Blowpiper!"

Harpie Lady 2 flew into the air, and came down on the frightened Blowpiper with her talons. The Warrior shattered.

"Harpie Lady 3, destroy Fighter!"

Harpie Lady 3 flew forward in a straight line, and slashed at Fighter in the torso with her claw. The Amazon fell backwards with a groan, and then shattered.

"Harpie Lady 1, you know what to do…"

Harpie Lady 1 flew at Cleo and then gave her a savage slash with the Arrow Nail!

_Ow…_ thought Cleo. _Ow… ow… ow…_

"Next, I'll place two cards facedown," said Cleo, placing two cards in her Disk.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Do your worst…"

**(S: 7,000) -------------------- (C: 4,800)**

"Whatever you say," said Cleo, drawing.

She looked at the card.

_This will help her as much as it will me_, she thought, _but I don't have many options…_

"I play Card of Sanctity," she said.

She played the card, and a bright blue glow flashed over them.

Cleo drew three cards, and Sersei drew four.

"Next, I play Graceful Charity…"

She played the card, and drew three cards.

She looked over the eight cards in her hand, and then discarded two of them.

"Perfect…" said Cleo, taking two cards. "I play both Monster Reborn AND Premature Burial, to bring back two girls you might remember."

She played the cards, and two Amazoness Swords Women reappeared. (1,500/1,600 x2)

"Smart…" said Sersei. "You spent 800 Life Points to summon two Monsters who can't even defeat mine."

"I haven't Normal Summoned yet," said Cleo. "And the gal I'm going to summon is a real doozy…"

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon Amazoness Tiger in Attack Mode."

The ferocious tigress appeared.

"And she gains 400 more Attack Points for every Amazon on my side of the field," added Cleo. "She just_loves_ having friends around…"

(1,100/1,500) –) (2,300/1,500)

"And now…" she said, "Tiger, devour Harpie Lady 1!"

Amazoness Tiger pounced forward.

"Not this time!" shouted Sersei. "I activate… Harpie Lady – Sparrow Formation!"

Her Trap Card lifted, and the three Harpies flew into a triangular pattern, and formed a glowing golden bird. Amazoness Tiger bounced off.

"So they survived one more turn…" muttered Cleo. "But one more thing… So long as Tiger is on the field, you can't attack any Amazon except her."

"I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn."

She played a card, and it appeared.

_Just try to attack my Tiger,_ she thought. _My Amazoness Archers will make it your last mistake._

**(S: 7,000) -------------------- (C: 4,000)**

Sersei drew a card.

"I activate Call of the Haunted," she said, as her facedown card lifted. "And bring back Sonic Shooter."

Sonic Shooter reappeared, in Attack Mode. (1,300/600) –) (1,600/600)

"Before you question why he's here," said Sersei, "I just brought him back to sacrifice him. Which I will… For a guy named Swift Birdman Joe!"

Sonic Shooter crossed his wings and vanished…

And a new Winged Beast appeared. It was a tall male figure, dressed in a loincloth with a bare, muscular chest. He had powerful, birdlike legs, and large wings, covered with rainbow-colored feathers. His handsome face was crowned with the same colored feathers rather than hair. (2,300/1,400) –) (2,600/1,400)

The three Harpies looked flustered and started to swoon. Hearts appeared in their eyes, and they gazed at him lovingly…

"Calm down, girls," said Sersei. "And by the way, when Joe is summoned by sacrificing a Wind Monster, like I just did, all Spells and Traps on the field are blown back to the owners' hands."

Joe raised his wings, and flapped them forward. Cleo's Premature Burial and facedown card were blown off the field.

"All right Joe," said Sersei, "show that Tiger why they call you Swift! Attack with supersonic swipe!"

Swift Birdman Joe raised his wings, and flew forward in a blur. Amazoness Tiger roared, and then shattered to bits!

Both Swords Women started to panic, and Cleo was pretty scared too…

"Harpie Ladies 3 and 2, attack!" shouted Sersei.

The two Harpies swiped at the Swords Women and cut them down.

"Harpie Lady 1…" continued Sersei.

She paused.

"You know…" she added. "Your normal attacks are boring me. How about you give Cleo a mean purple nurple?"

Harpie Lady 1 nodded, and then flew towards Cleo.

"No… please… don't…" stammered Cleo.

The Harpie landed behind her and grinned… Cleo screamed as she dug her claws into her breasts and gave a great squeeze! She held on as Cleo was forced to her knees.

Harpie Lady 1 smiled a wicked smile. She flew back over to Sersei's side.

**(S: 6,800) -------------------- (C: 1,800)**

"Well…" said Cleo.

She got up, and forced her face into a smile.

"Maybe you aren't the loser I thought you were… In fact, you're much better than many of the scrubs in our organization…

"Perhaps you could go far, Sersei… Perhaps as my apprentice.

"Sersei… With the Orichalcos behind you, you'd be far more powerful. More powerful than you could dream. Listen… If we call off this duel right now, we can…"

"Save it," said Sersei. "I want Russell back, and I wouldn't give up if you gave me the moon."

Cleo drew a card.

"Then prepare to be beaten senseless," she said. "With what I've just drawn, Russell will be lost forever.

"First, I play Premature Burial again, which you so graciously sent back to my hand."

She played the card. Her Life Points dipped to 1,000, and Amazoness Blowpiper reappeared. (800/1,500)

"Next," she continued. "I'll place three of my cards facedown…"

She fit three cards into slots, and they appeared.

"…and then, I'll dispose of two of them, and Premature Burial, using Emergency Provisions."

She played the card. Two of the facedown cards, revealed to be Sacred Sword of the Amazons and Pride of the Tribe appeared, and then they and Premature Burial vanished.

**(S: 6,800) -------------------- (C: 4,000)**

"Next," she continued, "I'll sacrifice Blowpiper…"

Blowpiper vanished.

"To summon… Amazoness Elder in Attack Mode!"

Another Monster appeared…

It was an old woman, apparently a witch doctor of some sort, dressed in a long, colorful robe with flowing sleeves, her grey hair tied in a long ponytail, and wearing jewelry common to all the Amazons – made of bones and teeth. She leaned on a wooden cudgel. (0/0)

"Zero Attack Points and zero Defense Points?" said Sersei, narrowing her eyes.

She looked at Mai.

"Uh, unfortunately, Sersei…" she answered, "this is one Amazon I've never heard of…"

"Don't let her fool you," said Cleo. "Yeah, she's weak… And she knows it. Since she's way past her prime as a fighter, Amazoness Elder never goes anywhere without a few bodyguards.

"What that means is, when she's summoned by sacrifice, I can pay 2,000 Life Points to Special Summon from my hand, deck, or Graveyard, one Swords Woman…"

A Swords Woman appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"…one Fighter…"

A Fighter appeared next to her. (1,500/1,300)

"…and one Amazoness Paladin."

Amazoness Paladin appeared, holding aloft her sword. (1,700/300)

"And let's not forget Paladin's ability – she gains 100 Attack Points for every Amazon on the field."

(2,100/300)

"And my Elder has another ability. So long as she's in Attack Mode, she can't be attacked, so long as I have at least one other Amazon on the field."

"Yeah, well even your Paladin can't defeat Joe," said Sersei.

"I can't attack this round anyway due to that effect," said Sersei. "So it's your move."

**(S: 6,800) -------------------- (C: 2,000)**

Sersei drew a card.

_I can take her down, _she thought. _First I'll use Harpie Lady 2 to take out Swords Woman. Then I'll use Harpie Lady 3 to take out Fighter, and Paladin will be weakened. Then Harpie Lady 1 will destroy her, and Joe can attack Elder and blast her for 2,600 points of damage, and I'll win!_

"Harpie Lady 2, attack Swords Woman!"

The Harpie took to the air…

"I activate… Amazoness Archers!" shouted Cleo.

Her Trap Card lifted, and a squad of Amazons appeared, and peppered Sersei's four Monsters with arrows!

"These poison arrows weaken all your Monsters by 500 points," said Cleo with a grin, "and they force them to attack. Need I remind you that your Harpie was still attacking my Swords Woman…"

Harpie Lady 2 fell to 1,100 Attack. Swords Woman slashed with her blade, and she was cut in half! Her remains shattered!

Sersei frowned.

"I can still tell them who to attack!" she shouted. "And in which order! Harpies, attack the Swords Woman!"

The two Harpies swooped down on the Swords Woman…

She made two slashes with her blade. The two Harpies gave surprised looks, and fell to the ground. They shattered.

Joe lost another 300 Attack Points.

"Well…" said Sersei. "I hope you enjoyed that, because Joe _still_ has 1,800 Attack Points!

"Swift Birdman Joe, attack Amazoness Fighter!"

Joe darted forward, and angrily slashed at Fighter with his claw. Fighter held her torso and stared blankly… And was blasted into pieces.

**(S: 5,900) -------------------- (C: 2,000)**

"Oh, and look at your Swords Woman…" said Sersei.

Swords Woman looked incredibly frightened…

Suddenly, she froze, turning to stone!

"What?" said Cleo, in surprise.

"She found out about Harpie Lady 3's curse the hard way," explained Sersei. "Anyone who battles her and survives is helpless for two turns, unable to attack for that amount of time."

"Fine…" said Cleo. "So your Harpies got in one last jab at me… It makes no difference."

"My turn is over, and that means that your Trap wears off," said Sersei.

Joe's Attack set at 2,300, and Paladin's lowered to 2,000.

"So make your move…"

Cleo drew.

"I will," she said, "and now I'll dispose of Joe too…"

She placed a card on her Disk.

"This next Monster is one I must summon by removing Paladin from play, so say goodbye to Paladin…"

Paladin vanished in a sparkle of light.

"And say hello to Amazoness Princess."

The Warrior who appeared seemed a lot like the other Amazons – same indecent clothing – but her jewelry was gold rather than teeth. She wore a tiara on her brow, and carried a fancier sword. (2,100/1,800)

"Like Paladin before her, Princess also gains a bonus from each Amazon on the field," said Cleo, "but in her case, it's 300 Attack Points for each. Except herself."

(2,700/1,800)

_Oh, come on…_ thought Sersei.

"Amazoness Princess, attack Swift Birdman Joe with royal scimitar slash!"

Amazoness Princess leapt forward and smite Joe with her blade! He groaned, and exploded in a burst of feathers.

**(S: 5,500) -------------------- (C: 2,000)**

_Was I actually just winning this a minute ago?_ thought Sersei.

"Be thankful my Swords Woman is still cursed," said Cleo. "I end my turn."

Sersei drew a card.

_Hey…_ she thought. _I just drew Mirror Force!_

"All right, soul-stealer," she said, "my turn will consist of placing three cards facedown."

She placed three of her cards facedown, and they appeared.

"Now, let's see what you've got…"

Cleo drew a card.

She giggled.

"Time to finish you…" she said. "Now I remove Amazoness Princess from play…"

Princess vanished just as Paladin had.

"…to summon the most powerful Warrior in my deck… Meet Hippolyta herself… _Amazoness Queen_!"

The Amazon who appeared seemed to be the most regal one yet. She still wasn't dressed with much decency, but the bikini top was made of bronze, and the loincloth seemed to be silk, and she had a golden girdle. She wore a long, purple cape, golden jewelry, and a golden crown on her head. She held a scimitar that glowed with golden light. (3,000/3,000)

_Come on, sucker…_ thought Sersei. _You might look all impressive, but as soon as you attack, you'll be sent straight to the Graveyard with your pathetic subjects…_

"Amazoness Queen…" ordered Cleo. "Attack directly! Sacred scimitar slash!"

Amazoness Queen raised her sword…

"Activate Mirror Force!" shouted Sersei.

The Trap Card lifted, and the holy light shone. Elder cringed in panic as she and Swords Woman were consumed by it…

But Sersei was shocked a second later, as Amazoness Queen's sword slammed into her like a hammer! She was thrown backwards.

"Ooh…" she moaned.

**(S: 2,500) -------------------- (C: 2,000)**

Sersei looked up to see the Queen angrily looking down at her, as if to say, "How dare you?"

"She… survived… How?" she groaned.

Cleo laughed, and held up her Amazoness Blowpiper card.

"Did you really think you could slay Hippolyta with a card that was so… old fashioned?" she asked. "If Amazoness Queen is about to be destroyed by a Spell Card, Trap Card, or Monster effect, I can remove one Amazon in my Graveyard from play to save her. Your Mirror Force may have defeated my Swords Woman and Elder, but my strongest Monster is still here to destroy you.

"It's time to make your move little girl. Best make it, and then say farewell to Russell forever. No Monster you could possibly summon could be this strong, and if I draw a Monster on my next turn, one direct attack from her will finish you."

Sersei looked at her hand.

It wasn't the best. Her four cards were Guardian's Treasure, Harpie Lady Sisters, Harpie Feather Storm, and Pot of Avarice…

The last might have been useful, but if she used it, both of the two cards she had facedown on the field would be useless.

It all depended on her next draw.

She drew.

A grin crossed her face.

"I activate… Hysteric Party!" she shouted.

She discarded her Guardian Treasure card, and one of her Trap Cards lifted. It showed an image of six Harpie Ladies dancing among flashing lights.

"Now, for the cost of just one card," she continued, "I can bring all three of my Harpies back out to play!"

Harpie Lady 1, Harpie Lady 2, and Harpie Lady 3 appeared in an eruption of flashing light. (1,300/1,400) –) (1,600/1,400 x3)

"Big deal!" shouted Cleo. "I'll just kill them again!"

"Well, I'll activate my other Trap, then," said Sersei. "A little thing called… Aqua Chorus!"

Her other Trap lifted. A beautiful muse appeared behind the Harpies, and started singing… Watery orbs floated among them.

"This Trap can be triggered when I have Monsters on the field who have the same name," explained Sersei, "and each one gains 500 Attack Points."

The Harpies rose to 2,100 Attack.

"Still not good enough…" said Cleo.

"Will this do?" asked Cleo. "I play another card that the duel with good old Alphonse convinced me to put in my deck…"

She took the card she had just drawn.

"I Equip Harpie Lady 1 with Chthonian Alliance!"

She played the card, and Harpie Lady 2 and 3 started to glow with green light. Then Harpie Lady 1 glowed with golden light. She grinned, and flexed her muscles, as her Attack Score started to go up…

"With two other Harpie Ladies on the field, her Attack Score rises 1,600 more points, to 3,700!"

"Oh, geeze…" muttered Cleo.

Her face fell.

"The boss… is gonna kill me…"

"Harpie Lady 1…" shouted Sersei. "Destroy Amazoness Queen!"

Harpie Lady 1 flew forward, and made one savage swipe with her claw. Amazoness Queen fell to her knees and dropped her sword...

She lifted her hand, looking up at Harpie Lady 1…

Then she glanced at Sersei, and smiled…

And then she shattered into pixels.

"Now Harpie Lady 2…" said Sersei, "attack directly and end this!"

Harpie Lady 2 pounced on Cleo! She screamed as she raked at her flesh!

Finally, she hit her in the forehead with her open palm, and she fell over.

**(S: 2,500) -------------------- (C: 0)**

"It's over…" said Sersei. "I win… So now Russell goes free…"

Cleo stared at her.

"Did you forget the terms of the wager I made?" she snarled. "I said if you won, someone would arrange for a way to win him back…

"He isn't free yet, little girl…"

"I'll do anything…" said Sersei.

"Well then, do this…" said Cleo. "Tell his two partners and your chancellor to be near a phone in two hours…

"And take this as a warning, Sersei… You lucked out this time, but if you attempt again to defeat one of us, the Orichalcos will savor your soul…"

She got up, and walked out of the restaurant in a huff.

Mai came over and put her hand on Sersei's shoulder.

"Hey," she said in a comforting voice. "You did good, honey. Now at least Russell has a chance."

"I hope…" said Sersei.

"And Sersei, Cleo may still hate you, but I think her Monsters feel different. That look that Amazoness Queen gave you right after your Harpie struck the blow…

"Call me crazy, but I think it was acknowledgement of some sort. Acknowledgement not only that she had been bested, but that you were better than Cleo was."

"It was kind of… weird…" muttered Sersei.

She paused.

"So, I guess you'll be going?"

Mai nodded.

"Anything else I can help you with?" she asked.

"I'm kind of curious…" said Sersei. "How on earth did Kaiba fall in love with Ishizu?"

Mai smirked.

"His exact words were," she answered, "she was the only woman in the world who understood him.

"Now, you'd best go tell Dr. Artemis. As for me, I have to go…"

She started to fade.

"Once you've lived a full life," said her voice, trailing off, "look me up, okay? After all, when you have eternity ahead of you, you can wait a long time…

"Joey would love to meet you…"

She vanished into sparkles of light.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Two hours later, four figures sat in silence in Dr. Artemis's office.

One was Dr. Artemis herself (now on her fourth cup of coffee), the others were Sersei, Jason, and Trisha. Also, Twinky loyally stood in the corner.

Dr. Artemis had told Sersei an hour earlier that she didn't know whether to suspend her or let her give a speech at her graduation, but hopefully, what she had done would come out for the better.

Finally, the phone rang. Artemis hit the speaker button.

"Talk to me," she said, sternly.

"Direct and to the point," said a voice that they had not heard before. "Fitting."

"Who is this?" she demanded.

"I'm Cleo and the Puppeteer's employer," said the voice. "I can't give my name at this moment…"

Artemis hit a button by her desk.

"Oh, trying to trace this call, Andorra?" said the voice. "That won't work. This phone I'm using is of a quality that the CIA would envy. Your device is not nearly strong enough."

"What do you want in exchange for Russell?" demanded Artemis.

"Now, now, I'm nothing if not fair, Andorra…" said the voice.

"That's Dr. Artemis to you!" she snapped.

"Fine," replied the voice. "Anyway, I always like a good duel, and one with good stakes. I'm willing to wager Russell's soul… However, both Trisha and Jason will have to duel, and they'll have to ante all three of the Legendary Dragons against it."

Artemis looked at Trisha and Jason. They nodded.

"They agree," said Artemis.

"Splendid," said the voice. "Tell them to come to the Minotaur's Labyrinth in the Goliath Mountain amusement park at nine-o'clock this evening. The Puppeteer will meet them there and explain the rules. Should they win, Russell's soul will go free.

"I give you my word as a gentleman.

"Just to make this fair, I'll assure you there will be no Seal, and no Raviel. However, no Legendary Dragons either. If your students use them, they are disqualified."

"Fine," said Artemis. "I accept those terms."

"Then the Puppeteer will meet them at nine," said the voice. "Over and out."

He hung up.

Artemis looked at her device.

"**Trace attempt failed,"** it said.

"It was worth a shot…" she muttered.

"I don't trust that guy one bit…" muttered Jason. "His word as a gentleman… sure, right…"

"Then maybe we should bring backup…" said Trisha.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sersei rushed into the infirmary. She hugged Russell's comatose form.

"It's going to be okay, Russell," she whispered. "I did all I could, and now Jason and Trisha are going to get you back…"

She held his hand.

"I'll stay here with you until you wake up… A little prayer never hurt…"

_Sunday, October 3rd, 2106, 5:42 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TOPDECK QUIZ (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The contestant on the "Question" card, looking at three seemingly identical decks of cards.

**Card Description:** Both players state the name of a card. If the card a player names is in his opponent's deck, his opponent takes it from his deck, shuffles his deck, and places the card on the top of his deck. If the card a player names is not in his opponent's deck, his opponent chooses any card from his deck, shuffles his deck, and places the card he chose on the top of his deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**AMAZONESS ELDER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description:** This aged woman is the advisor to the Amazoness Queen. When this Monster is Tribute Summoned successfully, pay 2,000 Life Points. Special Summon one "Amazoness Paladin", one "Amazoness Swords Woman", and one "Amazoness Fighter" from your hand, deck, and/or Graveyard. Monsters summoned by this effect cannot attack on the round they are summoned by this effect. This Monster cannot be targeted by an attack if it is in Attack Position and you have at least one Monster on your side of the field with the word "Amazoness" in its name, or that is named "Amazon Archer".

**0**

**0**

**0**

**AMAZONESS PRINCESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,100  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description:** The heir to the throne of the Amazons, she aspires to lead her tribe to great things. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster cannot be Special Summoned except by removing one "Amazoness Paladin" on your side of the field from play. This Monster gains 300 points added to its ATK for every Monster on your side of the field with the word "Amazoness" in its name (except this one), or which is named "Amazon Archer".

**0**

**0**

**0**

**AMAZONESS QUEEN #2 (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **3,000  
**DEF: **3,000

**Card Description:** The absolute ruler of the Amazon tribe. No one dares question her authority. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster cannot be Special Summoned except by removing one "Amazoness Princess" on your side of the field from play. If this Monster is subjected to a card effect that would destroy it, you can remove one Monster in your Graveyard from play that has the word "Amazoness" in it or that is named "Amazon Archer" to prevent it from being destroyed.

_Note: This card is different from the "Amazoness Queen" that first appeared in "The Mandate of Heaven"_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARROW NAIL (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A feminine hand with a sword-like blade strapped to the wrist.

**Card Description:** This card can only be Equipped to "Harpie Lady" or "Harpie Lady Sisters". Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. If the Equipped Monster is destroyed, you can Equip this card to another appropriate Monster on your side of the field.

_Note: "Arrow Nail" was first used by Mai in the anime episode "Fighting For a Friend (Part Five)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SONIC SHOOTER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Winged Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,300  
**DEF: **600

**Card Description:** Able to fly at speeds reaching 761 MPH in calm weather, this Winged Beast is one of the fastest Monsters alive. If your opponent has no Spell or Trap Cards on his side of the field, this Monster can attack your opponent directly. If this Monster attacks directly, it inflicts damage equal to its base ATK.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**HYSTERIC PARTY (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Six Harpie Ladies dancing among flashing lights.

**Card Description:** Discard one card from your hand. Special Summon from your Graveyard all the Monsters you can who are named "Harpie Lady". If this card leaves the field, destroy all Monsters Special Summoned by this card.

_Note: "Sonic Shooter" and "Hysteric Party" have been released in Japan for some time. They will be released in English in the "Lord of the Storm" structure deck._

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**Sersei's Harpie Deck**

_After Mai Valentine wed Joey Wheeler, she put dueling aside for the most part and started a job as a fashion designer, only dueling when the temptation got too great. Since most of her life was kept secret to protect her reputation, only a little of her style became known to future generations._

_Still, some duelists who heard of her tried, and Sersei has become reasonably successful._

_Sersei's deck naturally revolves around the Harpies, and since she is only allowed to have three Harpies total, and four of them are available, she alternates the lineup. Harpie Lady 1 is always present, as she is the most useful, being the one who boosts the Attack of the others; Harpie Lady 2 can deal with annoying Effect Monsters; Harpie Lady 3 can paralyze an enemy Monster that she battles; and Cyber Harpie Lady has raw power. This alternating team keeps her opponents guessing. Her other Monsters are mostly Winged Beasts and other creatures to help bring her stars out, and she doesn't object to using male Monsters; she uses Sonic Shooter and Swift Birdman Joe frequently._

_She uses a lot of Mai's accessories. Sparrow Formation and Phoenix Formation are incredibly rare cards that Sersei obtained by winning tournaments, and she couldn't hope to have more than one of each. Other more common cards include Icarus Attack, Triangle Ecstasy Spark, Harpie's Hunting Ground, Hysteric Party, and Arrow Nail._

_She still considers Guardian Treasure a gift from the beyond. Only seven copies of this card are believed to exist. It is powerful, but can only be used if you have five cards to discard, and is risky – if a duel goes on too long, the user might be decked out. Still, it is priceless, although due to the terms of the contract she signed, Sersei can never trade or sell it, and it is to be returned to Mai Valentine's estate upon her death or when she gives up dueling, whichever comes first._

_Sersei's most powerful Monster is the Ritual Monster Calypso the Harpie Queen. She doesn't use her often, but she helps regenerate her Harpies if they get lost and Hysteric Party can't be used. _

_After her duel with Cleo, Sersei is certain now that the real Mai approves of her work, and that's all the approval she needs._

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_**The quest to save Russell continues, as Jason and Trisha risk everything on one duel…**_

_**And with the Puppeteer orchestrating things, you know that it's gonna be another blast from the anime past! But this one spans both generations of Yu-Gi-Oh!**_

_**You can probably guess what I'm talking about…**_

_**Don't miss "Covering Fire", coming soon.**_


	32. Covering Fire

_**For almost twenty four hours, the final moments of the terrible duel have repeated in my mind…**_

…_**ending with the bloodcurdling scream that came from Russell as he was struck by an attack that had 7,200 Attack Points behind it. **_

_**I thought we had lost him forever…**_

_**But thanks to Sersei, a small candle has lit in this gloom of darkness…**_

_**Will the light grow to overpower the dark, or will it be snuffed out forever?**_

_**If Jason and I don't win this duel, we not only lose Russell… We lose all chances of defeating this evil…**_

_**Hang in there, Russell… **_

_**We're coming.**_

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

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**Covering Fire**

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_Sunday, October 3rd, 2106, 8:05 PM_

Sersei had not left Russell's side…

She noticed his Duel Disk at the bedside table. She reached for it, and placed it on his chest.

She didn't see them, but strange phantasms started to appear around the bed. The first one was Marauding Captain. Then came Command Knight. Then Gearfried. Then Grepher and Axe Raider.

More came. The three Hero Kids… Gilford… Flame Swordsman…

Finally, Freed the Matchless General stood forward, and looked sadly at Russell.

"Be calm everyone," said a voice.

Everyone turned, and even Freed took notice.

The intimidating form of Hermos stepped forward.

"We must have faith, everyone," he said. "So long as I draw breath, Russell won't be harmed…"

They looked at him.

"Yes, I know… My brothers can't help them with this battle, so they must rely solely on their own skill…

"But I trust the judgment of my siblings. They chose wisely before, and they did now…

"I swear to you all… Russell will return. Just have faith…"

They nodded, and then they all vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Americans had a lot of large amusement parks. They had Disney World, Bush Gardens, Six Flags…

And as of the year 2080, they had Goliath Mountain.

Technically, it might be called a theme park, since it was owned by Goliath Studios, but very little of their influence was felt in the huge amusement park twenty miles outside of New York City. And there were lots of things to do there in the summer (seeing as it was a seasonal place). Sure, there were Ferris wheels, tilt-a-whirls, and carousels, but there were also more exotic attractions aimed at older visitors. One whole section had an _Arabian Nights_ theme, another had a Medieval theme, and there were countless others.

A popular attraction was the Minotaur's Labyrinth. It was a maze inside a large building so complicated, that several passageways had phones that visitors were to use in case they got lost. If you made it to the center, where the Minotaur's Temple was, you got a free souvenir.

As a van drove up to the gates, the park was deserted, being closed for the off-season. Jason and Trisha got out, and made their way to the center of the park, where the large dome-like building holding the Labyrinth was.

When they got to the entrance, it clearly was occupied. The torches outside the front gates were burning, and the doors were opened.

"So, you're here," said the Puppeteer's voice. "I didn't expect you to actually come…"

"Why not?" asked Jason.

"I wouldn't have," said the Puppeteer. "Why not just keep Hermos for yourself? It's quite a powerful card…"

"You venomous snake…" growled Jason. "Do you even know the definition of loyalty?"

There was a pause. The screen over the gate lit up and flashed the following message:

"**loyalty:** _n. _The trait of being faithful or devoted. Trustworthiness."

"Oh, that's real funny," said Jason. "You may be able to look it up in the dictionary, but I doubt you really understand it."

"Whatever," said the Puppeteer. "If you're really so anxious to lose those precious cards, come in…"

They walked in, and confronted the entrance to the maze.

"Now," said the Puppeteer's voice, "the current record for making it to the center of this maze without help is one hour, seventeen minutes, three seconds. But since we simply don't have all night…"

A line of red arrows appeared on the floor.

"…simply follow them, and you'll get to the Temple of the Minotaur in five minutes."

Jason and Trisha started walking, following the arrows.

"You think you can hurry it up?" asked the Puppeteer.

"Keep your loud pants on!" shouted Trisha. "We'll get there!"

"You know…" said the Puppeteer, "having the duel here wasn't even my idea… The duelists I found insisted."

"You mean it isn't you?" asked Jason, as they started turning corners.

"Didn't you remember the deal?" said his voice. "No Raviel, and my deck is designed with it in mind. And I'd be foolish to take on two duelists at once anyway. But I found some chaps who were perfect."

"Two on two?" asked Trisha.

"Exactly," he said. "Now hustle."

After a few more minutes, they walked into a huge chamber. Torches were lit all over the place, and a giant, golden statue of the Cretan Minotaur loomed over an ornate throne.

The Puppeteer of Death sat in the throne.

"All right, gruesome," said Trisha. "You know the deal… We win this duel, we get Russell back…"

The Puppeteer flipped a card and showed it to them – the Orichalcos card that held Russell prisoner.

"He's right here," he said. "But don't think you can get it from me by force. And even if you could, it isn't like you could do anything with it."

"Then where are these goons you hired?" asked Jason.

"Goons?" asked the Puppeteer. "Trisha, you forget my powers… The power to create specters from the dark sides of deceased duelists…

"As for where they are, I'll let them make their own entrance…"

"Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm," laughed a small voice in the air.

"You have entered sacred ground," said a voice.

"Where only duelists can be found," said another.

Two forms appeared out of thin air in front of them, and Jason and Trisha drew back…

They looked like Buddhist monks of some sort, with no hair, and tattoos of some sort of Kanji symbol on their foreheads. One wore a green robe, and the other wore orange.

"The gates are sealed," said one.

"The doors are locked," said the other.

"You face the brothers Para…"

"And Dox!"

Jason stared at them.

"Trisha, we're in trouble…" he muttered.

"You've heard of these guys?" she asked.

"Yeah, one hundred years ago, they were known as the best tag-team duelists in the world," he answered. "They were only known to lose two duels as a team… One to Yugi and Joey, and another to Jaden and Syrus."

"Lovely," muttered Trisha.

"All right, let's get some ground rules, people…" said the Puppeteer, standing up.

"People like you only want rules so you can find ways to manipulate them," said Trisha, narrowing her eyes.

"You wound me…" said the Puppeteer. "Anyway, there is to be no sharing of advice, no sharing of strategies, and no sharing of cards that aren't already in play. But you can use anything already on the field.

"And remember… No Seal, and no Timaeus or Critias."

"Enough with the stalling," said Para, "the wait is appalling."

"Hold up," said Trisha. "Before we begin, can I switch one card in my deck with one in my side deck?"

"I want to do the same thing," added Jason.

"To do that, you have the right," said Dox. "So do so and be quick, so we may begin this fight."

Trisha took her deck and removed DNA Surgery…

Then she took her side deck out and looked through the fifteen cards.

She took out a Trap Card, one that she knew would be very good if she ever got into a team duel.

Jason removed Shrink from his deck, and then took a Trap Card from his side deck.

It wasn't very commonly played, but it was useful in a team duel.

They both added the cards to their decks, and reshuffled.

"All right," said Jason, replacing his deck, "let's get started."

The Paradox Bothers raised their arms. Their Disks activated.

"You called, we responded, you told us to duel," said Para, "so let us begin, and enough with the rules."

"All right then…" said Trisha. "Game start!"

"Let's end this as soon as possible," said Jason. "Get your game on…"

**(Jason & Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (Para and Dox: 8,000)**

"Jason," muttered Trisha. "You watched a lot of old duels… Any tips on their strategy?"

"Well, Trisha, Yugi and Joey's duel wasn't televised, unfortunately," he answered.

"And as for Jaden and Syrus's… Well, there's a story behind that. One of his professors was taping it, but later, when Jaden asked for a copy, he claimed that he accidentally taped over it…"

"How on earth…" asked Trisha.

"Well, Jaden never really got along with this particular teacher…" said Jason. "He thinks that the guy had wanted him to lose, and that the duel was a humiliation to him, so he 'accidentally' taped over it."

"Lovely," replied Trisha.

Para drew his first card. Then he chose one.

"I place one Monster upon the field…" he said.

A facedown Monster materialized as he placed it on his Disk.

"…however, I choose to keep it concealed. That will suffice to start this duel, now draw and make your move, you fool."

Trisha nervously drew.

"Don't let them psyche you out, Trisha," said Jason. "He only said that because it makes a good rhyme."

"Yeah, well," said Trisha, "let's see them get by this. I summon Mighty Guard in Defense Mode…"

She played a card, and a humanoid robot with gears for joints appeared, crouching in Defense. (500/1,200)

"And next," she continued, "I'll play Machine Duplication, to summon two more Mighty Guards from my deck."

She played the card, and two more Mighty Guards appeared, also in Defense Mode.

"That will do…" she said.

"An impressive way to erect a defense," said Dox, drawing a card, "but a mere annoyance, hence, they will soon exist only past tense.

"I summon Whirlwind Prodigy in Defense Mode."

A whirlwind appeared, and a small boy in a leather jacket and trousers surrounded by fluttering birds and bats appeared. He knelt down on one knee. (1,500/1,600)

"That ends my turn," he continued.

Jason drew a card.

"I summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Attack Mode," he said, playing a card.

The fiendish gargoyle appeared, bearing its claws. (1,600/1,200)

_All right…_ thought Jason. _Everyone has drawn, so I can attack this round…_

_My Monster isn't strong enough to take out that… kid or whatever it is, but maybe Para's facedown Monster isn't as powerful._

"Ryu-Kishin Powered, attack Para's Monster!"

The gargoyle leapt forward with his claw…

And then a sorcerer in a blue robe appeared on the card, and fended off the attack with a slim dagger. (1,600/1,600)

Para grinned.

"Impressive," he said, "but as you clearly saw, the scores were equal, making that a draw. And even better…"

He took his deck.

"When Arsenal Summoner is flipped, I get to search my deck for one Monster with the word 'Guardian' in its name."

He got what he wanted and reshuffled.

"Of course," he continued, "as the rules say, I must reveal what it is, so let this serve as a preview to the horror that awaits!"

He flipped the card around.

"Gate Guardian?" gulped Trisha.

"Relax, Trisha…" said Jason. "That Monster may be unbelievably powerful, and it's an icon, sure, but summoning it is nearly impossible…"

The Puppeteer started to snicker.

"You doubt the ability of my pawns to do the impossible?" asked the Puppeteer. "Why children, people have been doing impossible things for centuries.

"Trisha, isn't it a rumor that your family's patriarch worked for Henry Ford?"

"It isn't a rumor!" snapped Trisha. "It's true!"

"Well…" said the Puppeteer. "Perhaps. But did people not tell Ford that a horseless carriage was impossible? Didn't folks tell the Wright Brothers that flying machines were impossible?

"Didn't people think that putting a man on the moon was impossible?

"You'll soon be a believer… that the impossible can be done…"

"Indeed, and I draw!" said Para, doing so.

"And I play Pot of Greed! You know well what this card can do… I play it, and I then draw two."

He played the card, and then drew twice.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Tribute Doll! This card lets me sacrifice one Monster on the field, to Special Summon a seven star Monster from my hand. Thus, I sacrifice Arsenal Summoner…"

Black tentacles reached out of the card, and consumed Arsenal Summoner…

"And I summon Suijin!"

A strange Monster arose. It looked like a large, blue torso with a fiendish face, and a Kanji symbol on the front. (2,500/2,400)

"And I am not done," continued Para. "Since that was a Special Summon, I can summon another Monster. This one also requires a sacrifice. Fortunately, my brother and I like to share…"

"Mmm!" added Dox. "In case you didn't know, when Whirlwind Prodigy is sacrificed to summon a Wind Monster, it counts as two sacrifices…"

"Thus," said Para, "I sacrifice Prodigy to summon Kazejin!"

Whirlwind Prodigy vanished, and a new creature appeared. It was a large, green torso with claws and another Kanji symbol on the front. (2,400/2,200)

"Finally, I place one card facedown."

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all for my move," he said, "now time for your mettle to prove."

Trisha drew a card.

_Two seven-star Monsters in one turn?_ she thought. _These guys don't fool around._

"All right!" she shouted. "I sacrifice one Mighty Guard to summon Machine King!"

She played the card, and one of the Guards vanished, replaced by the mighty King. (2,200/2,000) –) (2,500/2,000)

"Oh well…" said Trisha with a grin. "Guess we're gonna nip your plans in the bud… Machine King, attack Kazejin!"

"TRISHA! WAIT!" shouted Jason.

Machine King fired its jet fists at the wind deity…

"Kazejin!" shouted Para. "Squall barricade!"

Kazejin exhaled a furious gust of chilling wind! The two rocket fists flew back upon Machine King, and the robot exploded!

"Heh, heh…" laughed Para. "To attacks, our Monsters are quite resistant…"

"For one attack," added Dox, "they can make their opponent's Attack Score nonexistent!"

**(J & T: 5,600) -------------------- (P & D: 8,000)**

"I'm sorry…" moaned Trisha.

"You tried your best…" said Jason.

"Still my turn, baldy…" muttered Trisha. "I'll place two cards facedown, and I'll turn it over to your next of kin."

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Indeed…" said Dox.

He drew a card.

"First, I place one card facedown…"

He played a card. A facedown card appeared in front of him.

"Next, I will summon Kaiser Sea Horse in Attack Mode."

He played another card, and the aquatic merman of Light appeared. (1,700/1,650)

"Attack Jason's Ryu-Kishin Powered!" he ordered. "Shining trident!"

Kaiser Sea Horse threw his weapon, and the gargoyle cracked like stone, and then shattered.

**(J & T: 5,500) -------------------- (P & D: 8,000**)

"I'll end my turn on that note," he said. "But your fate has clearly been wrote… Your dueling is ill, and you have no antidote!"

Jason drew, now annoyed.

_According to legend,_ he thought, _to successfully summon Gate Guardian, you needed three Monsters on the field who were all seven-star… They have two of them, and I think the third was called Sanga of the Thunder. _

_With a name like that, it's likely a Thunder Monster, and most of them are Light Monsters, and Kaiser Sea Horse, as Kaiba was well aware, counts as two Monsters when sacrificed to summon a Light Monster…_

_And I have nothing that can get rid of it!_

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Blade Knight in Defense Mode," he said.

Blade Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,600/1,000)

"All right…" he said. "That's all we can do… So let's see it already…"

"In due time…" said Para, drawing a card.

"I sacrifice my brother's Kaiser Sea Horse to summon Sanga of the Thunder!"

Another huge torso, this one golden, with another Kanji symbol on the front, appeared. (2,600/2,200)

"Sanga…" he continued. "Tear Blade Knight asunder! Lightning wrath!"

Sanga blasted a bolt of lightning forth, eradicating Blade Knight.

"Suijin, attack that Mighty Guard! Cresting force!"

Suijin shot a blast of water forward, drowning the Mighty Guard.

"Kazejin, blow the last one away! Gale blast!"

A fierce wind shot from Kazejin. The last Mighty Guard shielded himself, and then was blown to pieces.

"And now…" said Para.

"Hold up!" shouted Trisha. "I activate my facedown card!"

Her facedown card lifted.

"Hyper-Refresh. Since we now have no Monsters on the field, and the total sum of your Monsters' Attack Points is…

She paused.

"7,500," she continued, "which is more than our Life Points, our Life Points are doubled!"

Trisha and Jason glowed, and their Life Points shot up.

**(J & T: 11,000) -------------------- (P & D: 8,000)**

"Good job, Trisha!" commented Jason.

"Impressive, I will say…" said Para, "but still, see if you have a way, to defeat what I next put into play!"

He threw a card on his Disk.

The three deities glowed.

"He is pain beyond description…" said Para.

"He'll mark the graves with your inscription…" said Dox.

"ARISE!" they both said.

The three Kanji symbols on the Monsters' torsos glowed…

And then, they vanished…

With a rumble, a huge, lumbering creature rose and stood upright. It seemed to have Sanga for a head and shoulders, Kazejin for a torso, and Suijin for legs. It was just as big as Raviel was, and looked just as mean.

It lifted its claws, and roared in pure bloodlust…

(3,750/3,400)

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Dr. Artemis was watching using a small, portable viewer.

"This is madness…" she muttered. "Without their Dragons, that thing might well be invincible… Aside from the Egyptian God Monsters and the Sacred Beasts, you can count on one hand the Monsters that could oppose Gate Guardian…"

She frowned.

"I've got to think positively…" she thought. "This creature has been defeated before… And I of all people should know that Attack Points aren't always the key to winning.

"Let's hope that Jason and Trisha have something in their decks that can topple a titan."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I knew it…" muttered Trisha. "All dungeons have a boss character…"

"Gate Guardian," said Para, "is he matched in might?"

"That I doubt," said Dox, "victory will be ours this night!"

"Oh, Paradox Brothers, give it a rest!" shouted Jason. "Your speaking in verse is lame at best!"

He held his forehead.

"Darn, now they got me doing it…" he moaned.

They stared at him.

"Forget our rhyming," said Para, "concentrate on the duel. I believe it is now Trisha's turn."

"Fine," said Trisha.

"Scared?" asked the Puppeteer. "Fear not… As you can see, there is no Seal surrounding you… You'll leave this duel with your souls intact…

"Sadly, Russell will not be so lucky."

"We'll find a way to beat that… thing," said Trisha.

She drew a card.

"I activate a Trap Card!" shouted Para, as his facedown card lifted. "Final Attack Orders!

"When this card is in play, all Monsters summoned face-up must be summoned in Attack Mode and kept there."

"Well, in that case…" continued Trisha.

"I activate a Trap as well," said Dox, as his own facedown card lifted. "Light of Intervention.

"This Trap forbids all duelists from setting Monsters in facedown Defense Mode."

"So, you're saying it's either Attack Mode or nothing?" asked Trisha. "Wonderful…"

She played a card.

"In that case, I summon Nanobreaker in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and her lookalike appeared. She drew back in fear from the huge Monster. (1,600/1,800)

"That's all I can do…" she muttered.

"Then, it is my move…" said Dox.

"First, I play… Monster Reborn, to bring back Arsenal Summoner," he said.

The holy symbol appeared, and Arsenal Summoner appeared again. (1,600/1,600)

"Now," he continued. "Arsenal Summoner, I sacrifice you, to summon Monster Tamer."

Arsenal Summoner vanished, and a new creature appeared in a burst of flame…

He seemed to be a Warrior of some sort, dressed in an Arabian headdress and vest, with red pantaloons. He had a black moustache and goatee. He also held a long bullwhip. (1,800/1,600)

"Well, I've never seen him before," said Jason, "but he's a pathetic excuse for a Tribute Monster."

The Puppeteer laughed again.

"How little we know…" he said.

"Monster Tamer is indeed useless in most duels," replied Dox, "for his effect only works in duels where you have another duelist as a partner. You see, normally, I could not control my brother's Monsters…

"But with Monster Tamer, not only can I do so, but when I do, Para's Monsters gain a third of Monster Tamer's Attack Points!"

Jason turned pale… But Trisha was calmer.

"Monster Tamer…" ordered Dox, "attack Nanobreaker!"

Monster Tamer's whip blazed with fire. He leapt up, and lashed it forward, and Nanobreaker exploded.

"Sorry, Nanobreaker…" muttered Trisha.

"And now…" said Dox, with a grin, "I use his effect to take control of Gate Guardian…"

Monster Tamer lashed his whip again, and Gate Guardian rose to an Attack of 4,350…

"Attack Trisha directly! Tempest surge!"

"Ergh… Activate Trap Card…" muttered Trisha.

Gate Guardian crackled with electricity, raised its arms, and shot a huge blast of high-pressure water at Trisha! She struggled to avoid being swept away…

As it stopped, she panted for breath…

**(J & T: 10,450) -------------------- (P & D: 8,000)**

"What?" said Para. "You should have lost more Life Points _that._"

Trisha grinned, and pointed to the Trap she had activated.

Nutrient Z.

"Sorry, bald brothers," she said, "but since that attack was plenty strong enough to fulfill the requirements for this Trap, we gained 4,000 Life Points right before your attack hit me."

They stared at her.

"Do you believe these foolish clods?" asked Dox. "Despite overwhelming odds, they continue to cast their rods."

"Do they hope for a blessing from the gods?" asked Para. "Unlikely… Gate Guardian will reduce them to sod!"

"Are you done?" asked Jason. "if you're goal is to annoy us until we give up, it isn't gonna work…"

"I still have one move to play," said Dox.

The Field Slot on his Disk opened.

"I play Fusion Gate. Now, Polymerization no longer required for any of us in order to summon Fusion Monsters, so long as we remove the component Monsters from play."

A dark cloud, crackling with electricity, appeared over the arena.

"I end my turn."

Jason drew a card.

"I play one card facedown, and summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in Attack Mode," he said.

First, a facedown card appeared. Then, La Jinn appeared in a burst of green smoke, and glared angrily at the two brothers. (1,800/1,000)

This was worrying Jason. Usually when he summoned La Jinn, the Fiend was all smiles and laughs. But ever since the Orichalcos minions had started to show up, the Mystical Genie of the Lamp seemed to have lost his jovial attitude…

Perhaps he and the rest of his Monsters had started to realize the gravity of the whole situation.

"I end my turn," he said.

Para drew a card.

"Since this is a maze, I will now summon an appropriate Monster," he said, "by using my brother's Field Spell Card.

"I remove Cannon Soldier and Giga Tech Wolf from play, to summon Labyrinth Tank!"

Two Machines appeared on the field…

And then, they were sucked into the cloud.

A new Machine appeared, this one a bulky tank, with a huge drill on the front, and several smaller drills around it. (2,400/2,400)

"Labyrinth Tank…" ordered Para, "turn La Jinn to Swiss cheese! Boring rush!"

The Tank's drill spun, and with a rumble and a roar, it sped towards La Jinn. With a bellow, he was blown away.

"Gate Guardian… Attack Trisha directly again!"

Gate Guardian blasted Trisha again with its tempest surge, and this time she couldn't keep from being swept up in it. She tumbled over and fell, sliding ten feet.

**(J & T: 6,100) -------------------- (P & D: 8,000)**

"You sadistic…" said Jason, angrily. "Why did you have to attack her again? I would been just as good a target!"

"You want Gate Guardian to attack you?" said the Puppeteer, who was looking bored. "Fine… Dox, when it's your turn, use that thing to attack Jason. Not like it really matters anyway."

"Mmm!" said Dox.

"I end my turn," said Para.

Trisha crawled to her feet. She drew a card.

_Darn,_ she thought. _The only Monster I have that I can summon with no sacrifice is Cyber Phoenix, and it can't even beat Monster Tamer…_

_We're finished…_

"I summon Cyber Phoenix in Attack Mode…" she said sadly.

She played the card and Cyber Phoenix appeared. (1,200/1,600)

"That's all I can do."

She bowed her head.

_I'm sorry, Russell, _she thought.

Jason smirked at her.

_Is that…_ she thought. _…a smile? Does he have a plan?_

"Very well," said Dox, drawing a card. "Now it will end… Your flesh, our beasts will rend! Monster Tamer, attack Cyber Phoenix!"

Monster Tamer's whip burned with fire…

"I activate… Negate Attack!" screamed Jason.

His Trap Card lifted, and Monster Tamer ran smack into a vortex, falling on his back.

The Puppeteer got up in shock.

"You had that on the field the whole time?" he sputtered. "And you let Para's attacks go through?"

"Strategy," said Jason. "Para could only attack with his own Monsters. But with Monster Tamer, Dox could attack with his _and_ with Para's, and increase the Attack Scores of Para's. So I saved the Trap to repel the more lethal assault that I knew would be coming…"

He turned to Trisha.

"I'm just sorry these two bullies who call themselves duelists were so anxious to beat up on a girl and my partner had to take the hit… I'm sorry, Trisha."

"Fine, for one more turn you survive…" said Dox. "But one Trap will not allow you to thrive."

"We'll see…" said Jason, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"And it's time to take away your advantage! I play the Spell Card… Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and a furious wind encircled the arena! The cloud that made up the Fusion Gate was blown away, and then both Light of Intervention and Final Attack Orders shattered into pieces!

"And now that I'm able to defend again…" he said, "I'll first summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode…"

He played a card, and the goofy clown appeared, crouching in defense. (500/1,200)

"Next, I'll play one card facedown…"

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move."

"Very well!" said Para, drawing a card. "I also place one card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"And Gate Guardian will extinguish your Phoenix's fire! Gate Guardian, destroy Cyber Phoenix!"

Gate Guardian powered up its storm...

"Not so fast!" shouted Jason. "I activate… Staunch Defender!"

His facedown card lifted.

"When this card is activated, all Monsters on your side of the field must attack," he explained, "but they can only attack the Monster I tell them to. And I'm telling them to attack Peten!"

Gate Guardian blasted his tidal surge, drowning Peten.

Jason took a card from his deck and placed it down. A second Peten appeared.

"In case you didn't realize it, that was the card I put in my deck from my side deck," said Jason. "And unfortunately for you, since our Staunch Defender was destroyed by your first attack, you can't make any others."

"Still you persist!" shouted Para, angrily. "We will show you what happens to those who resist!"

He paused.

"My turn is over."

"We'll persist more and more," shouted Trisha. "With Russell's soul on the line, we're not gonna give up! Do you hear me!

She drew another card.

"Okay," she said. "I play… Card of Sanctity!"

She played the card, and a blue flash lit up overhead. Coins fell from the sky.

"Now, all four of us must draw until we all hold six cards," she said.

They all drew. Trisha got the most out of it, and looked over her cards.

"Now, take this…" she said. "Swords of Revealing Light!"

She played the card, and a blizzard of swords blasted forth, forming a cage around Para and Dox.

"Now both of you are out of commission until both of you have taken three turns," she said.

"A mere annoyance, you can be sure," said Para.

"She tries to stall, but it will only frustrate her," said Dox. "Gate Guardian will eventually squash any cur!"

"We'll soon see…" she replied.

She looked at her cards.

_I have a Monster here who could theoretically defeat Gate Guardian,_ she thought. _It needs two sacrifices to summon… And between the two of us, Jason and I have just enough…_

She noticed another card in her hand.

_Hey…_

_I just got the craziest idea…_

She chose another card.

"I play… Monster Reborn," she said.

She played the card.

"No Monster in your Graveyard could defeat Gate Guardian," said Dox.

"True," replied Trisha. "But one in _yours_ can help!"

Dox's discard slot started to glow…

An orb of light flew out of it, and flew to Trisha's side of the field…

Kaiser Sea Horse appeared in front of Trisha. (1,700/1,650)

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

"Don't you know how your own Monster works?" asked Trisha. "If he's used as a sacrifice to summon a Light Attribute Monster, he counts as two Monsters.

"So I'll sacrifice him…"

Kaiser Sea Horse vanished…

"To summon the mighty Emes the Infinity!"

Golden flames appeared in front of Trisha, and a huge, metal creature made of gold and silver appeared. It had four arms, carrying a sword, shield, spear, and rod, and in place of legs, it had a long, serpentine trunk. (2,500/2,000)

"Built in the Heavenly Forges by the God of Smiths," exclaimed Trisha, "this divine Machine of Light will defeat your Warrior of Darkness!"

"An impressive Monster, I will admit," said Para.

"But compared to Gate Guardian," said Dox, "it is of no more worth… than spit!"

"Oh, is it?" asked Trisha, with a grin. "Well, wait until you see what it can do… Emes, attack Monster Tamer! Divine blade strike!"

Emes the Infinity lifted its blades, and rushed forward. Monster Tamer screamed before he was cut down.

**(J & T: 6,100) -------------------- (P & D: 7,300)**

"And now," said Trisha. "Emes's special ability activates… Whenever it destroys a Monster, it gains 700 Attack Points!"

Emes rose to an Attack of 3,200.

The Puppeteer got up, now angry…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Artemis was watching.

"There's still some hope," she thought. "Sadly, Trisha and Jason still don't know what those two are truly capable of…

"Even if Trisha's plan succeeds, she and Jason will have to face something worse…

"One thing's for sure, if they win this duel…

"I'm personally going to nominate them at the next board meeting…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Dox stared at her.

"Your plan cannot be more plain," he said. "You intend to attack our Tank, and make it stronger again, and then cut Gate Guardian in twain."

"To us, your efforts are as tired as the rain!" said Para. "You will soon find that they are in vain."

"You two had better not screw up…" warned the Puppeteer.

"Ahem," said Trisha. "I'll end my turn by placing a card facedown and moving Cyber Phoenix to Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared. Cyber Phoenix folded its wings, and landed.

Dox drew a card.

"I too place one card facedown," he said, as a facedown card appeared. "And now, it is your partner's turn."

"Then I draw…" said Jason, doing so.

"And I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Dox.

His card lifted, showing an image of the silhouettes of two Samurai charging at each other.

"It's called One-On-One Fight!" he declared. "Now, for this turn's Battle Phase, our two strongest Monsters must battle each other! That means Gate Guardian and Emes the Infinity!"

"NO!" screamed Trisha. "Emes isn't ready yet!"

"Too bad…" said Dox, with an evil smile.

"Your wish, is my command…" said Jason. "But before the Battle Phase starts, I'll play this…"

He played a Spell Card.

"Rush Recklessly!" he shouted. "This gives 700 extra Attack Points to any Monster on the field, and I'll give them to Emes the Infinity!"

Para and Dox gasped as Emes rose to an Attack of 3,900!

"And since you can't stop the effect of your own Trap," said Jason, "ready… battle!"

Gate Guardian blasted its tempest surge, but Emes plowed right through it, and slashed at the huge Warrior with its weapons! Gate Guardian groaned, and then exploded into a lightshow of elemental energy!

"ARGH!" shouted Dox. "This teamwork of theirs we must halt!"

"Don't look at me," answered Para. "It wasn't my fault!"

Emes rose to 4,600 Attack.

**(J & T: 6,100) -------------------- (P & D: 7,150)**

"Well, chrome domes," said Jason, "your best Monster was blown to itty-bitty pieces, and since it was a NOMI, your chances of winning just went down the tube."

"You still have yet to pass this test…" said Para, "and as for what you say, we never said that Gate Guardian… was our best!"

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate the Quickplay Spell Card, Wrath of the Immortals! This card can only be activated when a Monster of ten stars of more is destroyed…"

A dark shadow formed upon the field…

"And what does it do?" asked Trisha, nervously.

"For the price of 2,000 of our Life Points, said Para, "it lets us summon a creature that simply can't be bested… The Dark Avatar!"

From the shadows, what looked like a woman in Egyptian style priestess clothing appeared. She was at least seven feet tall, her skin and hair was jet black, and she had black, feathered wings on her arms.

She stared at Jason and Trisha, and her eyes glowed with evil light.

(3,500/3,500)

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Dr. Artemis drew back in surprise.

"Well… uhm… er…" she muttered.

She paused.

"That's… not what I expected…"

She paused again.

"What is _that_?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(J & T: 6,100) -------------------- (P & D: 5,150)**

"Some sort of goddess…" muttered Jason. "And not a very peaceful one, I'm afraid…"

"Wait a minute…" said Trisha. "She isn't even as strong as Gate Guardian?"

"You may have heard the saying once that looks can be deceiving," said Dox. "Go against Dark Avatar, and soon you'll be believing."

"Ahem," interrupted Jason, playing a card. "Continuing my turn, I play… De-Fusion! And my target will be Labyrinth Tank."

Labyrinth Tank vanished.

"Now it returns to your Fusion Deck, Para, leaving you with nothing. Next, I play Monster Reborn, and the Monster I choose is the useful one that Trisha destroyed on her turn…

"Monster Tamer!"

He played the card, and Monster Tamer appeared on the ankh. (1,800/1,600)

"Finally, I place one card facedown," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

Emes fell to 3,900 Attack.

Para drew a card.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Swords of Revealing Light!" he shouted.

The whirlwind blew the Swords into shards.

"Now…" said Para, "Dark Avatar, attack that Monster Tamer, with dark smite!"

Dark Avatar lifted her hands… She called lightning to them…

"Not this time!" shouted Trisha.

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Mystik Wok!" she shouted. "And I'll sacrifice Monster Tamer before your attack hits!"

Monster Tamer vanished.

"Very well…" said Para. "Dark Avatar, switch your target to Cyber Phoenix!"

Dark Avatar blasted lightning bolts forward, and a bolt shot forward, blasting Cyber Phoenix to scrap!

"I forgot all about him!" exclaimed Trisha. "But anyway, when Cyber Phoenix bites the dust, I get to draw one card."

She drew a card.

"It's your move…" said Para.

**(J & T: 7,900) -------------------- (P & D: 5,150)**

Trisha drew a card.

_Hey…_ she thought, as she looked at it. _It's the card from my side deck. Might come in handy…_

"I place one card facedown…" she said.

She played a card, and it appeared.

She considered.

_It seems simple enough…_ she thought. _They have no Traps on their side of the field… And if she truly had the power to defeat Emes, why didn't he order her to attack it?_

_Oh, I hate Monsters that I know nothing about!_

"Emes, attack Dark Avatar!"

Emes swung at the Fairy with its sword...

"I activate Dark Avatar's effect!" shouted Para. "During your Battle Phase, I can spend my Life Points to raise her Attack by the same amount. So I will spend 2,000 of them!"

"WHAT?" shouted Trisha.

As Emes closed in, Dark Avatar rose to at attack of 5,500…

She cast her lightning bolts, and blew Emes away.

**(J & T: 6,300) -------------------- (P & D: 3,150)**

"We warned you, so cease your prattle," said Para.

"Dark Avatar cannot be defeated in battle," said Dox.

"Yeah, to a point," replied Jason. "Only so long as you have Life Points to spend on that effect."

The Puppeteer laughed out loud.

"And just how do you intend to summon a stronger Monster now?" he asked. "Dark Avatar has 3,500 Attack Points!

"Oh, by the way…" said the Puppeteer. "You might be interested in knowing that she can't be destroyed by Traps, Spells, and Monster effects…"

Jason and Trisha stared blankly at the creature in front of them.

"Where… did this card… come from?" asked Trisha, through her teeth.

"Their employer was Maximillion Pegasus himself," said the Puppeteer. "It's a custom card that he made especially for them.

"The thing is… during their mortal lives, they only used her in a practice run, and then never used her again. She scared even them, and they didn't dare keep her in their decks. Some things are so… wicked, even the most ruthless of dueling mercenaries are afraid to use them.

"But… This is not Para and Dox as they were before. The true ones still had some semblance of a light side… Some decency. My specters are created from the dark sides of duelists. They have no compunctions against using a card, even if it is a bit… sinister…"

Dark Avatar's eyes glowed with evil light.

"She has a few drawbacks, of course," continued the Puppeteer. "A card this powerful is not without risks. But we aren't going to tell you what they are…"

"We'll find a way to beat it," said Trisha. "It's your move…"

Dox drew a card.

"I activate my Trap Card," said Trisha. "And it's a Trap I added to my deck especially for this duel… Respect Play."

The Trap lifted.

"For as long as this Trap is active," she explained, "the cards in every duelist's hands are public knowledge."

The images of two cards appeared above Trisha. Five cards appeared above Para, six above Dox, and three above Jason.

"Ha!" said Dox. "What good would it do you to know what our cards are? All of them have but one purpose… Destroying you!"

_Truthfully,_ thought Trisha, _the reason I put it in my deck was so Jason and I could see each other's cards. We might be able to think of a strategy…_

She looked at Jason's cards…

Two Cyber Dragons and Vorse Raider. Not much to work with…

She looked at Para's hand. Another Suijin, another Kazejin, two more Arsenal Summoners, and Life-Absorbing Machine.

Then she looked at Dox's hand: A Field Spell Card that she didn't recognize, Sanga of the Thunder, Magical Shard Excavation, Jirai Gumo (why'd he have _that_?) Mystik Wok, and…

She didn't recognize the last Monster. Defense Wall? What sort of Monster was that?

Dox played a card.

"I summon the Defense Wall," he said.

A creature that could best be described as a stone wall with a face and two arms appeared in front of him. (0/2,100)

"When this Monster is on our side of the field in Defense Mode, you are only allowed to attack him!" he said. "So make your move…"

_So that's it,_ thought Trisha.

Jason drew a card. Trisha saw that it was Pot of Greed.

"I play Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card.

He played the card, and drew twice. Trisha saw a little improvement – Luster Dragon #2 and an odd Trap Card.

"Perhaps everyone has forgotten that Peten has been sitting here doing nothing," said Jason. "Well, I sacrifice him, to summon Luster Dragon #2!"

He played the card, and the huge, emerald Dragon appeared. (2,400/1,400)

"Luster Dragon…" he shouted, "smash down their wall! Emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon breathed fire, and Defense Wall was blown into shards.

Jason looked at Trisha's hand. Her three cards were Cannon of the Machine King, Dekoichi, and Advanced Robotics. Not much to go on there.

"I end my turn with one card facedown…" he said.

He played the odd Trap Card, and a facedown card appeared.

Para drew.

The card he had drawn was a strange one, with a mystical and odd image.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled.

"I play… Riryoku!" he shouted.

"Riryoku?" said Trisha, getting nervous. "What's that…"

Jason started to sweat.

"It's an incredibly rare and powerful card…" he said. "For one round only, Para can take half the Attack Points of one opposing Monster and add it to one of his."

"Yes…" said Para. "So, I'll take half the Attack Points of Luster Dragon, and add them to that of Dark Avatar!"

He played the card.

Luster Dragon fell to an Attack of 1,200, while Dark Avatar rose to 4,700!

"Dark Avatar, attack Luster Dragon!" shouted Para.

Dark Avatar shot forth an even more massive lightning storm, and the resulting explosion threw both Trisha and Jason off their feet.

**(J & T: 2,800) -------------------- (P & D: 3,150)**

"Your trumps are destroyed…" said Para.

"No more will this battle be toyed…" said Dox.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sersei watched Russell with a worried glance.

Artemis walked into the infirmary.

"Dr. Artemis?" asked Sersei, looking up. "How are they doing?"

"The duel isn't over…" she answered, "but they just took a big hit. Frankly, there's only one chance left…"

Sersei looked at her. Artemis looked at the small screen.

"Jason almost has what he needs to summon his most powerful creature," she continued. "But… He's only done it once before… Only once.

"We have to hope."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You can't win now…" said the Puppeteer. "Why not give up, and save yourself from further humiliation?"

"Never!" said Trisha, drawing a card.

She looked at it.

"I place a Monster facedown in Defense Mode, and end my turn," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Very well," said Dox, drawing a card.

He added it to his hand and chose another.

"I play Magic Shard Excavation," he said, playing a Spell Card. "Now, by discarding two cards…"

He discarded the Sanga of the Thunder and the strange Field Card.

"…I can retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard. And I choose to retrieve Monster Reborn."

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now I continue by playing Monster Reborn, to bring back my Monster Tamer!"

He played the card, and Monster Tamer appeared yet again. (1,800/1,600)

"Monster Tamer, attack her facedown Monster!"

Monster Tamer leapt up, and lashed forward with his whip. Dekoichi appeared on the card, and exploded.

"You just flipped my Battlechanted Locomotive," said Trisha, "so now I get to draw one card."

She drew, and the card was revealed to be Double Spell.

"Very well," said Dox. "As if it will matter. Now, I use Monster Tamer's ability, to take control of Dark Avatar, and add 600 to her Attack Score."

Monster Tamer lashed his whip. Dark Avatar rose to an Attack of 4,100.

"Now, Dark Avatar, avenge Gate Guardian!" shouted Dox. "Attack Jason directly!"

Dark Avatar powered up her lightning bolts...

Jason shook his head.

"My partner played Respect Play, and yet you bozos didn't pay attention to the Trap I set?" he asked. "I activate Attack Guidance Armor!"

His Trap lifted, and a suit of fiendish-looking armor appeared. It flew towards Monster Tamer, and clamped down over his chest!

"This acts like a magnet, drawing Dark Avatar's attack away from me, and towards him!" laughed Jason.

Monster Tamer screamed, and was incinerated.

**(J & T: 2,800) -------------------- (P & D: 850)**

"Fools!" shouted the Puppeteer. "Can't you even see straight!"

"Do not worry," said Para. "One more round, and they will be finished…"

"My move!" shouted Jason, drawing a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity!"

He drew three cards. They were revealed to be Cost Down, Emergency Provisions, and his third Cyber Dragon.

He looked at Trisha's side.

He slowly nodded.

He discarded Emergency Provisions and Cost Down.

"I summon Vorse Raider in Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said.

Vorse Raider appeared, and knelt in Defense.

"I'm getting to be annoyed…" said Para, drawing a card. "Your hopes will soon be destroyed! Dark Avatar, attack Vorse Raider!"

Dark Avatar fired her divine lightning, and Vorse Raider was annihilated.

"I'll that's my turn, no more, no less," he said. "Brother, you do the rest."

Trisha drew a card.

"I play my own Pot of Greed…" she said.

She played the card, and drew two.

_Perfect!_ she thought.

"I play… Double Spell!" she said. "Now, I'll discard this…"

She discarded Advanced Robotics.

"…and I can duplicate any Spell Card in either of your Graveyards. And I'll duplicate… Fusion Gate!"

She placed the card in her Field Slot, and once again, the cloud appeared above, crackling with energy.

"Next, I place one card facedown…"

She played a card.

"…and summon Machine King Prototype in Defense Mode."

Prototype appeared, shielding itself. (1,600/1,500)

_I hope Jason knows what to do…_ she thought.

Jason grinned at her.

"Since that was my last card I can play, I end my turn," she said.

Dox drew.

Trisha noticed that the card he had drawn was Call of the Haunted.

"I place one card facedown…" he said.

He played a card, that obviously was Call of the Haunted.

"Now, I summon Jirai Gumo in Attack Mode."

A huge spider with front legs like cleavers appeared. (2,200/100)

"Heh…" said Trisha. "If you attack with that, there's a chance you'll lose half your Life Points."

A coin fell from the ceiling and Dox caught it.

"I'm willing to take that chance," he said. "Jirai Gumo, attack Machine King Prototype!"

The Trapdoor Spider burrowed under the ground, and then sprang up under Prototype, crushing the Machine in its claws.

Dox tossed the coin.

"Heads!" he shouted.

The coin fell to the ground.

They watched it fall.

It was tails.

"That's half of your Life Points gone," said Jason.

"Indeed it was quite a cost," replied Dox, "but I can make up what we lost. I sacrifice Jirai Gumo using Mystik Wok."

He played the card, and the huge Spider vanished into mist.

**(J & T: 2,800) -------------------- (P & D: 2,625)**

"I end my turn with that," he said.

"Then I move…" said Jason.

He drew.

"And now to end this duel," he exclaimed. "I use the Fusion Gate that my partner copied, and remove my _three_ Cyber Dragons from play…"

All three Cyber Dragons appeared on the field.

"To summon the one…"

They were sucked into the cloud.

"…the only…"

Energy pulsated.

"…the Cyber End Dragon!"

A huge form appeared on the field. It was a huge, three-headed metal serpent, with giant wings! It roared from its three mouths! (4,000/2,800)

"Fool…" muttered the Puppeteer. "Have you forgotten Dark Avatar's effect? If you attack with that, they need only spend six hundred Life Points to win the battle.

"We'll see about that…" added Trisha. "I activate my facedown Quickplay Spell Card…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"Limiter Removal!" she shouted. "This Spell doubles the Attack Score of all Machines on our side of the field. And guess what kind of Monster Cyber End Dragon is…"

Cyber End Dragon roared again. It blazed with green energy, and its Attack rose to 8,000!

"_Eight thousand?"_ shouted the two brothers at once.

"No fair!" shouted the Puppeteer.

"Life _isn't_ fair, pal," said Jason. "Anyone who says differently is selling something."

He looked at his two opponents.

"Run out of clever rhymes?" he asked. "Tough. Try spending enough Life Points to make your Dark Avatar strong enough _now_. Cyber End Dragon, nuke the Dark Avatar with super strident blast!"

A blast of the most intense fire ever shot from the Machine's three mouths, and Dark Avatar howled in agony before she shattered to bits. The two Paradox Brothers were thrown backwards and collapsed as the energy ripped through them…

**(J & T: 2,800) -------------------- (P & D: 0)**

"That's game…" said Jason.

Jason and Trisha looked as the smoke cleared. All that was left on the opposing side of the field was a huge scorch mark.

The Puppeteer stood up, more than a little afraid.

"You lost, fellah," said Trisha. "And a deal's a deal…"

"Never…" said the Puppeteer, holding up the Orichalcos card. "You can have him… if you can get him!"

He fled to the passageway nearest to him…

…but his way was blocked.

"Going somewhere?" asked Malvolio.

"Uh…" muttered the Puppeteer.

He ran for another exit.

He was blocked again.

"Hi!" said Silver.

"We kind of expected a double cross," said Jason, as more students entered the room, "so we brought backup."

The Puppeteer backed up…

And stumbled as he hit someone.

He turned around and saw Old Ben.

The gym teacher lifted his metal arm.

"See this hand?" he asked, angrily.

"Uh… Yeah…" muttered the Puppeteer.

Ben socked him with his _right_ hand.

"Should've been watching the other one," he said, as the fiend slumped to the ground.

"Good going," said Jason. "Now, as soon as he comes too…"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" laughed the Puppeteer, in a voice that wasn't his.

He stood up. His eyes glowed.

"Hello," he said, "I believe we spoke on the phone earlier…"

"Who?" asked Jason.

"I'm this idiot's employer," said the voice. "He is the Master Specter, but I am his master, so I can control him, so I've taken over his body and am speaking through his mouth."

"You can control him?" asked Trisha.

"Why, yes…" said the voice. "Here, watch this…"

The Puppeteer started to dance the Swim. If it wasn't so demented, it would have almost been funny.

"Anyway," said the voice, as he stopped, "I can tell you're likely pretty angry at this jerk. He's been getting on my nerves too. Everyone he's summoned so far has been a waste. The only reason he's using the Raviel card is because he's the only one we have who was willing to use it. It tends to scare people.

"I had a feeling that this jerk would try to flee. I want to keep Russell's soul, of course, but without Hermos too, he's a liability, and besides…"

He held up the card.

"…I did give my word as a gentleman, and I like to believe I am one. So since this idiot lost…"

He waved his hand over the card, and Russell's image vanished.

"Who are you?" demanded Jason.

"You may call me Fortunado," said the voice. "Don't bother looking it up in the Yellow Pages, because it's a pseudonym. I'm a movie producer of some importance."

"You're no movie producer…" growled Jason.

"Fine," said Fortunado. "I'm an evil businessman from Los Angeles, which is pretty much the same thing.

"Hear this, Chosen Ones… When midnight strikes and the tenth of November turns into the eleventh, the Black Moon will shine, and not even you three will be able to stop me…"

"We'll see about that…" said Trisha. "We won't be the ones stopping you… We will find the Dark Messiah."

"Not if I can help it…" dared Fortunado.

And then, the Puppeteer simply vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the infirmary, Russell lay silently…

And then his eyes suddenly snapped open…

_Sunday, October 3rd, 2106, 10:52 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MONSTER TAMER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level: **5  
**ATK: **1,800  
**DEF: **1,500

**Card Description:** This strange individual lacks power of his own, but can command the strongest of beasts. You can use the effect of this Monster during a duel in which you have a partner. You can direct your partner's Monsters to attack during your Battle Phase. During your Battle Phase, your partner's Monsters' ATK is increased by a third of this Monster's ATK (rounded down).

_Note: "Monster Tamer" was used by the Paradox Brothers in the multipart anime episode "Double Trouble Duel". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DEFENSE WALL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **2,100

**Card Description:** This solid stone wall isn't much on offense, but is great at defense. When this Monster is on your side of the field in face-up Defense Position, all Monsters on your opponent's side of the field must attack this Monster, if they attack.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ONE-ON-ONE FIGHT (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Silhouettes of two Samurai about to charge at each other.

**Card Description:** During the Battle Phase of a turn this card is activated, your and your opponents' face-up Monsters with the highest ATK must battle each other.

_Note: "Defense Wall" and "One-On-One Fight" were used by the Paradox Brothers in the multipart "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode, "Tag Team Trial". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**WRATH OF THE IMMORTALS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A violent thunderstorm over The Sanctuary in the Sky.

**Card Description:** You can only play this card when a Monster on your side of the field who has ten stars or more is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Pay 2,000 Life Points. Special Summon one "Dark Avatar" from your hand or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DARK AVATAR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **11  
**ATK: **3,500  
**DEF: **3,500

**Card Description:** The Angel of Vengeance. Few have seen her and lived. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Wrath of the Immortals". This Monster cannot be destroyed by Spell or Trap Cards or Monster effects. If this Monster is attacked during your opponent's Battle Phase, you may spend any number of your Life Points to increase the ATK of this Monster by the same amount until the End Phase of the current turn. This Monster cannot be Tributed. If this Monster does not destroy a Monster or attack your opponent directly during your Battle Phase, 1,000 points of damage are inflicted to your Life Points.

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**MAGIC SHARD EXCAVATION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A cluster of glowing blue gemstones.

**Card Description:** Discard two cards from your hand. Take one Spell Card from your Graveyard and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Magic Shard Excavation" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

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**ATTACK GUIDANCE ARMOR (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A gaunt man wearing a fiendish breastplate.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Redirect the attack towards another face-up Monster on the field.

_Note: "Attack Guidance Armor" was first used by Kaiba in the multi-part anime episode "Return to Battle City". He used it frequently after that._

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_**You were likely expecting Dark Guardian. Well, I figured something new might have been better.**_

_**Coming up next:**_

_**You'd think that after losing his soul to the Orichalcos and being rescued, Russell would want to take it easy. Well, you'd be wrong. No one humiliates a member of the Majors family and gets away with it. **_

**_At the highest point in New York City, a battle of epic proportions gets underway, in a chapter that is naturally called, "The Warrior Returning Alive". Don't dare miss it._**


	33. The Warrior Returning Alive

_**Everyone loses a duel every once in a while…**_

_**But I lost a duel to someone who really didn't play fair. He used a counterfeit version of a Monster who can best be described as a force of pure evil. He used a powerful Card of Sin, and did who knows what else…**_

_**Let me tell you something…**_

_**No one makes a fool out of a member of the Majors family and gets away with it.**_

_**He might think his strategy is indestructible…**_

_**I think otherwise. And I'm gonna prove it.**_

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

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**The Warrior Returning Alive**

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_Sunday, October 4th, 2106, 12:10 AM_

Jason and Trisha rushed into the infirmary…

…and saw Sersei feeding Russell something from a bowl that looked like Jell-O.

"Hey guys…" he mumbled. "When did Sersei become a nurse?"

"Russell!" shouted Trisha. "You're all right!"

"Yeah…" he said. "I suddenly come to, and find this crazy chick hugging and kissing me…"

Sersei sighed.

"Russell…" muttered Jason, "she helped get you back…"

As Jason started to explain it, Sersei slowly walked out the door.

She paused for a minute. A tear appeared in her eye…

"Sersei!" called Russell's voice.

She turned and saw him.

"Uh… thank you…" he said.

She gave a small smile.

"So, uhm…" he said. "You want to do something on Friday after class?"

"Uh… Sure…" she said, nervously.

"I'll call you…" he said.

And then he took her face in his hands, and kissed her.

Deeply.

He turned back towards his two allies, leaving her dazed and stunned.

"What happened to the bastard who did this to me?" he asked, angrily.

"Russell, don't even think about it!" snapped Trisha. "We'll deal with the Puppeteer when we're prepared!"

"Right," said Jason. "Now we'd all better get some sleep…"

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In his dorm room, Russell found it hard to sleep. He simply stared at the ceiling, while very unpleasant thoughts passed through his mind.

Anger predominated his mind… It turned into rage…

At around three in the morning, he slammed his fist into his mattress.

He turned on his light. He picked up a piece of paper on his bedside table – the excuse note that Dr. Artemis had written for him for tomorrow.

Then he picked up The Claw of Hermos that was right next to it.

He got up, and took his blazer off his chair. He looked in the pocket…

There it was… That Mysterious Puppeteer card that the Puppeteer of Death had tossed to them before he had made his entrance. Russell still wasn't sure why he had pocketed it rather than just throwing it aside. Maybe he just couldn't bring himself to throw away a Warrior Monster. A dumb-looking Warrior, but still a Warrior.

He walked to his computer. He turned it on and placed the Monster Card next to the mouse.

He gripped the mouse, and clicked on the folder that said "Old Projects". Then he clicked on the file that said "Freshman Final Paper".

An essay with a list came on the screen – a decklist. He rubbed his chin.

"Prepared, huh?" he muttered. "Being prepared might be a good idea…"

He started making adjustments to the list, deleting some cards and replacing them with others.

The last one he added, under Spells, was The Claw of Hermos.

He highlighted the list, and hit the Print command.

Placing the printout aside, he took the Mysterious Puppeteer and picked up a thumbtack. He tacked it to the wall over his bed.

Then he crawled back into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

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At ten AM on weekdays, the Card Shack on campus didn't have many customers. Most students had classes.

That's what Vicky – the owner – liked about this part of the day. The place had a television behind the counter, and she was free to watch her soaps. And since deliveries came on Wednesdays, she was certain she'd be undisturbed until classes broke for lunch.

She was a little surprised when Russell walked in.

"Oh, hi Russell!" she said nervously, changing the channel. "I was just watching… uh, the news."

"Sure Vicky…" sighed Russell.

He whispered to her:

"Don't worry, my mom watches them too, although I think it's only to drive my dad nuts…"

"So, what can I do for you?" she asked, blushing.

Russell handed her a sheet of paper.

"I need some specific cards," he said. "I don't care how much they cost."

Vicky looked at the list.

"Uh huh…" she said. "Uh huh… Well, most of these are easy, but this one…"

She scratched her chin…

"This one I'm going to have to order, Russell," she said. "And it might take a few weeks."

"Weeks?" he asked, clearly disappointed.

"Well, it's not exactly a common card…" she said with a sigh.

"Well, give me the rest of what's on this list…" he said, taking out his credit card.

_Fortunately,_ he thought, _this is a trading card game, emphasis on the word "trade"…_

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At lunch, he was talking to Sean Kishore.

Sean looked at the Spell Card he was holding.

"Well, Russell," he said. "I'll admit, I never actually use this… it's not like I ever need to…

"But it's a very rare card, and I can't trade it for just anything…"

"Well," said Russell. "I happen to have something that any Fire Duelist would envy…"

He held a card up.

"The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys?" said Sean in shock. "That's like…"

"Super rare…" said Russell. "And if it will cement the deal…"

He placed another Monster Card on the table – The Hand of Nephthys.

"She may not truly be a Fire Monster," he added, "but she'll make summoning the big guy incredibly easy."

"I think I'm getting more out of this than you are," said Sean.

"Let's just say that it's vital that I have that card," said Russell, somberly. "As for the Phoenix and the Hand, I don't need them, I don't want them, so I'll trade them."

"Well, okay…" muttered Sean, "but just what are you going to use this for?"

They swapped cards.

"I mean, it isn't like you're going to duel someone who's packing… Obelisk the Tormentor…"

"Not Obelisk…" said Russell, getting up. "His evil twin…"

Sean looked confused as Russell left.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Russell sat at his computer and logged onto the internet.

Then he paused. He looked at the school-issue Ra Yellow blazer he was wearing. He frowned.

He got up and removed it.

"Dumb yellow jacket…" he muttered. "I look like Dick Tracy wearing it!"

He tossed it in with the dirty laundry, and then went to his closet.

He took a long, black trenchcoat off of a hanger.

He nodded, and then put it on.

Then he sat back at the computer.

He typed in the command to send an e-mail. Then he typed in the address, "Puppeteer2B".

He typed in the following message:

_To the Puppeteer of Death:_

_I'm not through with you by a long shot. And your counterfeiting job sucks wastewater. I've taken direct attacks from a Queen's Double that hurt worse. _

_And your costume is stupid too._

_I'll meet you for a rematch on the top of the Freedom Tower. Unless everyone in your organization are a bunch of cowards, you'll be there._

_- Russell_

He clicked Send.

He took the deck of cards next to him, and gave it a thorough shuffle. Then he strapped a belt around his waist, and placed the deck into a holder.

He strapped his Disk on his arm.

Then he took his pocket knife out of his back pocket, and flicked open the largest blade. He looked at the Mysterious Puppeteer on the wall.

With a violent throw, he hurled the knife, and it impaled the card.

"Once more… with feeling…" he muttered, clenching his fist.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Russell? Russell?"

Trisha knocked on the door to his room.

"He's got to be in there…" said Jason.

He took a credit card out of his wallet.

"Hate to do this Russell, but you've been acting distant all day…"

He jimmied the lock open.

They opened the door, and to their regret, he wasn't there.

Jason looked and saw the card on the wall, with a knife through it.

"Not a good sign…" he said.

"The computer's on…" said Trisha.

Jason looked at it.

He took the mouse, and clicked on "Old Messages".

"Nothing here…" he said, looking them over.

He clicked on "Sent Messages".

"Oh… no…" he muttered, as the list came on.

His hand shook, as he clicked on the last one.

"Trisha…" said Jason. "Pray that we aren't too late…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

New York was a city that, in its history, had changed its skyline a few times…

For the longest time, the Empire State Building was the tallest building in the city. This structure was the symbol of New York, so much that the state itself was called The Empire State.

But eventually, the Empire State Building had to place second, when the even grander World Trade Center towers were built. For years, these two monoliths became a new symbol of the grandeur of New York.

But one horrible day, that would forevermore be known simply as 9/11, a vicious terrorist attack struck at the very heart of the city, and toppled the World Trade Center. It was the darkest day in the city's history…

But New Yorkers were resourceful. They coped… they moved on… they survived… And reluctantly and by default, the Empire State Building took back its role as the tallest building in the city… For a while, that is…

To prove that their spirit could not be killed, New York eventually erected a new complex even bigger than the World Trade Center on the demolished towers' site, and named it the Freedom Towers. Proof of triumph of good over evil… light over darkness.

Russell stood on the open-air observation deck as the sun went down, and looked over the city…

Could light triumph over darkness again? He hoped so… That's why he had picked this spot.

Clouds started to gather, covering the sky…

Russell took a small object out of his pocket – a toothpick. He bit down on the end of it…

"Not a very fast learner, are you?" said a voice.

Russell didn't turn around. He knew who was there. He didn't respond at first.

"Nice coat," said the Puppeteer. "Why the sudden change?"

"That's on a need to know basis," growled Russell. "And you don't need to know."

He paused.

"I couldn't just let you alone," he continued. "For all I knew, you could be working on copies of Uria and Hamon, and we can't have that…"

He turned to face the Puppeteer.

"So let's make a deal, Puppeteer of Death," he said. "I'm willing to ante my rarest card against yours. In other words, my Claw of Hermos, against your false Sacred Beast…

"The winner gets to take it from the loser's cold, soulless hand!"

"It's a bet!" snapped the Puppeteer. "And this time, I'll finish you off once and for all!"

"Don't count on it," said Russell. "I'm going to finish what Yugi started in Duelist Kingdom, and send your sorry ass to Hell… Your boss is going to realize that sending you here tonight was a mistake."

Under his mask, the Puppeteer grinned.

_If only he knew,_ thought the specter, _the Master doesn't even know I'm here. I snuck away to face him. Once I regain Russell with Hermos to boot, I'll finally be at the top of the organization._

They heard a "ding", and the elevator opened.

Jason and Trisha rushed out. Trisha gasped for breath.

_Well…_ thought the Puppeteer, _this is REALLY my lucky day…_

"Russell," stammered Trisha, "pardon me for being so blunt… _But are you frickin' CRAZY?"_

"Russell, after all that Sersei, Trisha, and I did to save you…" said Jason, "you're going to duel him again? We're not going to let you!"

"Oh, but he will," said the Puppeteer. "And once I'm done with him, you two are next! _None_ of you are leaving this time!"

"Guys…" said Russell. "We've been friends for a long time. So please don't take this the wrong way…

"Mind your own business."

They looked shocked.

"I told Cassius when I dueled him that no-one tells me what to do, and that means everyone, including you two. I don't need advisors or guardian angels.

"I take orders from one person… me."

He loaded his deck into his Disk.

"Besides… If it will make you feel better, I'm using my Freshman Final Project…"

"But Russell…" protested Trisha.

"Wait…" said Jason.

He paused.

"Russell…" he slowly said. "We won't stop you. Show this costumed bastard how it's done…"

"Jason he…" said Trisha.

"What the heck is wrong with my costume?" asked the Puppeteer, angrily. "I'm not the one who looks like Boggart!"

"Let him duel…" said Jason, ignoring the comment.

Russell and the Puppeteer stared at each other…

The Disks activated…

"Ready… battle!" shouted Russell.

Lightning flashed…

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Puppeteer of Death: 8,000)**

They both drew the top five cards off their decks. Russell paused, and moved his tongue, slowly moving the toothpick from the right side of his mouth to the left.

"I insist…" he said, "make the first move…"

"You're too kind…" said the Puppeteer, drawing a sixth card.

Under his mask, he grinned as he looked at his first hand.

_There,_ he thought. _Both Raviel and the Seal in my opening hand. Lucky me…_

_Of course, it wasn't really luck…_

_That upstart brother of Trisha thought he was a big deal because he knew how to trick shuffle so that all the good cards in his opponent's deck wound up at the bottom…_

_But I know a better way to trick shuffle, and make sure that the best cards in MY deck wind up on TOP every time._

_There was never any doubt… After all, I hold the key to the Master's success in my hands. I'll never give any of my opponents a snowball's chance of beating me._

He flicked his Field Slot open.

"I play… The Seal of Orichalcos!" he shouted.

Lightning flashed again, as the cursed Seal formed.

"Surprise, surprise…" said Russell.

"You're calm now, but that will soon change," said the Puppeteer. "I place one card facedown…"

He set a card, and it appeared.

"Next, I summon Kuriboh."

He played a card, and the tiny Fiend appeared.

"Then, I play the Spell Card known as Multiply," he continued, playing another card. "By sacrificing Kuriboh, this lets me create a Kuriboh Token in Defense Mode on every available space. And since I'm playing the Seal, that means I get nine of them."

Kuriboh vanished, and then nine Kuribohs appeared, five in the front, and four in the back! (300/200 x9) –) (800/200 x9)

"Kuri! Kuri!" they squeaked.

"Why did he do that?" asked Trisha. "Those Tokens can't be sacrificed…"

"Heh, heh," laughed the Puppeteer. "That's only true for a Tribute Summon. Raviel is always a Special Summon. And when a Monster is Special Summoned by sacrificing Monsters, a Monster that normally can't be used as a sacrifice will do the job just fine.

"For example, if I played Scapegoat and turned those tokens into Fiends using DNA Surgery, they'd work too.

"But anyway… I end my turn…"

Russell drew a card.

_Since I didn't summon Raviel right away,_ thought the Puppeteer, _I might fool him into thinking I haven't drawn him yet._

Russell placed a card in his Disk.

"I place one card facedown," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

"And then I summon… Queen's Knight!"

He played the card, and the beautiful female knight appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"Take out one of his Kuribohs!" he shouted.

Queen's Knight frowned.

She gave one of the little Fiends a kick, and it blew into a burst of fluff.

"I'll end my turn there…" he said, staring at his foe.

The Puppeteer drew a card.

_It ends now…_ he thought. _First I'll summon Raviel… Then I'll use his ability to absorb one token, bringing his Attack Score to… 5,300. Next, I'll crush his Queen, bringing his Life Points down to 4,200…_

_And finally, I'll activate my facedown Trap, Ring of Destruction, using it on Raviel. Raviel will be destroyed, of course, but he'll lose 5,300 more Life Points, and this duel will be over._

"I sacrifice three of my Kuriboh Tokens to summon Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!" he shouted.

Lightning flashed again, and three of the Kuribohs vanished…

The gigantic Lord of Phantasms arose, and roared! (4,000/4,000) –) (4,500/4,000)

"Now, Raviel, absorb the power of another Kuriboh," he commanded.

Raviel's claw grabbed one of the Kuribohs, and the Beast glowed, growing to 5,300 Attack.

"Ready or not, Russell, here it comes," he said. "Raviel… attack Queen's Knight. Shivering scraper."

"I can't watch…" muttered Trisha, closing her eyes.

Raviel closed in on Queen's Knight with its gargantuan claw…

"Sorry, pal…" said Russell with a grin, "but I was _ready_! I activate… Magic Cylinder!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"It throws your shivering scraper in reverse! So enjoy the 5,300 points of damage that are going to pound into you!"

A wave of energy pushed Raviel back, and the Puppeteer screamed as he was hit by a tremendous backlash! He flew against the wall of the Seal with an audible splat!

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 2,700)**

"You can look now…" said Jason with a grin.

The Puppeteer gasped for breath… His eyes bugged out of his head…

"Hurts, doesn't it?" asked Russell with a smile. "Good."

_He was expecting that all along!_ thought the Puppeteer, in panic. _If I activate Ring of Destruction on Raviel now, I'll lose!_

He got up.

_I could use it on his Queen's Knight…_

_No! I can't afford to lose any more Life Points! I have to get rid of it…_

"To end my turn…" he muttered, "I'll play Emergency Provisions…"

He played the card, and the Trap Card was consumed.

"Ring of Destruction?" asked Russell. "Looks like your big plan was a big flop…"

_Good thing this is Raviel's twin and NOT Uria's,_ thought Jason.

"I still have Raviel," muttered the Puppeteer.

"Not for long…" said Russell.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 3,700)**

He drew a card.

"You've lost more than half your Life Points in one turn," he said. "And now your strategy is going to come tumbling down.

"I play… Reinforcement of the Army, to bring King's Knight to my hand…"

He got the card from his deck.

"Now I'll summon King's Knight…"

King's Knight appeared. (1,600/1,500)

"And I'll follow with Jack's Knight!"

Jack's Knight appeared next to him. (1,900/1,000)

The three Knights glared angrily at Raviel. Lightning flashed again…

"What are they going to do, stab it in the foot?" asked the Puppeteer. "And don't forget, since you Normal Summoned a Monster, I get to create one Phantasm Token."

A mini-Raviel appeared next to the real one. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000)

"I'm so scared," said Russell, sarcastically. "As for what they're going to do, they're going to destroy Raviel."

"I'd like to see them try it," answered the Puppeteer.

Russell chose a card from his hand.

_Thanks for the card, Sean…_ he thought.

"I play… Brave Attack!" he shouted, playing the Spell Card.

Lightning flashed.

"What does that do?" asked Trisha.

"Glad you asked, Trisha," said Russell. "Queen's Knight, attack!"

Queen's Knight leapt up, and slammed her sword into Raviel's chest! The great Beast cringed…

Queen's Knight fell to the ground in pain and slumped over. She shattered into pieces…

"So much for her…" chuckled the Puppeteer.

"I'm not half done!" answered Russell. "King's Knight, attack!"

King's Knight leapt up, just as Queen's Knight did, and slashed at Raviel with his blade!

He fell to the ground and fell to his knees. He dropped his sword, and then shattered.

"Heh," laughed the Puppeteer. "This is pathetic. Your attempts can't hurt my Beast."

"Take another look…" said Russell. "If you ask me, it seems to be in a LOT of hurt."

The Puppeteer looked up.

"Huh?" he said.

The Lord of Phantasms clearly _was_ in pain. It was clutching its chest, and smoke was pouring from two deep wounds…

"What's happening?" shouted the Puppeteer.

"That's the magic of Brave Attack," said Russell. "My Knights won't survive this assault, but the Spell Card lets them attack as a team, adding their Attack Scores together for one powerful assault.

"So, Queen Knight's 1,500 Attack, plus King Knight's 1,600, plus Jack Knight's 1,900…"

"That's five-thousand…" gulped the Puppeteer, turning pale.

"Congratulations, you can add," answered Russell. "And that's more than enough to take down your Sacred Beast. Jack's Knight, finish it off!"

Jack's Knight glowed with blue fire. He leapt up, and slashed at Raviel with his sword…

Raviel groaned, and an unearthly moan echoed all over the building. Cracks appeared all over its hide…

Then it shattered into bits.

Jack's Knight fell on one knee, and bowed his head… Then he shattered too.

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 3,200)**

Jason and Trisha started to cheer…

"It's your move…" said Russell.

"Well…" said the Puppeteer, drawing a card. "It seems you were able to form a bit of a strategy this time… No matter…"

He played a card.

"I play… Card of Sanctity…"

"Figures…" said Russell.

He drew three cards, and his opponent drew five.

"Next, I'll pad my points," said the Puppeteer. "I'll sacrifice my four Kuriboh Tokens and my one Phantasm Token by playing Token Thanksgiving."

He played the Spell Card, and all the Fiends on his side of the field vanished.

"And for each, I gain 800 Life Points…"

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (P: 7,200)**

"Next, I'll summon Newdoria in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

A thing, lanky, gangly Fiend in an outfit studded with spikes appeared. It crouched in Defense. (1,200/800) –) (1,700/800)

Russell drew.

_He actually thinks I don't know Newdoria's effect? _he thought._ I'm not stupid…_

"I place two cards facedown, and that will do," he said, playing the cards.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"No Monsters at all?" screamed Trisha, in shock. "He's crazy!"

The Puppeteer drew a card.

_Well… _he thought. _I just drew one of my Giant Germs…_

"I place one Monster in Defense Mode…" he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And I'll move Newdoria into Attack Mode."

Newdoria rose up.

"Attack Russell directly," ordered the Puppeteer.

Newdoria lunged forward and slashed at Russell with its claw. Russell's teeth clamped on the toothpick.

He grinned.

A low rumble of thunder groaned, and the first drops of rain started to fall. Apparently, the Seal of Orichalcos, while powerful, was no match for the power of Mother Nature… The raindrops fell through the Seal's dome, not hindered in the least.

"You know…" said Russell, oblivious to the rain, "after taking a hit from Raviel, that barely hurt at all…

"And you made a mistake there pal. It won't be the last."

**(R: 6,300) -------------------- (P: 7,200)**

"My move…" he said.

He drew a card.

"I summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode."

Grepher appeared, holding his powerful broadsword. (1,700/1,600)

"Oh…" said Jason. "Now I get it…"

"Grepher…" said Russell. "Attack Newdoria!"

The two Monsters charged at each other! Newdoria slashed at Grepher with his claw; Grepher slashed at Newdoria with his sword…

Both Monsters burst into pixels.

"Why'd he do that?" asked Trisha.

"When Newdoria is destroyed in battle, one Monster on the field is destroyed," said Jason. "And the effect is _not_ optional. So by kamikazeing Grepher against it, its effect will destroy the Puppeteer's other Monster!"

Giant Germ appeared on the facedown card, and then a misty claw reached towards it and grabbed it, pulling it into the afterlife.

"And I'm not done…" said Russell. "I activate Call of the Haunted…"

One of his facedown cards lifted.

Jack's Knight reappeared. (1,900/1,000)

"…and my Battle Phase continues, so now I'm able to attack _you_, pal. Jack's Knight, attack the Puppeteer directly with knave's blade!"

A furious thunderbolt crashed down as Jack's Knight leapt up, and slashed at the evil minion with his sword. The Puppeteer toppled over.

**(R: 6,300) -------------------- (P: 5,300)**

"I end my turn," said Russell.

The Puppeteer stared at him, and drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed…" he said.

He played the card, and the evil jar appeared. He drew two cards.

"Perfect…" he said. "I play Monster Reincarnation."

He played the card, and discarded a card. A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"So welcome back, Raviel…" he said.

"Next, I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Newdoria…"

He played the card, and Newdoria appeared again. (1,200/800) –) (1,700/800)

"Then, I'll play… Spell Reproduction… I'll discard two other Spell Cards…

He discarded Evil Fog and Fiend's Sanctuary.

"…to play Monster Reborn again."

He played the card, and the ankh appeared again. Kuriboh appeared. (300/200) –) (800/200)

"And then… I'll summon Gil Garth."

He played another card, and the metal Fiend with his huge scimitar appeared. (1,800/1,200) –) (2,300/1,200)

"And finally," he continued. "I sacrifice my three Fiends to summon Raviel yet again."

The three Fiends were consumed, and the Lord of Phantasms arose once more. (4,000/4,000) –) (4,500/4,000)

A roar echoed over the city…

"Not again…" muttered Trisha.

"So you see?" said the Puppeteer. "You're right back where you started…

"Raviel, crush his Jack's Knight!"

Raviel lunged forward…

"Activate… Ready For Intercepting!" shouted Russell.

His Trap Card lifted, and Jack's Knight transformed into a facedown card. Raviel's claw smashed down, flattening him.

The Puppeteer growled.

"It's your move…" he said.

Russell drew a card.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That's all for my move," he said. "And you had to use up every card in your hand to summon Raviel that time. I doubt you can do much to hurt me."

"We'll see," said the Puppeteer.

He drew a card.

The rain turned from drizzle to driving pour as he looked at it…

Even though he was wearing a mask over his mouth, it was clear he was frowning.

"Raviel, attack!" he ordered.

Raviel lunged forward. Big Shield Gardna appeared on the card, and was smashed.

"Guess your Big Shield just wasn't big enough," said the Puppeteer. "Your move…"

Russell drew.

"Time for my Plan B…" he said.

"Plan B?" gasped the Puppeteer.

Russell took a card.

"There's a story behind my next Monster…" he said, as thunder rolled. "As you know, Freed the Matchless General is a general, but no one in an army ever starts out as a general. Even Freed started small. Before he became an officer in charge of a regiment, he was just a soldier, a good soldier, and he was known as Freed the Brave Wanderer.

"And now I summon Freed as he was when he was young… Freed the Brave Wanderer, rise up in Attack Mode!"

A beam of light pierced the clouds, and the rain halted for an instant, as a figure appeared in a flash. The Warrior who appeared looked a lot like Freed, only younger, and a bit more radiant.

He glared at Raviel as rain bounced off his armor. (1,700/1,200)

"Pathetic," said the Puppeteer. "Here comes another Phantasm Token…"

Another token appeared. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000)

"And just how is he going to stand up to Raviel? He isn't even as strong as the real Freed."

"Maybe you should do some research," said Russell. "I'm activating Freed's effect. By removing two Light Attribute Monsters in my Graveyard from play…"

Queen's Knight and King's Knight slipped out of his discard slot.

"…Freed can destroy any Monster who's stronger than he is."

"WHAT?" shouted the Puppeteer.

"Freed, wipe out Raviel!" ordered Russell.

Freed the Brave Wanderer swung his sword forward, and a ray of light blasted forward. Raviel groaned again, as a blinding aura of light surrounded it… The light started to seep into its hide, and it fell on one knee… It started to sizzle and smoke…

Then it fell to both knees, and was blasted into shards of rock!

The Puppeteer stared in disbelief.

"Your big, bad brute bit the dust again," mocked Russell. "Now, Freed, show him how you got your name! Attack the token! Blade of the Brave!"

Freed leapt up, and split the Phantasm Token down the middle. It shattered.

**(R: 6,300) -------------------- (P: 5,200)**

"YAY!" shouted Trisha.

"Is it beginning to sink into your dense, cobweb-filled skull yet what my Freshman Final Project was?" asked Russell. "I composed a deck that I believed could be used to defeat the Sacred Beasts. I got an A+ on the project… I never thought I'd use this deck for real, but it seems to be working…

"You saw Plan A and Plan B, and I have a Plan C and Plan D ready if Raviel comes back again…

"So why not bring it back again? I'd just _love_ to blow it to pieces again. It's fun."

_Okay…_ thought the Puppeteer, getting scared. _I am NOT gonna be the one to explain to the Master how I lost the Raviel card! Oh, why didn't I pack an escape route of my own?_

He drew a card.

_Yes!_

"I play Pot of Avarice!" he said, playing a Spell Card. "Now I can shuffle five Monsters from my Graveyard into my deck, and then draw twice."

Five cards fell out of his discard slot. He took them and started to shuffle. Then he made two draws.

"Nuts…" said Trisha. "Now Raviel is back in his deck…"

_Actually, it's back in my hand,_ thought the Puppeteer_, thanks to my trick shuffling…_

He played a card.

"I play the very rare card called Vase of Unholy Blight," he said. "I remove one Dark Attribute Monster in my deck from play…"

He showed them a Giant Germ.

"Then I reshuffle again…"

He reshuffled.

"And then I draw three times!"

He drew three cards.

"Finally, I summon Dark Elf in Attack Mode."

With a cackle, a woman best described as Mystical Elf's evil twin, with black hair dressed in a dark dress appeared. (2,000/800) –) (2,500/800)

"Huh?" asked Russell. "She's no Fiend! And if you attack with her, she'll cost you 1,000 Life Points."

"Who said I had to play only Fiends?" replied the Puppeteer. "Who said I was going to attack with her? I'm using her as an offensive wall. And with 2,500 Attack Points, you only have a few Monsters in your deck that can defeat her."

Russell paused.

_Truthfully,_ he thought, _in this version of my deck, I only have two – Gearfried the Swordmaster and Arcana Knight Joker. Most of the big guns were taken out to make room for Effect Monsters to act as giant killers._

_And he left out something… If he summons Raviel again, he can sacrifice that Elf to pump up its Attack Score to 7,000!_

He drew a card.

"I switch Freed to Defense Mode…" he said.

Freed knelt in Defense.

"…and place another Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared.

The Puppeteer drew a card.

"Eh… I pass for this turn…" he grunted.

Russell drew.

"I will too…" he said.

His foe drew again.

He fit three cards into his Disk.

"First, I place three cards facedown," he said.

They appeared.

"Next, I play a Spell Card called Gryphon's Feather Duster. This Spell destroys all the Spells and Traps on my side of the field – except the Orichalcos of course – and I gain 500 Life Points for each."

A fierce wind blew over the field, and the three Trap Cards lifted up…

They were Statue of the Wicked cards.

They shattered.

Three Wicked Tokens rose up, and glared at Russell. (1,000/1,000 x3) –) (1,500/1,000 x3)

**(R: 6,300) -------------------- (P: 6,700)**

"You remember this trick, right?" asked the Puppeteer. "I sacrifice my Wicked Tokens…"

The Tokens were consumed by fire, and vanished in clouds of steam...

"And Raviel, welcome back one more time…"

The Lord of Phantasms rose again. (4,000/4,000) –) (4,500/4,000)

"Man…" muttered Trisha. "No matter what Russell does, the thing just keeps coming back!"

"Attack Freed the Brave Wanderer!" shouted the Puppeteer.

Raviel lunged forward, and smashed Freed.

"No way I'm letting you use _his_ effect again," he muttered. "I place my last card facedown, and end my turn."

Another facedown card appeared.

"Don't give up, Russell!" shouted Jason, as Russell drew. "He has no cards in his hand, and you have seven now!"

Russell placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared next to the first one.

He waved his arm to signal the end of his turn.

The Puppeteer drew a card, and looked at it.

"Attack his first facedown Monster!" he shouted.

Raviel lunged forward.

A woman with long, red hair, in dark armor, holding a katana appeared kneeling on the card…

She stared defiantly at Raviel as he swung down with his claw…

With one smash, she was crushed.

"Gotcha again, loser…" said Russell, with a smile.

"What do you mean?" asked the Puppeteer. "Your Warrior was killed!"

"Your Monster isn't gonna look so pretty either in a few seconds…" answered Russell.

Raviel howled, as if in incredible pain! Smoke started to pour from cracks in its hide… Its eyes glazed over…

And then it blew into bits for the third time.

"What happened?" screamed the Puppeteer.

He looked at disbelief at the stones and debris that made up the Fiend Lord's remains…

"The Monster it just destroyed was a Warrior named Getsu Fuhma," answered Russell.

Getsu Fuhma's ghost appeared behind him. She crossed her arms, and grinned.

"Getsu Fuhma lost her parents and brothers to creatures of darkness when she was a child," explained Russell, "so when she got older, she swore an oath in her own blood that she would destroy such creatures, even if she had to die in the attempt. In game terms, any Fiend or Zombie that she battles is automatically destroyed, even if she loses the battle."

The ghost vanished.

The Puppeteer growled.

"Know what the problem is, pal?" asked Russell. "Your deck has a failing strategy. It depends too much on just one powerful Monster, so it isn't as hard to defeat as you might think.

"You forgot one of Seto Kaiba's most important rules… Never base your whole strategy around one powerful card."

The Puppeteer burst out laughing…

"What's so funny?" asked Russell.

"Kaiba said _that_?" asked the Puppeteer. "Well, it seems he was not only an egotist, he was a hypocrite!"

"WHAT?" shouted Jason. "How dare you make such an accusation!"

"But it's true…" replied the Puppeteer. "You need not look further than his duels in the first Battle City…

"During that tournament, Kaiba relied on Obelisk the Tormentor for _everything_. It seemed he simply couldn't win unless he summoned his precious God Card. He even neglected his poor Blue-Eyes White Dragons in favor of that card.

"If you ask me, he was addicted to it. Rich men love powerful things, it deludes them into thinking that they make _them_ more powerful.

"If I had been Kaiba, I would have thanked Yugi for taking it away from him. If by some chance he had won that fateful battle and gotten Slifer as well, his ego would have made him think that he was just as much a god as those cards…

"And he would have crashed and _burned_ trying to win Ra from Marik, and his last thoughts might have been the realization that he had become drunk with the power, and that Obelisk was the one responsible for it all."

There was a long pause.

"If you weren't in that Seal, buddy," said Jason, "I'd make you eat that silly hat of yours."

"Well, I'm in here, and you're out there," answered the Puppeteer. "So drop dead."

He turned to Russell.

"Now where were we?" he said. "Ah yes… I believe it was your turn. You won't defeat it so easily next time."

Russell drew.

"I activate… Multiple Destruction!" exclaimed the Puppeteer.

His Trap Card lifted, showing the image of three cards on fire.

"Now, both players must discard their whole hands, and draw five new cards," he explained. Of course, it costs me 200 Life Points for every card I have to discard, but since I only have one card in my hand, it barely matters."

They discarded their hands, and drew five.

_Crap…_ thought Russell. _My Exile of the Wicked card was in that hand…_

**(R: 6,300) -------------------- (P: 6,500)**

"Very well," said Russell. "I flip Axe Raider into Attack Mode…"

Axe Raider appeared, holding aloft his axe.

"And next, I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight…"

Gearfried appeared, holding his blades aloft. (1,800/1,600)

"Neither of them can destroy your Elf, so I'll end my turn."

The two Warriors glared at the Puppeteer as he drew. Rainwater dripped down their faces…

His eyes opened wide.

"You really think that there's no way to summon a Sacred Beast from the Graveyard?" he asked. "Well, you're about to be proven wrong. I have in my hand a card that Kagemaru himself had in his deck, but never used…"

He played the card.

"I play Revival of the Beast. For the cost of 1,000 Life Points, this card does indeed allow me to Special Summon a Sacred Beast from the Graveyard, so long as I Equip it with this card…"

With a rumble, the Lord of Phantasms rose out of the floor, its eyes glowing with evil light. (4,000/4,000) –) (4,500/4,000)

"Of course," he repeated, "I can't attack with it on the round I play this card… But Dark Elf can. Dark Elf, wipe out his Axe Raider! Dark curse!"

Dark Elf cackled, and cast a sinister spell. Axe Raider cringed, and shattered into pieces.

**(R: 5,500) -------------------- (P: 4,500)**

"That cost _you_ more Life Points than it did _me_!" snarled Russell.

"Do I tell you how to duel?" asked the Puppeteer. "Make your move."

Russell drew a card.

"I switch Gearfried to Defense Mode…"

He turned his card, and Gearfried knelt.

"And place another Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"I end my turn."

The Puppeteer drew a card.

"I summon someone who I put back in my deck with Pot of Avarice," he said. "You remember Gil Garth, right?"

The sinister metal Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,200) –) (2,300/1,200)

"Heh, heh…" chuckled the Puppeteer. "Your Big Shield Gardna is already in your Graveyard! Your facedown Monster can't possibly have a Defense that could beat Dark Elf's Attack. I'll have Gil Garth destroy Gearfried, have her destroy it, and attack you directly with Raviel!

"Gil Garth, attack the Iron Knight with doom blade!"

Gil Garth flew forward, and cut Gearfried down.

"Dark Elf, wipe out his facedown Monster!"

Dark Elf fired her dark curse…

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian appeared on the card, and blocked the attack! (1,400/1,200)

"Heh, heh…" muttered Russell. "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian can't be killed in battle by Monsters who have 1,900 Attack Points or more. Gil Garth and Dark Elf are too powerful, and Raviel is WAY too powerful!"

"No… way…" muttered the Puppeteer. "How could you be that lucky?"

"Puppeteer…" said Russell, "you cheat and deceive using unfair tactics. Up from the point this duel started, I'm not just the Chosen of Hermos…

"I am Retribution. And like I said, I intend to finish what Yugi started a century ago… For fouling Duel Monsters by using that evil card, and cheating on top of it, you are going to suffer for it!"

This time, lightning seemed to fill the entire sky…

"Cheating, me?" asked the Puppeteer. "I didn't…"

"Save it!" shouted Russell. "I know you rigged your first hand, so don't lie on top of it. Hermos was watching you trick-shuffle. He told me right before the duel started."

There was a long pause.

"He's got an unbreakable defense, but Raviel is still there…" said Jason.

"Don't worry," said Trisha. "If Russell keeps this up, he might deck this creep out…"

_She's got a point…_ thought the Puppeteer, nervously. _I never expected this duel to last this long…_

**(R: 5,500) -------------------- (P: 3,500)**

"Is it my turn yet?" asked Russell.

"I'll place a card facedown and end my turn," cursed the Puppeteer, as a facedown card appeared. "So I'm a cheater… I'd like to see you stop me. As you can see, the Seal doesn't seem to care…"

As Russell drew, he glanced at the facedown card.

He looked at his cards.

He looked at the Puppeteer's facedown card.

_Hope this works…_ he thought.

"I move Obnoxious Celtic Guardian to Attack Mode…" he said.

The Warrior stood up.

"And now I'll summon… Exiled Force!"

The disheveled band of warriors stepped out. (1,000/1,000)

Another Phantasm Token appeared.

Fire appeared in the Puppeteer's eyes.

"But don't worry," said Russell, "I'm not going to use Exiled Force's effect…"

He took another card.

"I play… The Claw of Hermos!"

Lightning flashed, and with a roar, the gargantuan form of Hermos flew towards the Freedom Tower, circled it, and appeared next to Russell!

"And now, Hermos will bond with Exiled Force, to form the Armor of the Exiles!"

Hermos and Exiled Force vanished, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian stretched out his arms. His splendid green and brown armor was replaced by fancy, red, leather armor, stained with ancient symbols.

"I can't believe you fell for it again…" said the Puppeteer with a laugh. "I activate my Card of Sin… the Legendary Dragon slayer… Orichalcos Absorption!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"Not again!" screamed Trisha.

"Yes, again!" laughed the Puppeteer, "and again, and again! And as you know, for the price of half my Life Points, it lets me sacrifice your meddling elven warrior, taking his fancy new duds with him…"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian vanished.

"…and then permanently adds his base Attack Score to one of my Monsters…"

Raviel glowed, and rose to an Attack of 5,900.

"Russell, dear child…" said the Puppeteer. "You're about to lose your soul… again."

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…" laughed Russell.

He laughed softly.

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

"What?" asked the Puppeteer.

"No, loser… YOU are!" said Russell, with a wicked expression. "You did exactly what I wanted you to do, you big idiot!"

"What do you mean?" asked the Puppeteer. "You're defenseless, and…"

And then, Raviel, Dark Elf, Gil Garth, and the Phantasm Token vanished into nothing!

"WHAT?" screamed the Puppeteer. "_What happened?_"

"I knew you'd use your Legendary Dragon-slaying card when I used The Claw of Hermos," laughed Russell. "In fact, I was counting on it the whole time!

"And so did Hermos, so he told me just how to use the card. Armor of the Exiles has an effect that is activated when my opponent sacrifices the Monster it is Equipped to.

"When you do that, all Monsters on your side of the field… Are removed from play. Gone.

"So what now, Puppeteer? Even if you have Dimension Fusion, a Sacred Beast can't be summoned with that card. The way I see it, there's only one way to retrieve Raviel this time…

"You must find a way remove two more cards from play, and then play Miracle Dig. I doubt you even have that Spell Card in your deck.

"It's your move… Let's see how long you last without the card that _you're_ addicted to. It's gonna be a very painful withdrawal…"

**(R: 5,500) -------------------- (P: 1,750)**

Jason and Trisha hugged each other.

"He's gonna do it!" cried Trisha.

The Puppeteer drew a card.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Russell drew.

"I summon Command Knight in Attack Mode."

He played the card. Command Knight appeared. She raised her blazing sword, and steam rose from it as the rain hit it. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900)

"Attack! Burning blade!"

Command Knight's sword burned with fire, and she charged, her feet splashing over the watery arena floor…

She swung…

A spooky-looking grim reaper appeared on the card, and blocked the attack with its scythe. (300/200) –) (800/200)

"Meet my Spirit Reaper," said the Puppeteer. "Not the strongest Monster, but it can't be destroyed in battle."

"In that case, I end my turn," said Russell. "You'll run out of cards soon enough."

The Puppeteer paused.

"Ugh…" he muttered, drawing a card. "Where was I?"

He held his head, as if dizzy.

"Seems to me that Dr. Death is getting a nasty headache," said Jason.

"It's that Card of Sin he used," answered Trisha. "I'm guessing it was one of the most powerful ones they have. He expected to win on the round after he used it… But since he hasn't, having used it is taking a mental toll."

"We'll soon see, Russell," continued the Puppeteer. "I must admit, you've pushed me to my limit. Therefore, I must use my absolute last resort…

"First, one card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"Then, I play this!"

Lightning flashed as he held up the last card in his hand…

"It's another Card of Sin… If I was in charge of naming them, I'd call this one, Last Monster Standing. However, the one who created it decided to call it… Orichalcos Lifeline!"

He played the card, and it appeared. It was an image of a frightened woman reaching for someone who was pulling her away from hands who were trying to drag her into a grave… However, the one saving her was a demon of some sort, so she wasn't in the best situation.

"This Continuous Spell Card is incredibly complex, so listen closely," said the Puppeteer. "First, it can't be destroyed unless the Seal itself is destroyed, which means, basically, it can't.

"Before you think this gives me an advantage, I have to end my turn after the effect of this card resolves, meaning I can't attack.

"Now that that unpleasant part is out of the way… This card lets me Special Summon any Monster that I have summoned during the course of the duel, and I can ignore any restrictions on Special Summoning. Guess who I'm bringing back…"

Raviel, Lord of Phantasms appeared out of the shadows, now looking incredibly angry. (4,000/4,000) –) (4,500/4,000)

"Oh, please…" said Russell. "A card that powerful has to have a catch…"

"It has lots of catches!" interrupted the Puppeteer. "Let me finish!"

"Sorry…" said Russell.

"Thank you!" said the Puppeteer. "Ergh, now what was I about to say? Oh right, the catch. Next, my opponent, meaning you, can also summon whatever Monster you want, no matter where in your Disk it is, and you can also ignore any Special Summoning restrictions."

Russell looked at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Even Fusion Monsters?" he asked.

"Yes, even Fusion Monsters!" replied the Puppeteer. "Now get on with it!"

"Then I choose my most powerful creature…" said Russell. "Arcana Knight Joker!"

With a brilliant burst of light, the powerful Knight appeared next to Command Knight. (3,800/2,500) –) (4,200/2,500)

"Uh… Okay…" said the Puppeteer. "Not… exactly what I expected…"

He looked at Joker nervously…

"Anyway," he continued, with a quiver in his voice, "now, these two Monsters are our lifelines, so to speak… You see, my Card of Sin has drastically changed the rules of the duel…

"Life Points don't matter anymore. Whoever loses the Monster that was summoned by this card first, automatically loses.

"And now that you know the rules…

"…I end my turn…"

He held his head again.

"This is crazy!" whispered Trisha. "Raviel has 300 more Attack Points than Joker!

"And with Spirit Reaper on the field, he can increase its Attack to 5,300. How can Russell win this?"

"He'll have to… try…" said Jason.

Russell drew a card.

He looked hard at the Puppeteer's facedown card.

"I play two cards facedown," he said, "and end my turn…"

Two facedown cards appeared.

The Puppeteer drew a card.

A combination of rainwater and sweat dripped from his face…

_Arcana Knight Joker?_ he thought_. I was expecting Gilford the Legend. Where on earth did he get a Monster THAT powerful? It might even be able to defeat Raviel in battle…_

He looked at the card he had drawn.

_This is going to hurt me more than Raviel could ever hurt him,_ he thought, _but I don't have a choice…_

"I play… this!" he shouted.

"_Another_ Card of Sin?" gasped Russell. "That has GOT to be illegal!"

"All of them are illegal…" muttered the Puppeteer. "Did you really think these were approved by Industrial Illusions? Call it unfair if you like, but I don't care. I'm not letting you win.

"This one is called Orichalcos Polymer."

He played the card. It looked sort of like Polymerization, but with the Seal in the background, and the two creatures were more demonic.

"Now, watch…" said the Puppeteer.

Spirit Reaper flew up in front of Raviel…

Then it turned into black goo, and was absorbed into the great Beast's chest.

"Yuck…" said Trisha.

"What did you do?" asked Russell.

"I doubt I'll need to tell you," said the Puppeteer. "Raviel, attack Arcana Knight Joker! Shivering scraper!"

Raviel reared up to attack…

"Go, facedown cards!" shouted Russell, as his Trap and Quickplay lifted. "Rush Recklessly and Reinforcements! Now, Joker gains 1,200 Attack Points!"

Jason and Trisha cheered as Joker rose to an Attack of 5,400! He leapt up and slammed his sword into Raviel's chest, and the Beast crashed to the ground…

But then, to everyone's shock, Raviel slowly got up…

**(R: 5,500) -------------------- (P: 850)**

"What?" gasped Russell. "He should have destroyed it…"

"Ordinarily, he… he would have," said the Puppeteer, stuttering. "But I used Orichalcos Polymer… to bond Spirit Reaper with Raviel. Now, Raviel gained one of Spirit Reaper's effects – he can't be destroyed in battle."

"You gotta be kidding…" muttered Russell.

"Make your move…" groaned the Puppeteer.

Russell looked at him.

_This is hurting him more than he realizes it!_ he thought. _I can hear his heart beating like some runaway jackhammer! If this keeps up, his heart is likely to explode!_

_And there's more… The storm…_

_Every time he's revived this creature, the storm has gotten more violent, more furious! Some higher force is getting angrier and angrier the longer this goes on…_

_And I have a sinking sensation…_

_That I'M not the one it's angry at…_

"Don't get too cocky…" he said. "Don't forget, you're almost out of cards…

"And you've used _three_ Cards of Sin so far. I can tell that the toll it must be taking on you must be maddening… This duel might well end with an artery in your head blowing.

"Oh, I'd just _love_ to see that."

"You let me worry about that…" groaned the Puppeteer, wiping his brow. "You worry about _him_."

He pointed at Raviel.

Russell drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed…" he said.

He played the card, and then drew twice.

He looked at them.

_Gearfried the Swordmaster and…_ he thought. _And…_

He looked at the Trap Card.

He looked hard at the Puppeteer's facedown card.

"I place one card facedown," he said, placing a card in his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

"And I Equip Joker with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade."

Joker's sword vanished, and the enchanted blade appeared in his hand. His attack rose to 5,000.

"Your move," he said.

"I draw…" said the Puppeteer.

He drew a card.

"Eh…" he growled, waving his hand.

Russell made a draw.

_This is tricky, _he thought. _That facedown card of his is clearly something deadly… He wouldn't bluff with stakes this high…_

_And I just know that of the few cards he has left, he has something he can use to destroy Joker. Any Monster at all could raise Raviel's Attack Score to over 5,000… and if I summoned anything, he'd get one automatically._

_I've got to be very careful. My facedown card might just work, if he's set up his strategy the way I think he has…_

"I pass as well…" he said.

The Puppeteer wiped the sweat from his brow and clutched his head. His hand shook as he drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "I summon… my second Newdoria… in Defense Mode."

The gangly Fiend appeared again. (1,200/800) –) (1,700/800)

"Ugh…" groaned the Puppeteer. "Let's see… I could sacrifice it… to power up Raviel, but unfortunately… I'm running out of Monsters. So just in case that facedown card of yours is a Negate Attack or worse…"

He played the other card in his hand. It was a Spell Card with a dramatic picture of Command Knight throwing herself in front of an arrow that had been fired at Freed.

"I play Martyrdom," he said. "During the… Battle Phase of the round… I use this card… I can direct the attack of one of my Monsters against one of my own.

"So… Raviel… Crush Newdoria!"

Raviel's claw formed into a fist…

"No…" gasped Trisha. "Does that count as destroyed in battle?"

"It most certainly does…" muttered the Puppeteer.

Raviel's fist squashed the smaller Fiend flat.

"…which means I can activate its effect…"

A ghostly hand reached for Arcana Knight Joker… He stepped back in horror…

"Do you even know about Joker's powers?" asked Russell, taking a card from his hand. "If he's targeted by a Spell, Trap, or Monster effect, I can save him by discarding a card of the same type. And I just happen to have a Monster Card right here…"

He discarded Gearfried the Swordmaster.

"So your Monster's effect is negated. Oh well…"

The ghostly hand dissipated. Joker breathed a sigh of relief, and wiped his forehead.

The Puppeteer made no response. He muttered something incomprehensibly and waved his hand.

"That was a close call…" muttered Trisha. "Why would anyone even design a Spell Card like that?"

"Can you even ask?" replied Jason. "There's a ton of Monsters who you benefit from if they're destroyed in battle. Sangan, Pixie Knight, all the Attribute searchers, Masked Dragon, anything with a flip-effect…

"But now the Puppeteer may be up the creek. He said himself, he's running out of Monsters."

Russell drew a card.

"I'll just pass this turn," he said. "Let's see you beat me now…"

The Puppeteer drew.

He gasped for breath…

"I… summon… Giant Orc…" he stammered…

The huge ogre holding his bone club appeared. (2,100/0) –) (2,600/0)

"And next… I use… Raviel's effect!"

Raviel grabbed Giant Orc, and the smaller Fiend vanished. Raviel's Attack rose to 7,100.

"No…" pleaded Trisha.

"Raviel… ATTACK!" screamed the Puppeteer.

The huge Fiend reached forward…

"Not so fast, Puppeteer," said Russell. "I'm going to take my last gambit… You'd better hope that your facedown card is just a bluff…"

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate… Reverse of Reverse! This Trap Card allows me to take the facedown card you most recently set on the field, and activate it as mine…"

The Puppeteer turned pale…

His facedown card vanished, and reappeared on Russell's side.

It slowly lifted…

…and the light from Mirror Force shone all over the field!

"I thought so," said Russell. "And since it's too late to call off your attack…"

Raviel moaned once again, as the overpowering light shone on it. Like something out of Hell itself, it let out an unholy scream…

And then, it shattered into pixels.

Arcana Knight Joker stood triumphantly.

"Your Lifeline has been beaten," said Russell. "You lose…"

Apparently, something shattered in the Puppeteer's head. He collapsed to his knees, and his cards spilled on the floor…

What he said next was not recognizable. Only low, wet gasps came out.

Finally, he spoke in a weak voice.

"No…" he gasped. "How could I… lose…

He fell flat on the floor.

"How could I lose with a Sacred Beast…"

"It wasn't even a Sacred Beast," answered Russell. "It was nothing more than a cheap imitation.

"It couldn't have held a candle to the real thing.

"When you get to Hell, tell them Russell Majors sent you…

"Cease fire!"

And then something strange happened…

Rather than the usual lightshow, the Seal of Orichalcos shattered into pieces!

The Puppeteer of Death sat up, and screamed. He dropped his Duel Disk, and held his head…

And then _he_ seemed to explode into pieces more violently than any Monster who had perished during a duel.

Joker and Command Knight grinned, and then faded away.

Russell took some slow, deep, gasping breaths… Trisha and Jason went up to him.

"How did you know that Trap would work?" asked Jason.

"Common sense," said Russell. "He likely knew that I was able to increase Joker's Attack, so he played a Trap that would destroy him if I attacked, in which case, he'd have won."

"What do you suppose happened to him?" asked Trisha.

Russell took the toothpick from his mouth and then flicked it away.

He went up to the dropped Disk. It looked like it had been torched, and most of the cards were singed. The ones that weren't were a soaked mess.

He picked up the counterfeit Raviel card, which was dry and unharmed.

"Don't know, don't care," he answered. "But let's see if he's a threat any more without this…"

He took a lighter of his pocket, and held the card to the flame. It only smoldered at first, but eventually, it caught fire.

As the card burned, lightning flashed more than ever, and thunder roared. It seemed like some force of evil was screaming in agony as the evil thing died… But certainly, the storm was fighting a losing battle…

And as the last of the counterfeit card crumbled into ash, the rain stopped and the clouds parted, revealing the night sky, with the full moon peacefully looking down.

"So…" said Jason. "Now what?"

Russell looked at the moon. He didn't answer. He held himself, as a chill went through him.

"Uh, why the black coat?" asked Trisha.

Russell looked at her.

"I like this coat…" he muttered.

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The Puppeteer was on his knees in a dark chamber, and he was dreading what was about to happen.

He wasn't facing Fortunado… Fortunado was standing behind him, as were the Three Swordsmen.

In front of him was a dark figure on a throne made of obsidian. Only the figure's eyes could be seen – shining points of silvery light.

"The Puppeteer of Death," said the figure. "Quite an intimidating title for such an abysmal failure…"

The figure's voice was like the buzz of a hive of hornets at their angriest.

It stared at him.

"I gave you custody of my most potent weapon… I enhanced your ability to create specters, I let you have access to three powerful Cards of Sin, two more than anyone else is allowed at one time… And how do you repay me?

"First, despite the great power you were entrusted with, you prove incapable of summoning anyone who is capable of winning a Shadow Game. Then you lose the Chosen of Hermos.

"And now, that Chosen has made a fool out of you by challenging you to a duel that you accepted without permission, which any of us could have seen as an obvious trap, and as a result, Raviel's doppelganger has been slain…"

The eyes glared at him.

"I specifically said that you were not to face one of them again until we had enough power to create a second doppelganger! What were you trying to prove?"

"I thought…" muttered the Puppeteer.

"You wanted to prove you were superior to them _and_ to your colleagues by not only defeating one of the Chosen," interrupted the figure, "but by doing so _twice_. Russell may have defeated you, but your ego did so first."

The figure's eyes glowed brighter.

"Raviel is the most powerful of the Sacred Beasts," continued the figure. "That is why I used a considerable amount of energy to create its doppelganger first. Now that it is dead, completing the doppelgangers of Uria and Hamon will be impossible… What we have so far will now never be more than novelty cards.

"And the plan to obtain the true Sacred Beasts is doomed to darkness.

"You're no more than the same pathetic failure who tried to defeat Yugi with a cheap copy of Kaiba so long ago… I see now that bringing you back to the mortal plane was a mistake."

The figure rose off the throne.

"It cannot be accepted, Puppeteer," said the figure. "Time to give the devil his due…"

"Oh, this is gonna be great…" muttered Sebastian.

Two dark hands with long, silvery fingernails reached towards the Puppeteer…

"Your excellence, wait!" he pleaded. "There's still one thing I can do that could benefit you… I've been researching a way to summon a far more powerful specter…"

The figure paused.

"Keep going," hissed the voice.

"Well…" muttered the Puppeteer. "He's hard to describe, see he was…"

The figure's hand pressed against his forehead. The Puppeteer felt like acid was burning his brain as his thoughts were sorted though.

"Hmm…" snarled the figure. "I truly doubt that is indeed possible, but on the off chance that it is, perhaps you still have minute value… Very well… One more chance. It will be your _only_ concern while we prepare our alternate plan.

"You have two weeks…

"Cassius… Sebastian… Cleo… Take this fool to his workshop and lock him inside. He is not to leave until he finishes this project, if he indeed can."

"You heard her!" said Sebastian, grabbing the Puppeteer. "On your feet!"

"Remember, Puppeteer, two weeks," said the figure. "Not one second more. If that specter has not arrived by that time, I won't begin to describe the agony you will suffer."

The Swordsmen left, leaving Fortunado alone with the figure.

"Fortunado," said the figure, "since our original plan was ruined, we must turn to the alternative…"

"Indeed…" said Fortunado. "I only expect what I was promised…"

"And you'll get it," said the figure. "If it goes as planned, in little over a month's time, the Dark Messiah will rise…

"We'll be waiting…

"You will get the biggest blockbuster of all time…

"And I'll get what I've wanted for over ten millennia…"

There was a pause.

"In the meantime, Fortunado, we have more concerns. The three original Swordsman are still plotting, and they are getting more knowledgeable. I trust you have not forgotten that they must be dealt with."

"Already taken care of," said Fortunado. "Tomorrow night, I'm sending a specialist to deal with them. This time I'm going to take down their leader."

"Raphael?" asked the figure. "It seems risky… In all his career, his record was only marred by one loss."

"True," said Fortunado. "But this individual has studied him, and knows of several clever counters for his particular technique. Plus he has a rare card that will ruin his strategy.

"Trust me… There will be no-one to stop us this time!"

_Monday, October 5th, 2106, 10:38 PM_

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**BRAVE ATTACK (Spell Card)**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A suit of armor without a helmet holding a sword. Several Duel Monsters cards hover above it.

**Card Description:** Choose one face-up Monster on your side of the field that is in Attack Position. Add the ATK of all other face-up Monsters on your side of the field to that of the chosen Monster. The chosen Monster is the only Monster who may attack during the turn you use this card. After the chosen Monster attacks, destroy all face-up Monsters on your side of the field.

_Note: "Brave Attack" was first used by Yugi in the anime episode "A New Evil". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**MULTIPLE DESTRUCTION (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Three Duel Monsters cards on fire.

**Card Description:** You must have at least one card in your hand to activate this card. Both players discard all the cards in their hands and draw five cards from their respective decks. The user of this card pays 200 Life Points for every card he discards due to this effect.

_Note: This version of "Multiple Destruction" is a fanfiction version of a card that was used by Bakura in the anime episode "Showdown in the Shadows". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**REVIVAL OF THE BEAST (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Shadowy silhouettes of the three Sacred Beasts in a blasted wasteland.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you have "Uria, Lord of Searing Flames", "Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder", and/or "Raviel, Lord of Phantasms" in your Graveyard. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon one of the above named Monsters from your Graveyard in Attack Position, disregarding Special Summoning requirements, and Equip it with this card. The Special Summoned Monster cannot attack or use its effect on the round you activate this card. If this card is removed from the field, the Monster it is Equipped to is removed from play.

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**REVERSE OF REVERSE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Two kids dueling, with your perspective coming from the eyes of the one in the foreground.

**Card Description:** Take the facedown card your opponent has on the field which he most recently set, and activate it as your own. The taken card is destroyed if you cannot use it at this time.

_Note: "Reverse of Reverse" was first used by Yugi in _Yu-Gi-Oh! The Move: Pyramid of Light_. All creative credit goes to the writers, director, and producer of that movie._

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**MARTYRDOM (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Command Knight throwing herself in front of an arrow that has been fired at Freed.

**Card Description:** During the Battle Phase of the round that this card is activated, you can designate a Monster on your side of the field as the target of an attack by one of your other Monsters. Battle damage, if any, is inflicted to your Life Points. You cannot declare an attack against your opponent's Monsters or against your opponent directly during the round you use this card.

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**ORICHALCOS LIFELINE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin: **Envy

**Image:** A demonic creature pulling a scared woman away from hands trying to drag her into a grave.

**Card Description: **This card cannot be destroyed or removed from the field as long as "The Seal of Orichalcos" is in place. So long as this card is in effect, neither player loses the duel if his Life Points reach zero. Special Summon any Monster that you have summoned during the duel, ignoring any Special Summon requirements. Your opponent then Special Summons any Monster from his hand, deck, Graveyard, or Fusion Deck he desires, ignoring any Special Summon requirements. If either Monster summoned by this card is destroyed or otherwise sent to the Graveyard, the owner of the Monster loses the duel. After you use this card, end your turn.

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**ORICHALCOS POLYMER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin: **Greed

**Image:** Similar to the art on "Polymerization" for the anime in the original series, with the Seal of Orichalcos in the background, and the two creatures more demonic and fiendish.

**Card Description:** Remove one Effect Monster on your side of the field from play. Another Monster on your side of the field gains the effect of the Monster you removed from play. If the removed Monster has more than one effect, choose one.

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**ARMOR OF THE EXILES (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description:** This card is descended by playing "The Claw of Hermos" and offering one "Exiled Force" as a Tribute. The effect of this card is activated after your opponent offers a Monster Equipped with this card as a Tribute, and the results of the Tribute are resolved. Remove all Monsters on your opponent's side of the field from play.

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**If you thought Beowulf was a deadly foe, next chapter, you'll meet someone who is even deadlier – a duelist who might well be Raphael's ideal foe. And one of only three duelists ever to defeat the Pharaoh without cheating may have finally met his match. **_

_**Don't miss "Rite of Spirit", coming soon.**_


	34. Rite of Spirit

_What happens when one of the greatest duelists in history comes face-to-face with his polar opposite? Answer: A true clash of the titans!_

_Hello folks. It's time for a new chapter, and believe it or not, this was a chapter that almost didn't happen. I'll explain._

_The chapter where Alister fought Beowulf was originally planned to star not Alister, but my favorite member of the trio, Raphael. Why? Well let's look at this incredibly complex character._

_Raphael was never a bad guy, in my opinion. He was just someone who fell in with the wrong crowd. Even Joey could have related, perhaps. (If you read the Manga, you'd understand.). And Raphael had a very strange strategy as a duelist. Forget the fact that his Monsters were the Guardians, very hard Monsters to even summon. You see, a great deal of Raphael's strategy depended on _never_ letting one of his Monsters be sent to his Graveyard. And until his second duel with Yugi, he was the only duelist in history to have never let one end up there in his whole career._

_Why attempt such a difficult feat? Well, when Jaden Yuki and Chazz Princeton were still trick-or-treating, Raphael possessed a power that they would come to have – the ability to see the strange creatures called Duel Spirits. We don't know for sure if Raphael was the first human to possess this power, but he may well have been. He saw the Guardians as if they were people. And they were more than just his cards… They were his family, replacing the family that had been tragically lost. As a result, he couldn't bear to see any of them perish during a duel, and would do anything in his power to prevent it._

_A noble goal, but unfortunately, it makes writing a chapter where he duels _incredibly_ difficult._

_I've read many fanfics (you have to read these yourself to write them), and seen many where the Three Musketeers have appeared, and Raphael has dueled in many of them, but almost all of these authors have neglected Raphael's true strategy, doing things he never would have done, such as using Arsenal Summoner as an expendable flip-effect Monster to get a Guardian into his hand. That's just wrong, in my opinion._

_With this chapter, I wanted to stay true to the real Raphael, and to write the outline, I got help. A fan who wishes to remain anonymous helped write part of this outline, and once he did, it all fell into place. It still was rather difficult, but I believe I have captured the true essence of Raphael – every nuance, every card he used, and I even managed to include a few of the Guardians that he didn't use in the anime. _

_So enjoy this chapter, and judge for yourself._

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_**In many ways, I feel very sorry for Alister and Valon. All through this whole mess over the past century, they've only had two others that they could speak to… Me, and the other.**_

_**I've been a great deal luckier. They don't know about this, but a few friends that I had when I was alive managed to stay around even in this strange state that I'm in. **_

_**That doesn't mean I fully understand it. I never knew how they first came. I'm not exactly sure what they are. They aren't around all the time, and I don't know where they are when I don't see them.**_

_**But ever since I lost my real family, they've taken the place of my siblings…**_

…_**and mother, in one case…**_

_**Which leads us to how I'm at a spot now. My "sister" has lead me to a spot in New York that most would consider hallowed ground, and she seems frightened, as if danger was lurking here…**_

_**As a duelist, I've tried my hardest to protect them… But deep down, I know that the only way they could truly die is if I ceased to exist…**_

_**The only problem is…**_

…_**that might just happen.**_

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

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**Rite of Spirit**

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_Tuesday, October 5th, 2006, 4:21 PM_

Dr. Artemis's hand fell on a set of papers stapled together.

_Now how did that get there?_ she thought.

As she sipped her coffee she looked at it. The Forbidden/Limited list.

She sighed. This thing was changed twice a year. Pot of Greed and Mirage of Nightmare had been on and off this list so often, she just knew they were going to be illegal on the next one.

At least the super-broken cards had stayed on this list after being made illegal decades ago. Raigeki had been illegal since Battle City, and Harpie's Feather Duster had gone on it quickly too. Chaos Emperor Dragon had put on it after the Grand Prix… Strangely, although Kaiba owned a copy of this card, he requested that it be outlawed. Some people thought that he was afraid of it, although any card that could scare someone who had used Obelisk must have been pretty scary.

Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning had been put on the list ten years after that, and this time, it was at Yugi's request. Apparently, he thought this rare card had been cursed, and only he had been able to use it safely. And when someone stole it when his deck was put on display, he decided to take steps so that such a powerful card could never be used again.

She looked over the list. First came the Forbidden List, then the Limited, then the Semi-Limited.

Then a list of Special Conditions. These had been established in 2030. You could have some cards in your deck if you didn't have others.

She looked at one:

_If you have one or more copies of "Butterfly Dagger – Elma" in your deck or side, you may not have any of the following cards in your deck or side deck: "Gearfried the Iron Knight", "Magical Marionette", "Royal Magical Library" and/or "Morale Boost"._

It was a rule designed to prevent three instant win combos, which involved Equipping the Dagger to Gearfried, which you could do as many times as you wanted to do in the same turn. Magical Marionette could be used to destroy every Monster on your opponent's side of the field, and then grow as strong as you desired… Royal Magical Library would let you draw all the cards you wanted (a OTK if you used Exodia)… and Morale Boost gave you 1,000 Life Points and then decreased them by 1,000 each time, a combo you could use with Fire Princess.

Since you could take control of your opponent's Gearfried, all four of these cards were off limits if you wanted to use this Equip…

Artemis shook her head…

It would have been easy to keep the Dagger itself on the Forbidden List…

But someone in authority had felt sorry for one Monster…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ask a social science expert what the social differences between humans and animals are, and they'd give you a long list of differences. Intelligence isn't the only one.

The ability to use tools and fire is a big one. Other examples are the fact that they mate for life (we share that one with wolves, elephants, and a few others), the fact that we don't tend to abandon our young (again, we share that with a couple), and that we war against our own kind (one difference where animals are superior).

Then there are subtle differences, like the one where humans do something with their dead. Almost all animals just leave their dead to decay.

Humans of all cultures have some ritual or procedure when a person dies. Some simply cremate the body, but it's still better than letting it rot. Most cultures inter the deceased in tombs depending on the wishes of them or their families.

It can be amazing how much time has been put into some cemeteries with special purposes. In France, Normandy was built to house those who perished in D-Day. Arlington National Cemetery was built for heroes of the American armed forces.

One nobleman of India built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for the woman he had loved.

New York City had its landmark in this area… It was called Marble Cemetery. Ever since 1830, it had been the most serene and beautiful resting place in the city, known for splendid headstones and mausoleums, tucked among peaceful trees and shrubs.

Right now, it's most recent visitors were three souls for whom finding rest had long been a problem…

"Raph, you want to explain to us why we're here?" asked Alister.

"Yeah, I mean, it ain't like we know anyone who's buried here," added Valon.

Raphael held his head. He was truly embarrassed when he tried to explain these instances, because he knew he sounded nuts. He couldn't tell them the truth…

"Something is… leading me here…" he muttered.

That was no lie.

The "something", or rather someone, was a hundred feet in front of him. She was slowly walking, at times stopping to make sure they kept up.

Alister and Valon couldn't see her, but Raphael could see her quite plain. She was a delicate young woman, with chestnut eyes and short red hair cut in bangs. She wore an elaborate outfit that consisted of a halter and short skirt, sewn with royal finery. A tiara crowned her head, and a silken train flowed from her arms. A very fancy dagger was strapped to her belt.

She paused again, with a look of worry on her face. She urged him on.

_Elma, please…_ thought Raphael. _What's wrong?_

The spirit finally stopped at a stone bench and sat down. She motioned for him to come near.

"What?" he whispered, as he sat down.

Elma's musical voice spoke in his ear.

"_He's coming as we speak,"_ she whispered. _"Don't underestimate him. Don't be too proud…_

"_Beware. His deck holds great danger…"_

She vanished into sparkles of light.

Raphael stood up.

"Guys…" he muttered. "I think one of Beowulf's friends is coming, and I think I might have to take care of him."

"Oh, please…" replied Valon. "And you're worried? Your win-loss record is 112-1-0! Lest we forget, you were the giant-killer!"

"I'd really rather you not bring that up," snapped Raphael.

He paused.

"Yeah, I beat the Pharaoh," he said, "but lest all you forget, the way I did it was… underhanded."

"What do you mean?" asked Alister. "I didn't see any way you…"

"Alister…" muttered Raphael, "I remember every single move of that first duel… Every turn, play by play, has been branded into my mind… And I know how it went down…

"I used Exchange when the only card in my hand, the only one he could have taken, was the Seal. I _forced_ him to take it in order to temp him.

"It may not have been cheating… But now that I look back, I think it was a… dirty trick.

"You know how some duelists use Snatch Steal so they can sacrifice their opponent's Monster rather than waste one of theirs? Completely doing away with the 1,000 Life Point gain to their opponent that Snatch Steal would grant? If you use it that way, it's just like Change of Heart, an illegal card. Is using Snatch Steal in this way legal? Sure. Is it sporting? Definitely not…

"Now multiply that times about a billion…"

There was a long pause.

"So that was the reason," said a voice.

They turned around, and saw a dark figure leaning against the side of a monument.

"So that's why the one man who defeated the King of Games kept the duel a big secret," said the figure, "rather than go public and bask in the glory that was rightfully his. He thought that the only reason he won was because he played dirty…

"Well, if you don't like to play dirty, it's a wonder you had so much success…"

Raphael looked at him.

"Whoever you are, buddy, I'll give you one chance," he warned. "Simply walk away, and stop this before it starts. You have no idea what I'm capable of…"

The figure walked into the light, and Raphael raised his eyebrow.

He was a burly man, about age thirty, wearing worn jeans and a red plaid shirt – a typical manual laborer's outfit, all of it dusty. He was slightly muscular…

But his face was incredibly sallow. He looked like he never got any sun. His long black hair was messy and seemed like it hadn't seen a comb or shampoo in ages.

An Orichalcos Disk was on his arm.

"And to think I wasted time all my life believing that good hygiene would make me a success," said Alister, sarcastically.

"I don't mind a little dirt," said the man. "No one should be ashamed of clothes made dirty from an honest day's work…

"You may call me Digger."

"An interesting title, I'll admit," said Raphael. "I have a feeling that it has something to do with the reason why you can see us…"

A grin appeared on the minion's dirty face.

"Well," he said, "I used to work in construction, as a simple ditch digger. No one ever finds out who the world's best ditch digger is, but I was pretty good at it. I could do a very hard job very fast, and I didn't mind… Honest, hard work…

"Then, someone told me that I could make four times as much money working for a mortuary…"

"As a gravedigger…" added Raphael.

"Yep," said Digger, nodding. "Wanna know what the best job in the world is that no one ever talks about? Undertakers and morticians have existed ever since man became civilized. People have always needed people to bury the dead. And it's one job where job security is _never_ an issue! A mortuary is never going to run out of customers unless folks find some way to become immortal!"

"He's got a point…" said Valon.

"Unfortunately…" muttered Digger, "as well as it paid, I didn't think I made enough, and I got… ideas. I knew that some of these guys who my boss was arranging plots for had a few good things interred with them, so on a whim I snuck into the cemetery one night and…"

"NO!" gasped Raphael.

There was a long pause.

"You… you turned to grave robbing?" he whispered.

"For a while… yeah," answered Digger.

Raphael narrowed his eyes. This man had said it as if it had been no big deal…

"That's a blasphemy…" said Raphael, with a scowl.

"Who cares?" asked Digger, closing his eyes. "I'm glad it was a blasphemy. Do you know why? Because eventually, one old woman who was a relative of someone whose grave I ransacked suspected me of doing so, even though she couldn't prove it. She threw a curse at me, and apparently it stuck.

"Ever since then, I've been able to see undead spirits who couldn't rest. Like those whose tombs have been defiled, I suppose. I think the old bat's goal was to make me see them and be consumed by guilt.

"She was a fool. When I see them, all I do is laugh at them. I couldn't care less."

Raphael was now _very_ angry.

"And now Fortunado hired you because of that 'talent' just like he did with Beowulf," he said. "Well, if you want to duel, fine! Taking down someone so sadistic would be a pleasure!"

He raised his arm.

"You like dirt? I've got some heavy-duty detergent…"

Raphael concentrated, and just like Alister had, his left arm glowed, and a Disk appeared on his arm. Then a deck of cards appeared on it.

He looked at Digger, and in a multitude of flashes of light, five Monsters appeared next to him (two to his left, three to his right) and cast angry glares at Digger. One was Elma, one was a mermaid of some sort, one was obviously a Fiend, and the other two were brutish creatures that were hard to identify.

They nodded, and then vanished.

"I'll give you one last warning…" repeated Raphael. "You do NOT know what I am capable of…"

"I beg to differ!" said Digger, placing his own deck in his Disk. "I know your style, Raphael. I've prepared for your strategy, and I've prepared for the most dangerous parts. I can handle Aitos, and I can even handle Dreadscythe!"

"Dreadscythe?" said Raphael, disgusted. "I _burned_ that horrible thing ages ago! It was more of a curse than anything I'm under now!

"If anything, that monstrosity that dared call itself a Guardian was the embodiment of my dark side, which made me join the Orichalcos in the first place. It was a part of me that I couldn't leave behind fast enough."

Digger shrugged.

"Well, one less thing to worry about, I suppose," he said, as his Disk activated. "It's time to duel…"

"Bring it," answered Raphael.

Both of them snatched the top five cards off of their decks…

**(Raphael: 8,000) -------------------- (Digger: 8,000)**

"So…" muttered Valon. "What sort of cards do gravediggers use?"

"I don't even wanna know…" answered Valon.

"Well, let's see," said Digger, looking over his cards. "Think I'll… place one Monster in Defense Mode…"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"…and a couple of facedown cards."

He fit two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"And that will be good to start."

Raphael drew a sixth card.

_Three Monsters to start,_ he thought, _two of which I can summon right away. Not bad, considering how few Monsters I use…_

_This one should do to start…_

"I summon… Maha Vailo in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

A flash of lightning stuck, and a tall woman in a blue robe and a peaked hat floated into the arena. Flared wings were on her back, and her white hair was tied in long braids. (1,550/1,400)

"Maha Vailo, attack!" shouted Raphael. "Sacred lightning!"

Lightning crashed down, and the sorceress caught it in her hands… Then she hurled it forward!

A man in a toga with golden feathered wings appeared on the card, and shattered.

"Okay… That was unexpected…" muttered Alister.

"Thank you," said Digger, taking his deck. "When Shining Angel is defeated, I get to summon a Light Monster with a low Attack Score from my deck. Now let's see…"

He chose a card from his deck.

"Why not another Shining Angel?"

He played the card, and a twin of the first Angel appeared in Attack Mode. (1,400/1,100)

"Interesting," said Raphael. "I'll place these three cards facedown, and end my turn."

Three facedown cards appeared behind Maha Vailo.

Digger drew another card.

"I'll move Shining Angel into Defense Mode," he said, turning the card.

The Angel knelt, and covered itself with its wings.

"Next, I'll place another Monster in Defense Mode."

Another facedown Monster appeared.

"And that will be all."

"You think I'm falling for that?" asked Raphael, drawing a card.

_Perfect,_ he thought.

"Watch… this…" he said.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon the mighty Grave Protector in Defense Mode," he said.

The ground rumbled, and a very hideous-looking Fiend burst out of the ground. It looked like it was made of dirt covered with mold. Its wrists and ankles had broken chains attached to them with shackles. It crouched and shielded itself in Defense. (0/2,000)

"Well, I… see the 'protector' part," said Valon. "But…"

"It has a powerful effect," answered Alister. "So long as it's on the field, any Monster that's destroyed in a battle doesn't go to the Graveyard, its shuffled back into its owner's deck."

"And I'm not finished," said Raphael. "Now I Equip Maha Vailo with this… Gravity Axe!"

A fancy axe fell from the heavens, and Maha Vailo caught it.

"So long as Gravity Axe is on the field," said Raphael, "the battle positions of Monsters can't be switched. And the Axe also raises the user's Attack Points by 500.

"And due to her own effect, Maha Vailo gains 500 more Attack Points for every Equip she has."

Maha Vailo rose to 2,550 Attack.

"Even better," continued Raphael, "since Gravity Axe is on the field, it enables me to summon its owner. And due to the effect of this particular Monster, he can be Special Summoned to the field if he's the only card in my hand, which he just happens to be…"

He threw his last card on his Disk.

"Therefore… Come forth… _Guardian Grarl_!"

With a roar, a huge, hulking form erupted out of the ground. He was a seven-foot-tall ogre dressed in patchwork armor, with a face that suggested a cross between a lizard and a Neanderthal, and grey, scaly skin. He held a large axe that looked exactly like the one Maha Vailo now had. (2,500/2,000)

"Whoo-wee!" laughed Digger. "You are one _ugly_ one, aren't you?"

Raphael gave him an angry look. Grarl looked rather angry too…

"Ooh, you're in for it now, mate!" warned Valon.

"Rule number one about Raphael," added Alister. "Do NOT insult his Guardians!"

"Maha Vailo, destroy his Angel!" shouted Raphael.

Maha Vailo shot her sacred lightning, and the second Shining Angel was eradicated.

"And your searcher has to go to the Graveyard in order to search," added Raphael. "Thanks to my Grave Protector, that didn't happen.

"Grarl, attack his facedown Monster! Axe slash bash!"

Grarl rushed forward and charged at the card. A Keldo appeared on it. Grarl swung his weapon down and smashed it to pieces.

"Fairies, huh?" asked Raphael. "I never would have guessed…"

"Fairies are only one part of my strategy," said Digger. "You have no idea what is waiting for you."

He drew a card.

"To make sure those facedown cards don't get in my way," he said, "I play a Spell Card called Security Breach."

He played the card, and a computerized box with the word "Active" in computerized letters on a screen appeared in the air in front of him.

"To use it, I simply have to discard one card…"

He discarded another Keldo.

The word "Active" vanished, and a warning light buzzed.

"**Warning… warning…"** said a voice.** "Security system deactivated. Attempting to restore…"**

"What this means is," continued Digger, "for this round, your facedown cards can't be activated. The system will restore itself when I end my turn, but it might be too late for one of your Monsters by then…

"Next, I play Cost Down."

He played another Spell Card.

"Now, by discarding another card from my hand…"

He discarded another card into his discard slot.

"This five-star Monster in my hand is downgraded to three. And I summon it now… Meet Divine Dragon Excelion!"

In a beam of light, a beautiful oriental dragon with silvery-white scales and a serpentine body with small claws appeared. Its gorgeous mane of fur fluttered in the wind. (1,500/900)

"And, just by summoning him," added Digger, "I get to give him one of three effects. I'll choose the one that grants him 1,000 more Attack Points."

Excelion rose to 2,500.

"Hold on one second," interrupted Raphael. "You may think I don't keep up with times, but I do."

"Pardon?" asked Digger.

"I've seen and studied almost every card that has been produced in the last hundred years," said Raphael, "and I know that Excelion gets NO effects unless you have at least one other Excelion in your Graveyard. And you don't!"

"Do I?" asked Digger. "Think about it for a minute…"

Raphael paused…

"You discarded one to play Cost Down…" he muttered.

"Yep," said Digger. "A good way to combo.

"Now, on to business. I activate one of my own facedown cards, Deal of Phantom."

A Trap Card lifted, and a ghostly phantom in a cloak appeared, and caressed Excelion.

"This raises one Monster's Attack Score by 100 for every Monster in my Graveyard for one round," he continued. "Sure, it's only three-hundred more…"

Excelion rose to 2,800 Attack.

"…but that's good enough. Say bye-bye to Maha Vailo! Excelion, attack! Divine blast!"

Excelion shot a blast of pure light, hitting Maha Vailo in the torso! She screamed, and shattered into bits.

**(R: 7,750) -------------------- (D: 8,000)**

"Perhaps you forgot the effect of my Grave Protector," said Raphael, shuffling his deck. "He'll make it harder for you to get rid of any of my Monsters permanently."

"Then by all means, make your move…" said Digger.

"**Security system restored,"** said the machine, as it vanished.

Raphael drew a card.

"I play Card of Sanctity!" he declared, playing a card.

A flash of light lit up the sky, and coins fell from above.

They both drew a full hand of six cards.

"And I got lucky," he said, playing a Spell Card. "I play Guardian Treasure. Now, I'll discard my other five cards…"

He discarded his hand.

"…then draw two…"

He made two draws.

"…and for as long as this card is on the field, I can twice during my Draw Phase."

"Uh, Raph…" said Valon, "not that I'm complaining, but how can you still have that card?"

Raphael glared at him.

"You know…" he said, annoyed, "sometimes I wonder that myself."

He looked at the two cards.

_No Monsters,_ he thought, _but at least I can protect Grave Protector. After all, something has to protect the protector…_

He played a card.

"I Equip Grave Protector with Rod of Silence," he said.

A crystal rod with a flared end fell from the sky, and Grave Protector caught it.

"This boosts its Defense by 500 points," he continues, "and makes him immune to any Spells that target."

Grave Protector's Defense rose to 2,500.

"That's enough for my turn…"

Digger drew a card.

"Well, this card is ironic," he said with a small chuckle. "I pay Pot of Charity…"

He played the card, and his first Shining Angel slipped out of his discard slot. He drew three more cards.

"Not bad," he said, looking at the nine cards in his hand. "Time to say goodbye to your Guardian…"

He played a Spell Card, and then discarded one card…

"I play Lightning Vortex!"

Thunder rumbled overhead, and a fierce storm started to rage…

"Not so fast, pal!" shouted Raphael. "I activate Guardian Force!"

One of his Trap Cards lifted, and a beam of pure energy shot from the card, causing the storm cloud to quell and disperse into harmless mist.

"This Counter Trap can negate any Spell Card without me paying a dime," explained Raphael, "so long as I have no Monsters in my Graveyard.

"Did you really think you could defeat me with a card that simple? You aren't the first of my opponents who tried to use Lightning Vortex. You're more like the twelfth. And just like the last eleven times, it didn't work."

Digger looked annoyed…

"It's still my turn…" he grumbled.

He chose another card.

"I'll summon a little guy called Skull Servant, in Attack Mode…" he said.

He played the card, and a small skeleton in a ragged purple robe appeared in an aura of darkness. (300/200)

Raphael raised his eyebrow.

"Next," said Digger, "I'll play the Spell Card, Mass Driver…"

He played a card, and a huge cannon with a tubular barrel appeared on his side of the field.

"This card lets me sacrifice my Monsters to blast you for 400 points of damage for each," he said. "So, I'll sacrifice my Skull Servant…"

Skull Servant melted into dark energy, and was absorbed into the Mass Driver.

"Fire!" shouted Digger.

The weapon fired a blast of red energy, hitting Raphael in the chest. He grunted…

"That will end my turn," said Digger.

**(R: 7,350) -------------------- (D: 8,000)**

Raphael drew two cards.

_I don't have anything that can defeat Excelion yet,_ he thought. _But that doesn't mean I can't make this guy sorry…_

He played a card.

"I Equip Grarl with this," he said, "Shooting Star Bow."

A silvery, fancy bow appeared in the air in front of Grarl. His axe vanished, and he took it.

His Attack Score fell to 1,500.

_What is he doing?_ thought Digger. _Doesn't he realize that Grarl is weaker than Excelion now?_

"This Equip may weaken the user," said Raphael, "but it also lets him attack directly. Grarl, attack with shooting star shot!"

Grarl pulled back the bow and a silvery arrow appeared in it. He fired, and Digger cried out in pain as it hit him.

"It's your move…" muttered Raphael.

**(R: 7,350) -------------------- (D: 6,500)**

Digger drew a card.

_Well,_ he thought._ I might be able to take out his whole side now, but first thing's first…_

"I play Silent Doom," he said, playing a card. "Now I'll bring back my Skull Servant in Defense Mode…"

Skull Servant appeared, and shielded itself.

"Next, I'll activate my facedown card," he said, as his facedown Spell Card lifted. "Inferno Reckless Summon. Now I can summon my other two Skull Servants from my deck."

Two more Skull Servants appeared, these ones in Attack Mode. (300/200)

"Of course, you are now able to summon all copies you have of a Monster you have on the field…"

"I decline…" muttered Raphael.

_I couldn't if I wanted to,_ he thought. _My deck doesn't have any duplicate Monsters._

"Now to use Mass Driver again!" laughed Digger. "Fire one!"

One of the Servants in Attack Mode was absorbed into the weapon, and it fired at Raphael again.

Raphael held his chest, and stared at Digger.

"Fire t…" started Digger.

"I activate a Trap!" interrupted Raphael. "Limit Tribute!"

Another of his Traps lifted.

"So long as this Continuous Trap is active," he said, "both of us are only allowed to sacrifice one Monster per turn. So you won't be sacrificing those other two Zombies…"

Digger frowned.

"Excelion, attack Grarl!" he shouted.

Excelion blasted his beam of pure light…

"I activate another Trap!" shouted Raphael. "Self Tribute!"

The last Trap lifted.

Grarl shielded himself, and staggered back as the beam hit him, but he survived.

"By paying 1,000 Life Points," said Raphael, "I can keep a Monster from being destroyed in battle."

"And it cost you another 1,000 from the battle itself!" laughed Digger. "This is almost too easy.

"I'll end by placing another Monster in Defense Mode…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

**(R: 4,950) -------------------- (D: 6,500)**

"We'll soon see about that…" said Raphael, drawing two cards.

He looked at them.

"Since I have Shooting Star Bow on the field," he said, I can now summon Guardian Ceal to field!"

He played the card, and a bonfire appeared on the field. A hulking creature with a wolf's head with red scales in leather armor, holding a bow similar to the one Grarl had stepped out of the flames. (1,700/1,400)

"Ceal, attack the Skull Servant in Attack Mode!" ordered Raphael. "Blazing bow!"

An arrow of pure fire appeared in Ceal's bow, and he fired a shot, blowing the Skull Servant to pieces. Digger grunted…

"Now, Grarl attacks your other Servant…" continued Raphael.

Grarl fired his own bow, and the last Skull Servant blew to pieces.

"I'll end my turn there," he said.

**(R: 4,950) -------------------- (D: 5,100)**

"Very well…" said Digger, drawing a card. "First I'll play Emergency Provisions to dispose of my Mass Driver…"

He played the card, and a huge mouth appeared on the field, and devoured the huge weapon.

"Next," he said, "I'll sacrifice my Divine Dragon Excelion for… another Divine Dragon Excelion!"

The Dragon on the field vanished into sparkles of light, and was replaced by an identical one. (1,500/900)

"Why'd he do that?" asked Valon. "What difference does it make?"

"With Excelion, it makes a big difference…" answered Alister.

"Indeed," said Digger. "Now that I have two Excelions in my Graveyard, this one gets two effects. First it gains 1,000 Attack Points, like the last one. Second, it gains the ability to attack a second Monster if it destroys one first.

"So… Excelion, attack Guardian Ceal!"

Excelion blasted a beam of energy again…

…and then it was halted by an invisible barrier.

"What?" said Digger, in surprise. "How did you stop it this time?"

Raphael smirked.

"Remember when I discarded five cards to play Guardian Treasure?" he asked. "One card I discarded was a very useful Spell Card called Rescuer From the Grave. When this card exists in my Graveyard, I can remove five cards there from play, and negate an attack."

"Fine…" muttered Digger. "But I don't think you have enough to do that again…

"I'll place two cards facedown, and end my turn…"

He played two cards, and they appeared facedown.

"I'm not exactly keeping track," said Valon. "How many cards does he have left in his Graveyard?"

Alister did a quick count.

"He had eight," he answered. "And he just removed five from play. More than likely, he kept Gravity Axe and Rescuer itself… But he doesn't have enough to do it a second time…"

Raphael drew two cards.

_Finally,_ he thought.

"I summon Backup Gardna in Defense Mode," he stated.

He played the card, and a muscular, feral-looking Beast-Warrior appeared. It had a mane of wine-red hair, sharp claws and teeth, and its only clothing was a loincloth. It crouched in defense. (500/2,200)

"Now I activate Backup Gardna's special ability…" said Raphael. "It lets me transfer an Equip Card from one Monster to another. So I'll move Shooting Star Bow from Grarl to Ceal."

The Bow vanished from Grarl's hands, and then appeared in Ceal's. Grarl regained his full Attack Score.

"And now I activate Ceal's ability," continued Raphael. "By destroying one Equip Card he's holding, he can destroy one Monster.

"Ceal, wipe out Excelion!"

The bow crumbled, and Ceal threw a flaming spear forward. Excelion howled, and was consumed in flame.

"Now that that's done with," continued Raphael, "Ceal, wipe out his last defense!"

Ceal lifted his bow and fired at the facedown Monster. Another Shining Angel appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"Grarl, attack him directly!"

Grarl lifted his axe…

"I activate… Chaos Barrier Field!" shouted Digger, as his Trap lifted. "This forces your Monster to attack your weakest Monster, meaning Grarl's attack is redirected towards Grave Protector."

Grarl turned, and slammed his axe into the Fiend, who fended it off with the Rod.

"Fortunately," continued Digger, "Grarl's Attack and that thing's Defense are equal, so no damage is done."

"Indeed," said Raphael. "I'll set two cards facedown, and end my turn."

He played two cards, and they appeared.

Digger drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card. "Now, I'll draw twice…"

He drew two cards, and looked at them.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" he laughed.

"I play… Monster Reborn!" he shouted. "And I'll bring back the Skull Servant that I used my Mass Driver on…"

Skull Servant appeared again.

"Next," he continued, "I'll activate my facedown card, The League of Uniform Nomenclature."

A weird-looking Trap with the image of three grinning Ojama Yellows lifted up.

"This Trap can be triggered when I have a Normal Monster that has two stars or less on my side of the field," he said, "and it lets me Special Summon the other two copies from my deck."

_I knew what it did…_ thought Raphael, now annoyed.

The other two Skull Servants appeared. (300/200 x3)

"Next…" he said, "I play Thunder Crash!"

He played the card, and the three Skull Servants shattered. A bolt of lightning blasted forward and struck Raphael. He winced.

**(R: 4,050) -------------------- (D: 6,100)**

"That was pathetic…" he growled.

"Then try this…" said Digger. "I summon King of the Skull Servants!"

He played a card, and a ghostly form rose up in front of him. It was a tall, skeletal form dressed in a long, blue robe.

"This guy's Attack Score is 1,000 for every Skull Servant and additional King in my Graveyard," said Digger. "And guess what? I discarded another King to play Lightning Vortex!"

(4,000/0)

"King of the Skull Servants…" ordered Digger, "attack Guardian Ceal with blazing skull!"

The Zombie held out his hand, and a burning skull appeared in its claw…

"I activate… Absolute End!" shouted Raphael.

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"This Trap Card turns your attack on my Monster into a direct attack on me!"

Digger stared in shock.

"You're crazy!" he shouted.

"I can't watch…" said Valon, covering his eyes.

King of the Skull Servants hurled the skull…

A great explosion erupted around Raphael…

"Heh, heh, heh…" laughed Digger. "Well… If you care for your Monsters so much that you'd choke down an attack that powerful and lose almost all your Life Points to save them, be my guest!"

The smoke started to clear…

Raphael was still standing, with a smirk on his face…

**(R: 4,050) -------------------- (D: 6,100)**

"What?" gasped Digger.

Raphael pointed. He had triggered the other Trap.

"It's called Spirit Barrier," he said. "This keeps me from losing Life Points in a battle so long as I have at least one Monster on my side of the field. I didn't feel a thing.

"You see, Digger, just as I protect them, they find ways to protect me…

"And I think I finally see what makes you tick… Excelion, King of the Skull Servants… your whole strategy is the exact opposite of mine.

"While I won't send any Monsters to the grave, your Monsters all benefit from other Monsters being there. You consider your lesser Monsters as fuel for the greater ones.

"And that's just sad…"

"Sticks and stones," said Digger, placing his last card in his Disk.

It appeared in front of him.

"Fine," said Raphael, drawing two cards. "Have it your way…

"I use Gardna's ability to transfer Rod of Silence to Ceal," he said.

The Rod vanished from Grave Protector's hands, and appeared in Ceal's.

"Now I'll use Ceal's effect again. Ceal, destroy King of the Skull Servants!"

The Rod shattered. Ceal hurled his flaming spear, and the Zombie was burned to ashes.

"Ceal, Grarl, attack him directly!"

Ceal aimed his bow, and Grarl flew forward with his axe.

"I activate Dark Wall of Wind!" shouted Digger.

His facedown card lifted, and a dark tornado surrounded him. Grarl was thrown back, and Ceal's arrow was deflected.

"Well, it's still my turn…" said Raphael, playing a Spell Card, "and I play Purity of the Cemetery."

A Spell Card appeared.

"Now, every time you start your turn, you'll lose 100 Life Points for every Monster in your Graveyard. And if memory serves me correctly, you have eight of them there so far.

"Next, I play Fairy of the Spring."

He played a Spell Card, and a phantom form with wings holding two blades appeared behind him.

"This lets me retrieve one Equip Spell Card from my Graveyard. I can't use it this turn, but it may come in handy."

A card slipped out of his discard slot. He looked at the Rod of Silence.

"It's your move…"

"I draw one card…" said Digger.

He drew. He groaned as the Purity card glowed.

**(R: 4,050) -------------------- (D: 5,300)**

"I suggest you end this while you still can," warned Raphael. "The Seal hasn't been played yet, after all, and the only card you have is the one you just drew."

"True…" said Digger. "But this one card is a great one!"

He played the card.

"I play Turnabout Treasure!" he laughed.

"Okay, now I'm really confused…" said Valon.

"It's an incredibly rare card," explained Digger. "This Spell can only be used when I have no cards on my side of the field and it's the only one in my hand. When those conditions are right I get to draw one card for every card on my opponent's side of the field.

"And it seems you have four Monsters, two Spell Cards, and two Trap Cards, meaning I get to draw…"

"…_eight_ cards?" gasped Alister.

"You got it!" laughed Digger, making multiple draws.

_My secret weapon…_ he thought looking at one of the cards. _Just what I need to put this has-been in his place… But let's play some others first…_

"I play Premature Burial," he said, playing a card. "I'll pay 800 Life Points to bring back my King of the Skull Servants."

The Zombie lord appeared. (4,000/0)

"But don't worry," he continued, "I don't intend to attack with it. I'll instead play Mystik Wok to sacrifice it and boost my Life Points."

The Spell Card appeared, and the King vanished.

**(R: 4,050) -------------------- (D: 8,500)**

"And now, a card you're quite familiar with…"

His field slot opened…

"I play The Seal of Orichalcos!"

In a flash, the dark circle formed around the field, and Valon and Alister were thrown backwards.

"Uh… hang in there, mate…" said Valon, picking himself up. "It's… nothing we haven't seen before…"

"Yeah…" said Valon. "And every time I see it now, I get a little more sick of it…"

"So now what, Digger?" asked Raphael. "I have four Monsters on my side of the field, and you have none…"

"In one second…" said Digger, holding up a card, "you won't have any either… I see no facedown card that could be another Guardian Force…"

"What?" said Raphael. "You're only allowed to have _one_ copy of Lightning Vortex in your deck."

Digger's eyes narrowed.

"This is a different card…" he said, with an evil smile.

"Dark Hole and Raigeki are illegal…" said Raphael with a sneer.

"Keep going…" said Digger.

Raphael looked at him.

"What are you intending to use?" he asked. "Some sort of Card of Sin?"

"No…" said Digger. "It's a perfectly legitimate card made by Industrial Illusions. Very rare… and very dangerous in the right hands…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play… Cemetery Change…"

The card appeared on the field, and the ground started to shake…

"It costs me 1,000 Life Points, but it's so worth it…" said Digger in a sinister voice.

To Raphael's utter horror, the ground erupted in a series of explosions, and the four Monsters in front of him bellowed…

Then they shattered into bits…

"And destroying every Monster on the field is only the first effect…" continued Digger, with an evil smile.

Both the discard slots on their Disks glowed with fiery energy…

"Now, every card in my Graveyard switches places with every card in yours," he said.

They glowing stopped…

"Of course…" mentioned Digger, "your Purity of the Cemetery card goes away, because your Graveyard is no longer… pure."

The Spell Card shattered.

Raphael's only apparent response to this was an angry glare. He looked at Digger.

He clenched his right fist…

"What has he done…" muttered Alister.

"Well, let's see…" answered Digger. "I believe I've found a way to defeat this has-been!

"And it's still my move…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Mudora in Attack Mode…"

In a flash of light, an earthen fighter in Egyptian garb holding a scimitar appeared. (1,500/1,800) –) (2,000/1,800)

"Normally, it would gain 200 Attack Points for every Fairy in my Graveyard," he continued, "but I don't have any. Two bad you had Grarl and Ceal out and not Elma, eh?"

Raphael glared at him again…

"Anywhoo…" continued Digger. "I play Rush Recklessly to give it a small boost…"

He played a card, and Mudora went up to 2,700 Attack.

"Attack directly!" he shouted. "Kopesh slash!"

Mudora flew at Raphael.

He didn't flinch in the slightest as the sword hit him.

**(R: 1,350) -------------------- (D: 7,500)**

"Oh, I get it…" said Digger with a grin. "Speechless, huh? I'd be speechless too if my whole strategy had just been blown to Hell…"

There was a long pause.

Finally, Raphael spoke.

"I really hope…" he said with a growl, "that you enjoyed that…

"Because this duel is far from over, and when it's done, I'm sending Iyour/I sorry ass to Hell!"

He drew two cards off of his Disk.

"Now he's done it..." said Valon. "He's made Raph MAD!"

"Listen to me, you sadistic son of a bitch," shouted Raphael, "my anger is centered in my cards, and I'm going to unload all of it on you in the worst way possible!"

He played a Spell Card.

"I use my own Emergency Provisions, to send my Spirit Barrier and Limit Tribute to the grave and gain 2,000 Life Points!"

He played the card, and the mouth appeared and devoured the two cards.

"Then I play… Monster Reborn!"

He played the card, and the holy ankh appeared.

Digger's Graveyard glowed, and a mote flew out of it…

Backup Gardna appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (500/2,200)

"So now, one of my Monsters is back where he belongs…" said Raphael. "On hallowed ground…"

He took another card from his hand.

"Next, I Equip Gardna with the card I got from Fairy of the Spring… Rod of Silence!"

The Rod fell from the sky, piercing the Seal, and Gardna caught it. His Defense went up to 2,700.

"And that lets me summon someone new…" he continued. "Come forth… Guardian Kay'est, in Attack Mode!"

A waterspout shot up on his side of the field, and a lovely mermaid appeared out of it, her long tail bearing sparkling scales, holding a rod like Gardna's. She wore a blouse made of golden silk. (1,000/1,800)

She angrily glared at Digger.

"Now, I'm safe from you unless you can summon a Monster who has more than 2,200 Attack Points," said Raphael. "It won't be able to beat Gardna's Defense, and Kay'est can't be attacked at all, due to her effect. And she's immune to Spells too."

"You'll still lose in the end…" said Digger.

**(R: 3,350) -------------------- (D: 7,500)**

He drew one card.

He was clearly disappointed.

"I'll play a Monster in Defense Mode…" he muttered.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move…"

Raphael drew twice.

"I'm turning this around…" he said. "I play… Double Spell!"

He played the card.

"Now, by discarding one other Spell Card…" he said.

He made one discard.

"I can duplicate one Spell Card in your Graveyard. And I choose… Gravity Axe!"

In a flash of light, the Gravity Axe appeared in Gardna's hands.

"That ends my turn…" he said, somberly.

_What is he up to?_ thought Digger. _There's no way he could summon Grarl again…_

He drew a card.

"I'll place another Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn…" he said.

A second facedown Monster appeared.

Raphael drew two cards.

"Well…" he said. "I may have only copied Gravity Axe, but it may as well be the real thing. I play Spell Reproduction!"

He played a Spell Card.

"Now, by discarding two other Spell Cards…"

He made two discards.

"…I can replay any Spell Card in my Graveyard a second time. And I choose Monster Reborn!"

The ankh appeared again, and a hulking form appeared in front of him.

"Grarl, welcome back…" he muttered.

(2,500/2,000)

Grarl and Kay'est turned to each other and nodded.

"Next…" he continued, "I'll use Gardna's effect to transfer the Axe to Grarl…"

The Axe vanished, and Grarl hefted a much fancier axe. (3,000/2,000)

"Grarl, attack Mudora!" shouted Raphael.

Grarl charged and made a savage chop at the sand Fairy. It exploded into dust.

**(R: 3,350) -------------------- (D: 6,500)**

"It's your move…" muttered Raphael.

Digger frowned as he drew.

"HA!" he laughed. "I play a powerful Spell Card. It's called simply… Reprocessing Plant."

He played the card, and it showed the image of Cyber Commander looking over metal scrap being sorted on an assembly line.

"I have to pay 2,000 Life Points, and in return, every Spell and Trap Card in each Graveyard except this one is returned to the decks of the original owners… Placed at the bottom of what we have left, of course."

The Graveyards glowed, and several cards appeared in front of the two of them. Raphael and Digger took them, and placed them under what remained of their decks.

"Sadly, that didn't help any Monsters," added Digger. "I'll set a third Monster in Defense, and end my turn…"

**(R: 3,350) -------------------- (D: 4,500)**

"One, two…" said Raphael, making two draws.

He played a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed!" he announced.

The wicked jar appeared, and then shattered. He made two more draws, giving him a hand of four.

He grinned as he looked at them.

"I Equip Backup Gardna with a new Equip…" he said. "Butterfly Dagger!"

Like a dart from above, a delicate, dagger made of silver pierced through the dome of the Seal, and landed by Gardna. He looked at it strangely.

"And that lets me summon its owner to the field…" he continued, as clouds started to cover Marble Cemetery. "I summon you… Guardian Elma!"

A sparkle of fairy dust cascaded down from the heavens, and a beautiful woman appeared, dancing a fancy pirouette. She was dressed like some Fairy princess… Identical to the spirit that had led him to this place. (1,300/1,200)

She frowned angrily at Digger…

"This is crazy…" muttered Valon. "Every draw he's making is giving him exactly what cards he needs…"

"Truly…" said Alister, "there's a higher force at work… Digger made someone else besides Raphael angry…"

"And once again…" continued Raphael, "I'll use Gardna's effect to arm Elma with her Dagger…"

The Butterfly Dagger vanished, and appeared in Elma's hand. Her Attack rose to 1,600.

"Grarl, attack his facedown Monster on the far left!" shouted Raphael.

Grarl charged with his axe…

A Masked Dragon appeared on the card, and it was smashed it bits.

"Thank you…" chuckled Digger. "By sending Masked Dragon to the grave, I get to summon another weak Dragon from my deck, like another Masked Dragon!"

A second Masked Dragon appeared, in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,100) –) (1,900/1,100)

"Then Elma attacks your second one!" replied Raphael. "Elma, attack with Fouette passé!"

Elma danced towards the Dragon, and then did a perfect split, driving her dagger into its ribs. It shattered into bits.

Digger took a third card from his deck, and a third Masked Dragon appeared.

"I end my turn…" said Raphael.

Digger drew a card.

He made a slight smirk.

"I'm passing for this turn…" he said.

Raphael made two draws again.

"Now, let's complete the set…" he said.

He discarded one card.

"I discard one card from my hand, to arm Gardna with Wicked-Breaking Flamberge!"

He discarded a card, and placed a Spell Card in his last available slot. Another weapon fell from the sky. This one was a nasty-looking sword made of dark metal, with a long hilt.

"I always wondered…" muttered Valon. "What is a Flamberge?"

"I guess it's a… very big sword…" answered Alister. "Bigger than a scimitar, not quite as big as a claymore."

"And that lets me summon this guy…" said Raphael, revealing a card. "The black sheep of the Guardians… Appear before me… Guardian Baou!"

He threw a card on his final spot in his Monster Zone, and a dark shadow appeared on the field. A thin, skeletal Fiend with ragged, shock-white hair and leathery, bat-like wings stepped out. (800/400)

His eyes glowed with anger as he looked towards Digger…

"And once more…" continued Raphael. "I'll transfer Baou's Flamberge to him, which increases his Attack Score by 500 points!"

The huge sword vanished, and reappeared in Baou's hand. He spun it around like it was no heavier than a feather. (1,300/400)

"Five Monsters…" laughed Digger. "Oh, whatever will I do…"

Raphael grit his teeth in rage…

"Baou, demolish his last Masked Dragon!" shouted Raphael. "Breaking blade break!"

The demon flew forward and sliced the Dragon in twain! The pieces shattered.

"And when Baou destroys a Monster in battle," said Raphael, "his Attack Points rise by 1,000!"

Baou glowed with black fire… (2,300/400)

"Grarl, attack the facedown Monster on the left!" shouted Raphael.

Grarl leapt to attack, and a Troop Dragon appeared on the card. It was smashed to pieces.

Digger placed a card on his Disk, and a new Troop Dragon appeared. (700/800) –) (1,200/800)

"Frustrating, isn't it?" he asked.

"Elma… Kay'est," said Raphael. "Destroy his Troop Dragons!"

Kay'est sang a lovely song, and a sonic wave blasted towards the Troop Dragon, shattering it. A third one appeared. Elma drove her dagger into it, and it burst.

"Your move…" said Raphael.

Digger drew.

"I place one card facedown, and that will be all," he said, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

Raphael drew two cards.

He looked at them.

"Grarl, attack the last facedown Monster!" he shouted.

Grarl leapt forward with his axe…

A small squirrel formed on the card, and was sliced in half.

"Thanks a bunch…" laughed Digger. "That was a Nimble Momonga. Now I gain 1,000 Life Points, and get to summon two more!"

Two more facedown Monsters appeared.

"Oh, really?" asked Raphael. "I have news for you… When a Monster wielding Baou's Flamberge destroys a Monster, that Monster's effect is rendered… invalid!

"Baou, take out another Momonga!"

Baou made a savage swipe with his Flamberge, and another of the squirrels was cut in half.

"And now, Baou becomes even stronger…" continued Raphael.

Baou rose to an Attack of 3,300

"Kay'est, destroy the last one! Siren's song!"

Kay'est sang her lovely melody again, and the last Momonga shattered.

"And now…" said Raphael, "Elma attacks you directly!"

Guardian Elma danced towards her foe, and did a split again, driving her dagger into Diggers stomach. He shouted in pain…

**(R: 3,350) -------------------- (D: 5,900)**

"It's your move…" muttered Raphael.

Digger drew a card.

"Well, it's about that time…" he said with a chuckle.

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted, to revive one Momonga," he said.

A Nimble Momonga reappeared. (1,000/100) –) (1,500/100)

"And then…" he said. "I sacrifice it…"

The Nimble Momonga was consumed in a dark shadow…

"To summon… Shadow Ghoul!"

A hideous-looking Monster arose. It resembled nothing less that some giant, rotting horse, with four taloned legs, two clawed arms, and numerous bumps on its face that suggested eyes. The stench of the grave wafted over the cursed arena, and it glared at Raphael and his small army with a dead glare. (1,600/1,300)

"Well, _that's_ certainly a surprise," muttered Raphael, sarcastically. "That Monster fits you Digger… What better Monster for a ghoul who robs graves than a real ghoul?"

"You can insult me all you like," laughed Digger, "because I don't care. And in addition to the 500-point bonus that the Orichalcos grants to this loveable creature, it gains 100 Attack Points for every Monster in my Graveyard…

"That includes Ceal and Grave Protector, by the way…"

(3,300/1,300)

"Oh… but wait…" he said. "He has exactly the same Attack Score as Baou! What will I do?

"I know…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Heavy Storm!"

A fierce wind blew across the field! Raphael's Guardian Treasure card blew to pieces, then the Rod of Silence in Gardna's hands shattered, then Elma's Dagger shattered, then Grarl's Axe blew to bits, and finally, Baou's sword blew to pieces as well!

The Guardians looked dumbfounded. Grarl fell to an Attack of 2,500, Elma to 1,300, Baou to 2,800, and Gardna's Defense fell to 2,200.

"And without those…" said Digger, "there's no way to summon them again once they're gone!

"You try so hard to protect them? Well protect them from this! Shadow Ghoul, attack Guardian Elma with green vapor shroud!"

Elma gasped in fear… The Ghoul roared, and then shot a blast of green energy at the Fairy…

And then it was halted by an invisible barrier…

"What?" said Digger, in surprise. "There were no Traps left on the field! There wasn't even anything you could have chained!"

Raphael grinned, and held up five cards…

Three Skull Servants, and two Kings of the Skull Servants.

"Remember my Rescuer From the Grave?" he asked. "I used it to remove these five cards from play, and negate the attack."

"WHAT?" shouted Digger. "Impossible! My Cemetery Change transferred that card from your Graveyard to mine, and then my Reprocessing Plant card put it back in your deck!"

"Can you show me the rule where it says I'm only allowed to have one copy?" asked Raphael. "I discarded my second one in order to play Double Spell.

"I must admit… I never dreamed I'd ever use it to remove_Monsters_ from play… Up until now, I always used it to remove Spells and Traps. But that is hardly a requirement for that card."

He tossed the five cards aside.

"Fine…" growled Digger. "Make your move… See if you can defeat my Ghoul…"

"I draw one card this time…" said Raphael.

He drew.

"No, this one is no good," he said. "I pass for this turn."

"Ergh!" shouted Digger, drawing a card. "Shadow Ghoul, attack Elma again!"

The Ghoul shot his green vapor shroud forward, but the barrier blocked it again.

Raphael held up the three Divine Dragon Excelions, Keldo, and Pot of Greed…

"You can't do it forever!" shouted Digger.

"I doubt that will be a problem…" said Raphael.

"I'll place one Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn…" muttered Digger.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Raphael drew one card.

_NO!_ he thought. _Not this card…_

He paused.

_This was what I used to force the Pharaoh to play the Seal… Why didn't I burn it along with Dreadscythe…_

He paused.

_Perhaps if I use it to defeat the Orichalcos rather than serve it… One good deed will at least begin to atone for all the bad ones…_

"I place two cards facedown…" he said, playing two cards.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"And now I play… Shrink!"

He played the Spell Card, and Shadow Ghoul fell to half its size! (1,650/650)

Digger gasped…

"Baou, destroy the Shadow Ghoul!" shouted Raphael.

Guardian Baou flew forward with his sword, and cleaved the Ghoul in half!

Baou's Attack rose to 3,800.

"Grarl, take out his last defense!"

Grarl charged towards the facedown card. Keldo appeared on the card, and was smashed to bits.

"Kay'est, Elma… Attack directly!"

Kay'est sang her lovely song, and Digger cringed as the sonic waves tore through him…

Then Elma leapt up, and kicked him in the teeth.

**(R: 3,350) -------------------- (D: 1,450)**

"Very good…" muttered Digger. "But I'll still have the last laugh…"

He drew a card.

"I have a Monster even better than that Ghoul, and unlike him, I don't have to sacrifice a thing…"

"Wait a second…" said Valon.

"He doesn't mean…" said Alister.

"Oh, I do…" said Digger, with an evil grin.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon the dreaded Chaos Necromancer!"

With a chilling laugh, a dreadful-looking Fiend appeared in front of him. It was thin and gaunt, with red skin, and clothing that suggested royalty. It had sharp teeth, pointed ears, and glowing eyes under a mane of tangled black hair. (0/0)

"To make up for his nonexistent Attack and Defense Score," said Digger, "he gains 300 Points for both scores for every Monster in my Graveyard, and that balance now has two more due to your last move. Add the 500-point bonus that the Orichalcos gives him, and… Well… See for yourself…"

(5,000/5,000)

"Five-thousand?" shouted Valon and Alister, together.

"When this attack hits," shouted Digger, "you lose! Chaos Necromancer, attack Guardian Elma with curtain-call catapult!"

The Necromancer threw up his arms, and prepared to cast a mighty spell…

"Sorry to ruin your plans…" said Raphael. "Activate Trap Card! Crystal Seal!"

His Trap Card lifted, and Chaos Necromancer was encased in a block of crystal.

"Humph!" said Digger. "A desperate attempt! I know how that card works! All I have to do to free my Monster is raise or lower his Attack Score. And since that would happen if a Monster is added to or removed from my Graveyard, that will hardly be difficult. And need I remind you… You're almost out of cards!"

_True,_ thought Raphael. _But the two cards in my hand are my best…_

"I believe it's my move…" he said.

He drew. He looked at the Spell Card.

_Very well,_ he thought. _This was exactly what I needed to teach this fool and whoever sent him a painful lesson…_

"I just drew Soul Release," he said. "With this, I can remove from play up to five cards in my Graveyard… Or yours.

"However… I will only remove _one_. Namely, your Call of the Haunted."

He played the card, and the Trap fell out of Digger's discard slot.

"What's the point?" asked Digger.

"Next," he said. "I'll activate my last Trap… I only used this Trap as a true last resort…"

His facedown card lifted. It showed the image of the six Guardians fleeing from a dark shape.

"It's a rare card called Guardian Retreat," he said. "Now, every Guardian on my side of the field returns to my hand.

"So come on back, everyone!"

He took the cards off his Disk, and Elma, Kay'est, Grarl, and Baou vanished.

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Digger. "All their weapons are gone! You can't summon them again!"

"True…" said Raphael. "But there's still someone who I can summon…"

Thunder flashed.

"Wait…" said Digger. "You don't mean…"

Raphael took a card from his hand…

"I Equip Backup Gardna with Celestial Sword!" he shouted.

The clouds parted, and a gleaming, shining sword that could only have been forged in Heaven itself fell, piercing the Seal and landing in Gardna's hands. He bowed his head.

"You dug a lot of graves in your time, Digger, but in this duel, you only dug your own. By attacking with that Ghoul, you let me activate Rescuer From The Grave twice, and remove from play all the Monsters you put in my Graveyard with Cemetery Change.

"And while you contaminated my Graveyard, it now has no Monsters again, so my most powerful cards will now function as normal. And my most powerful Guardian can now be summoned with no sacrifice."

He held up his last card, and lightning started to flash! The wind bellowed! The trees of Marble Cemetery shook as the sky grew dark…

"Descend, mighty seraphim of the Higher Plane!" shouted Raphael. "I summon… **_Guardian Aitos_**!"

He threw the card on his Disk…

At first nothing seemed to happen. In fact, the storm gave way to an eerie, dead calm…

Then a beam of light pierced the clouds, and a form flew out of the sky…

From a distance, it looked like some great bird with white feathered wings, but as it approached, it became clearer that it had a more human shape…

It was an angel…

She had lovely feathered wings, along with a feathered headdress shaped like a hawk's head. Her clothing suggested that of a Native American, leather and splendidly sewn. Her face showed both power and wisdom at the same time. She looked very young, but a glance in her eyes showed a spirit that was eternal…

She flew through the Seal, and landed beside Raphael…

(2,500/2,000)

"No…" muttered Digger. "I…"

He paused.

"What's the matter?" asked Raphael. "I thought you were prepared for her?"

"I thought…" muttered Digger, "…if you had Monsters in your Graveyard… The only way you could bring her out… Was to sacrifice your Monsters… And you wouldn't…"

"You failed!" snapped Raphael.

He paused.

"One hundred years ago…" he said, "this Monster's appearance meant victory for the Orichalcos so many times… Well, this time, she's going to hand it a defeat…

"I use Gardna's effect to transfer Aitos's Sword to her!"

The Celestial Sword vanished, and appeared in Aitos's hands…

"Any Monster armed with this Equip gains 300 Attack Points for every Monster in my opponent's Graveyard," started Raphael. "And while that may be true for Aitos…"

Aitos rose to an Attack of 7,000.

"…when Aitos hold her own weapon, I can drive the point home even harder. By sending it to the Graveyard, I can remove the Monsters in your Graveyard from play, from the top down, until I reach a Spell or Trap…

"Of course… Since I didn't remove Reprocessing Plant from play, that means Ceal and Grave Protector will be spared. Your Monsters, however…"

Aitos's Sword shattered. Digger's Disk started to shake…

Then Monsters started to fly out! Keldo came first, and was absorbed into Aitos. Then came Shadow Ghoul, then three Nimble Momongas, then three Troop Dragons, then three Masked Dragons, and finally, Mudora…

Aitos started to glow with golden fire!

"And now, the base Attack Scores of all those Monsters are added to that of Aitos!" continued Raphael.

Aitos's Attack fell to 2,500…

And then skyrocketed… to 16,100!

Digger slunk back in fear…

Then, to add insult to injury, the Crystal Seal shattered, and Chaos Necromancer fell to an attack of only 1,100.

"Ah, yes…" muttered Raphael. "Only two Monsters in your Graveyard now…"

He looked up.

"Here's a message to whomever sent this bastard," he said, "because I know you're watching. Let the return of Aitos serve as a sign… That the Orichalcos will fall, just like it did one hundred years ago…

"Guardian Aitos… Attack Chaos Necromancer with holy smite of Heaven!"

Thunder rolled again, and two swords of pure light appeared in Aitos's hands. She spread her wings and flew forward, trailing motes of golden light…

As she stuck the Fiend, reality itself seemed to explode in a burst of pure light…

**(R: 3,350) -------------------- (D: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the dark chamber, the dark figure screamed…

It fell off the throne of obsidian…

"Such… power!" it gasped.

It slowly got up. It held its head.

"This is bad…" it said. "Those three are dangerous. I don't dare send anyone to make a third attempt…

"But what will they do if left alone?

"What will they plan?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Raphael stood over Digger's soulless body.

He turned his head over his shoulder.

"It's safe to come out now…" he said.

Valon and Alister crept out from behind the large tombstone they had taken cover behind when the storm started that proceeded Aitos's arrival.

"Is she gone?" asked Valon, scared.

"Yeah…" sighed Raphael.

That was a lie. She was standing right next to him.

He was holding Grave Protector… And Guardian Ceal.

After about a minute, Ceal appeared in front of him.

"I…" muttered Raphael. "I'm sorry… I never knew he would have used such an awful card…"

Aitos put her hand on Raphael's shoulder.

"_Raphael…"_ she said. _"In the game of Duel Monsters, no strategy is foolproof. No deck is without a weakness. No plan is perfect unless you are cheating. Do not blame yourself._

"_Take pride in one thing…_

"_That cur did his hardest to destroy what worked for you for so long…_

"_But you found a way to defeat him anyway. Ceal will forgive, if you forgive yourself."_

Ceal came up, and offered his hand.

Raphael looked him in the eye, and then took it…

"So now what do we do?" asked Valon.

Raphael paused again.

"I've been giving that some thought," he said.

He turned, and they walked towards the exit to the Marble Cemetery.

Aitos and Ceal followed. Then Elma, Baou, Kay'est, and Grarl appeared and followed as well.

Taking this odd phenomenon as if it was commonplace – after all, it was to him – Raphael continued.

"I doubt that Puppeteer guy will show up with Raviel gone," he said. "So pretty soon, those three clowns are sure to want to duel the Chosen again. Before they do… We have to have a talk with one of them…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

That Friday at five o'clock…

Sersei was nervous. Russell had told her to meet her near the main gates.

She was startled as two hands covered her eyes.

"Surprise!" said Russell's voice.

"Russell?" she said, nervously.

"Sersei…" he said. "Trisha and Jason told me about the whole thing with Cleo. I want to tell you two things…

"One, you are the craziest girl I have ever met…

"And two…"

He hugged her.

"Thank you… If you hadn't done it, I might still be in that horrid place…

"But don't you ever do that again, you hear? Or _I'll_ kick your butt!"

"Promise…" she said.

He looked in her eyes.

"Come on," he said. "I know this great restaurant… You like Italian?"

"All except veal," she replied. "Veal's bad."

"I know a place that makes great fettuccini Alfredo," said Russell. "And the garlic bread is to die for if you don't mind spending twenty minutes brushing your teeth the next morning."

"By the way…" said Sersei, looking at the trenchcoat, "I like your new look… It makes you look so… mysterious…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Several hours later…

Russell was often surprised how things could change.

Before this week, Sersei's style intimidated him, with the Monsters in her deck.

Now…

He was tired, but he wasn't about to fall asleep yet. His arms were around her, and she was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face.

She had lost her soul once in that horrid arena, and she risked losing it again to save him. He almost wished there was a way for her to give it to him, so that the folks he was fighting couldn't steal it if they ever came looking for her again.

He put his head on her chest and heard her heart beat steadily…

After a few minutes, he was asleep too.

_Friday, October 9th, 2006, 11:23 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BACKUP GARDNA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Beast-Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **500  
**DEF: **2,200

**Card Description:** This brute's looks are deceptive. He is not a good fighter, and he doesn't even like holding weapons. Once per your turn when this Monster is face-up on your side of the field, you can remove an Equip Spell Card Equipped to one Monster on your side of the field and Equip it to another Monster on your side of the field.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GUARDIAN FORCE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Counter  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A blast of raw, magical energy.

**Card Description:** You can activate this Trap when you have no Monsters in your Graveyard. Negate the activation of your opponent's Spell Card and destroy it.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**LIMIT TRIBUTE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description:** So long as this Trap remains active, both players may only Tribute one Monster per turn.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SELF TRIBUTE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when a Monster on your side of the field would be destroyed as a result of battle. Pay 1,000 Life Points to prevent the Monster from being destroyed. Battle damage still applies.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**RESCUER FROM THE GRAVE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A pious man in a robe, holding a staff up high, while standing atop a stone monument.

**Card Description:** When this card is in your Graveyard and your opponent declares an attack, you may remove five cards in your Graveyard from play to negate the attack. This effect may be activated multiple times. This card may be included in the five removed cards.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**PURITY OF THE CEMETERY (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The image of a bearded, hooded man looking over a serene cemetery.

**Card Description:** Destroy this card if you have any Monster Cards in your Graveyard. Your opponent loses 100 Life Points during each of his Standby Phases for each Monster he has in his Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CRYSTAL SEAL (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A purple gemstone with a feminine face inside it.

**Card Description:** Choose one Monster on the field. The chosen Monster cannot attack, and cannot be used as a Tribute. This card is destroyed if the ATK of the chosen Monster is raised or lowered.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CELESTIAL SWORD – AITOS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Aitos's face behind two crossed swords.

**Card Description:** Increase the ATK of the Monster Equipped with this card by 300 for every Monster in your opponent's Graveyard. When this card is Equipped to "Guardian Aitos", you may send this card to the Graveyard to remove the Monster Cards in your opponent's Graveyard from play from the top down until you reach a Spell or Trap Card. Then, add the base ATK of each Monster removed from play to "Guardian Aitos".

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GUARDIAN AITOS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description:** The rarely seen Queen of the Guardians. She is a benevolent monarch of the Higher Planes. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned unless you have a "Celestial Sword – Aitos" on your side of the field. If you have no Monster Cards in your Graveyard, this Monster may be Normal Summoned or set with no Tributes.

_Note: The proceeding nine cards were used by Raphael at various times in "Waking the Dragons". All creative credit goes to the writers of the anime._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GUARDIAN RETREAT (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The six Guardians fleeing from a dark shape.

**Card Description:** Return all Monsters on your side of the field with the word "Guardian" in their names to your hand, except for "Celtic Guardian", "Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1", "Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #2", "Guardian of the Labyrinth", "Guardian Angel Joan", "Gate Guardian", and "Dark Guardian".

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SECURITY BREACH (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Cliff the Trap Remover working on a security box with a pair of wire cutters.

**Card Description:** Discard one card from your hand. On the round when you activate this card, your opponent cannot activate facedown Trap and Spell Cards.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TURNABOUT TREASURE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have no cards on your side of the field, and this is the only card in your hand. Draw one card for every card on your opponent's side of the field.

_Note: "Turnabout Treasure" will be used by Kenzan in the second season of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**0**

**0**

**CEMETERY CHANGE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Two hands moving handfuls of cards towards each other.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points. Destroy all Monsters on the field. Then, switch the cards in your Graveyard with the cards in your opponent's Graveyard.

_Note: "Cemetery Change" will be used by Chazz in the second season of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**CHAOS BARRIER FIELD (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A black silhouette of a man with his hands on his head, with a red sphere to his right and a blue sphere to his left. A red arrow points from the red sphere to the blue sphere.

**Card Description:** Activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field, your opponent declares an attack, and has more than one Monster face-up on his side of the field. Redirect the attack towards the Monster on your opponent's side of the field with the lowest ATK. Then, end the Battle Phase.

_Note: "Chaos Barrier Field" was used by Noah in the multi-part anime episode "Noah's Final Threat". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DARK WALL OF WIND (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A man being buffeted in a dark tornado.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field. During the round this card is activated, all Battle Damage and Effect Damage to your Life Points are reduced to zero.

_Note: "Dark Wall of Wind" was used by Marik in the multi-part anime episode "The Darkness Returns". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**0**

**0**

**REPROCESSING PLANT (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The Cyber Commander looking over metal being processed on a factory belt.

**Card Description:** Pay 2,000 Life Points. Take all Spell and Trap Cards from each Graveyard, and place them at the bottom of the owners' decks in any order the owners desire.

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**0**

**0**

_**Coming up next:**_

**_An old student comes to the Academy, and she has a message for the three Chosen Ones… But only if one of them can meet a two-part challenge. Who is this strange duelist, and what is the answer to her riddle? Find out in a chapter called "Question", coming up next._**


	35. Question

_**I've been through so much doom and gloom lately, the duel I'm in right now is almost a relief.**_

_**My opponent doesn't want to steal my soul, and she isn't using any cursed cards… She even seems like a decent sort.**_

_**But that doesn't make it any easier.**_

_**She knows a secret that we have to know, and she'll only share that knowledge if I win this duel AND find out a personal secret about her on my own.**_

_**Doing both is proving harder than it would seem… Because she's a good duelist…**_

…_**and as for what she wants me to figure out… I'm clueless.**_

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Question**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Saturday, October 10th, 2106, 9:37 AM_

"_Hear this, Chosen Ones… When midnight strikes and the tenth of November turns into the eleventh, the Black Moon will shine, and not even you three will be able to stop me…"_

"That's what this Fortunado guy told us," said Trisha, as they walked into the library, "so basically, we have one month before the end of the world… Or whatever he was referring to…"

"We should be able to find something," said Russell. "Unless it was a lot of hot air…

"I mean, why do the villains always have to make speeches, anyway? It's like that all the time. I think they just like talking about themselves."

He took a toothpick out of his pocket and clenched it between his teeth. Then he sat down at the computer and cracked his knuckles.

He started typing.

"We'll just log onto the Virtual Almanac," he said, "and cross-reference November 10th with 'Black Moon'."

He typed some things in.

"**Searching…"** said the search engine.

"Here we are…" said Russell.

They looked at a reference.

**_The Black Moon:_** _A phenomenon believed to accompany the Wiccan event called The Reckoning. Exact details unknown. Possibly a lunar eclipse._

"Okay…" said Jason. "We're getting somewhere… Cross-reference 'Wicca' with 'The Reckoning'."

"Can't you ever say 'please'?" sighed Russell.

He started to type.

Eventually something came up on the screen.

They looked at the entry.

**_The Reckoning:_** _A belief held by Wicca, that an event happens every millennia where a force of evil and a force of good meet in mortal combat, and the result will change the outcome of history._

Russell frowned. Jason and Trisha shivered.

"Is there a Wiccan website?" asked Jason.

"Buddy, there's a website for _everything_," replied Russell. "Just give me a few minutes…"

Fifteen minutes later, he had found something.

"Here, guys," he said. "This is the website owned by a Wicca practitioner who records the history of the religion…"

"Isn't Wicca another name for a witch?" asked Trisha.

"There are a lot of misunderstandings about them," said Jason, "many of which are simply not true.

"One train of thought says they worship the Devil. The truth is, they don't… They don't even believe in the existence of Satan or some supremely evil being.

"Another belief is that they cast evil spells. The truth is, they aren't supposed to. They believe in something called the Three Times Rule. It states that if you hurt someone with magic, you suffer three times as much."

"HA!" laughed Russell. "Whoever thought THAT up was certainly wrong! Or if it is, our problem should take care of itself."

He continued to type.

"Basically," said Jason, "most Wicca are just honest folk who have a religion that's… different, as most pagan beliefs are. And since it's older than Christianity by several thousand years, possibly even older than Judaism, it can hardly be called improper."

"Yeah, but it's… weird…" added Russell.

He finally found what he was looking for.

"Here we are…" he said. "A journal entry translated into English, written by someone named Sir Issac. Translated to the modern calendar, this entry was written on November 12th, 1106 AD…"

They stared at each other.

"We're close to the one-thousand year anniversary of whatever this records!" gasped Trisha.

"Let's take a look here…" said Russell

He read the footnotes.

"According to the description, Issac was a knight of the First Crusade… He certainly wasn't a Wicca…"

He started to read.

_**This to remember how we, the faithful Knights in service of our Lord, destroyed the tyrant of this town, Malay Crom, thus ending the abominable Reign of the Abomination. **_

_**At daybreak, we moved to free the city with just a small army, led by the loyal knights who had accompanied me from back home. A great uprising of the town population, however, having long suffered under Crom's iron fist, supported us. This is good, for it is just to rebel against evil.**_

_**The citizens opened the main gate for us, and we swept like a righteous storm into the streets, bringing death to the minions of evil. After most of the day, the entire town was free, and Malay Crom, his entire army decimated, took refuge in his dark palace. We paused to rest, as the sun set, and the full moon rose, casting a soft glow over the town…**_

_**And then, a dark shape blotted out the glow of the moon, plunging the land into darkness, and we knew that the battle had only begun.**_

_**We broke down the doors of the palace, undaunted, where the chambers were filled with gloom that seemed magically alive and filled with the hideous screams and howls of demons. Only the bravest could follow me all the way to the great hall, where the tyrant was waiting for us.**_

"_**Who are you, fool?" he asked, pointing his finger at me.**_

"_**The Lord has decreed that evil and chaos shall no longer reign here!" was my answer.**_

_**Then, the dark wizard's horrible ally came loomed out of the darkness – standing the height of three men, the hulking demon Malastus was a chimeric creature with the head of a boar, arms like that of a bear, and a grotesquely fat torso. Two pathetically small, feathered wings, the purpose of which I could not fathom, graced its back. The fight was glorious and terrible. All my companions fell before the demon was finally destroyed by the power I channeled. Engulfed by holy fire, the horrible demon was blasted out of existence. **_

_**With the focus of his power defeated, Malay Crom, now little more than a madman, slipped down from his seat like an empty bag. He tried to get up to run, but was swiftly struck down by my longsword. The hour of retribution had come. **_

_**With the wizard's death, the cloak of fear and darkness that hung over the palace was lifted, and a mob of furious people rushed in to loot and destroy all they could. Exhausted and grieving over the deaths of my companions, I could do little more than watch how much the reign of the evil sorcerer had filled every heart with hate and desire for vengeance. The next morning, the body of Malay Crom was burned in the same place where his minions had executed so many innocents over the past three years. **_

_**Now, the time has come to restore a benign government in this town, with the hope that the tragic days of the Reign of the Abomination are gone forever.**_

_**Glory to God Almighty**_

They were speechless for a minute.

"Issac seemed like one tough guy," said Russell.

"A battle between pure good and ultimate evil…" said Jason. "One thousand years ago… Wizards, demons, knights, crusaders… Before Duel Monsters ever existed…"

"And it's been one thousand years since," said Trisha. "A new Reckoning is about to occur, and the side of Evil has chosen the Orichalcos as its weapon, along with Duel Monsters…"

"And the only way we have a chance…" muttered Russell.

He took The Eye of Timaeus out of his pouch.

"…is to find the Dark Messiah… in the next thirty-one days."

"People, am I the only one who has half a brain here?" asked Russell, starting to type. "That stupid Puppeteer told us that Yugi found a way to destroy the Seal!"

He hit a key, and the Industrial Illusions website came up. He clicked onto the database.

"That means that somewhere in here, among thousands and thousands of cards that have been created since the game has been invented, there exists one that can smash that blasted Field Spell. The one that Yugi used. Somehow, we have to find out what it is…"

"Students?" said a voice.

They looked up and saw Dr. Peters.

"Uh, yes?" asked Jason.

"Dr. Artemis requests your presence," said Peters, "and she used the words 'right now'."

They looked at each other in worry…

"Was she angry?" asked Russell.

"She looked more… annoyed," answered Peters.

Trisha gulped.

The only thing worse than Dr. Artemis when she was angry was Dr. Artemis when she was annoyed…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The three current Swordsmen of the Orichalcos were standing in the dark chamber, as the shadowy figure loomed above them on its throne of obsidian.

"Listen closely," said the figure, "as you know, thanks to the Puppeteer's royal screw-up, our original plan has been ruined.

"Thus, we must go to our alternate plan.

"I'm going to require you three to duel the Chosen Ones again… However, while one or two of them can lose, and I'd reward the ones who could do so, at least one must survive.

"If necessary, we'll Seal them and then let Trisha and Jason go free after they have learned their place. But we cannot take them permanently yet.

"They must survive until they find the Dark Messiah."

"Pardon me for asking," said Cassius, "but you _want_ the Dark Messiah to come out of hiding?"

"Indeed, Cassius," said the figure. "They may not know it, but an ultimate confrontation with him is the ultimate plan.

"Now, you must prepare the next assaults carefully, and not recklessly as you did before. Strike when they are least expecting it, and coordinate your attacks carefully.

"I will tolerate no more mistakes. If you lose in your attempt, I will _not_ spare you."

They gulped.

They turned to leave.

_Fools,_ thought the figure. _They actually think that they're going to make it through the Reckoning with their souls intact… Their chances of actually defeating the Chosen Ones is slim at best..._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When the three students walked into the office, Twinky currently was standing beside the Chancellor with a coffee pot.

This _had_ to be big.

They saw that Artemis had another visitor. Sitting on the couch was a young woman who looked to be about twenty-five or so. She was wearing a blue, low-cut halter covered with a jacket and a short skirt, and flats on her feet. Her long hair was dyed purple, and she had big, sea green eyes.

"Uh, Dr. Artemis?" asked Trisha. "You wanted to see us?"

The chancellor took a big swig of coffee, and then held out the cup for Twinky who started to refill it.

"Not particularly," she said, "but due to the current situation, I have little choice."

The young woman stood up and held out her hand.

"Hello," she said. "I'm Dr. Amethyst Malone, M.D."

"M.D.?" asked Jason, shaking.

"Monster Doctor," replied Amethyst. "I'm a former student…

"And I want to duel one of the Dragons' Chosen Ones."

The three of them looked at Artemis.

"This was _not_ my idea…" answered Artemis.

"Any particular reason?" asked Russell, in an annoyed tone. "We have enough trouble fending off guys who want to kill us to worry about people who want to do it for research."

"Well…" said Amethyst, sitting down, "I know what you want. I know you're looking for the Dark Messiah…

"I can help with information, but I won't give it for free…"

They looked at her.

"You see students," she continued, "before you ask, I don't actually know where the Messiah can be found. I'm one of three messengers, and I can lead you to the second.

"I have two conditions for you to receive my help. The first is, one of you has to duel me, and win."

"And the other?" asked Jason.

Amethyst smiled.

"One hundred years ago, the patriarch of my family was a great duelist," she said. "He dueled two members of the Trinity on separate occasions. He may have lost both duels, but both of them were close.

"Before the last blow of this duel lands, you must figure out who he was.

"I can give you one hint, if you want… He was one of the few opponents they had who had as much honor as a duelist as they did."

"Well, that does kind of narrow it down…" muttered Russell.

"Wait a second…" said Jason. "I watched most of their public duels, I don't remember any duelist named Malone…"

"His only child was a daughter," answered Amethyst. "When she eventually married, she didn't choose to keep her maiden name."

Dr. Artemis leaned her head on her hand.

"This is totally up to you three," she said. "But I fear I cannot help you with this. Amethyst is working independently."

"I expect nothing in return should you fail," said Amethyst, "but you will have to find the second messenger on your own."

The three students looked at each other.

They held up their fists. They shook them.

Jason's and Russell's hands opened, paper. Trisha's two fingers jutted out, scissors.

"I'll take you on," said Trisha. "But it would likely be better for us and the whole world if you'd just tell us your information…"

"I'm afraid I can't," said Amethyst. "Ancient rules dictated by the force behind the Dark Messiah say that a challenge must be made by each messenger. We have little choice."

"Get ready and go to the Arena," said Artemis. "I'm going to have a chat with the… M.D."

As they left, Artemis held out her cup for another refill, and stared at Amethyst.

"These cryptic visits are getting to be tiresome, Amethyst," she said. "After you graduated, you said your plans were secret, but these secrets are getting downright annoying."

"There's one secret I don't like keeping," answered Amethyst, crossing her arms.

Artemis sighed.

"Amethyst," she said, "you must _not_ under any circumstances, tell anyone that you were a member of Exodia Gold! If the students knew that the much-rumored fourth level truly existed, we'd never hear the end of it. We'd be swamped with requests for information about the requirements from students who didn't stand a prayer of getting in.

"And if they knew, they'd do God knows what to try to fulfill the most important requirement.

"Besides…"

She paused.

"Exodia Gold might see all its empty slots filled soon. Those three will be nominated, and possibly others…

"With all the helter-skelter going around lately, they and several other students have recently fulfilled that requirement…"

"You mean…?" asked Amethyst, nervously.

"Yes…" said Artemis. "The requirement that says a candidate must have, at least one time, been lured into a Shadow Game… And emerged victorious…"

Amethyst shivered.

"That's right…" said Artemis. "You still remember how _you _were forced to fulfill that requirement, and how a lucky topdeck saved you. I do not under any conditions want students to go _looking _for Shadow Duelists!

"The results could be dire…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cleo combed her hair as she looked in her mirror.

She looked at herself, staring her own reflection in the eyes.

"The Master is getting tense, isn't she?" she asked.

This was a game she often played with herself – discussing things with herself as if she were two people. It wasn't much of a stretch. For most of her life, she was the only person she had to talk to.

"I know," she replied. "We're getting closer to the big day, and not much progress has been made. If you ask me, she must be starved. All she's had to eat are the souls of the dregs we've sent after them."

"And they don't taste very good, most likely," she replied.

"That dumb Puppeteer got what was coming to him," she added. "I could have sensed that Russell's e-mail was a set-up from a mile away. Why did the Master trust him with Raviel anyway?"

"Oh, did you want to use it?"

"Good grief, no! That thing is dangerous!"

"Well, there you go. Likely, she gave it to him because he was the only one who was stupid enough to use something so dangerous. I mean, using a counterfeit Sacred Beast is like the Duel Monsters equivalent of throwing rocks at a hornet's nest."

"Anyway…" she replied. "I have to duel Jason again, but she doesn't want all of them Sealed. Maybe there's a way to teach him a lesson without even using the Seal."

She paused.

"Without using the Seal…" she muttered. "Now there's an idea…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trisha stood in the floor of the Arena while Jason and Russell tried to calm her.

"I hope you can do this, Trisha…" said Jason.

"It should be easy," she replied. "I just have to look at the theme of her deck, and remember which of the Trinity's old sparring partners used that theme."

"A misconception, as you'll soon learn," said Amethyst, as she walked in. "My family's patriarch had a powerful deck theme, but it is one that I did _not_ adapt.

"If you were chosen by Critias, Trisha, you must have a great deal of untapped power hidden inside you. You must call upon it… Take every subtle hint, and see if you can identify who my ancestor was…

"And if you can, and win this duel as well, your job will become much easier…"

Russell and Jason sat down in the front row, and saw that Dr. Artemis was already there.

"You came?" asked Jason. "I didn't know you intended to…"

"I always like seeing a good duel," answered Artemis. "I just hope Trisha isn't in over her head… Amethyst was one of my best."

Trisha and Amethyst handed each other their decks and they started to shuffle.

"Uh…" said Trisha. "You don't even have a Disk, pardon me for saying so…"

Amethyst smiled as she took back her deck.

She took something out of her pocket that looked like a cell phone, and clipped it to her bracelet…

She tapped a button, and the device quickly expanded and unfolded, forming into a wafer-thin Disk.

"A Pocket Disk…" muttered Jason.

He was envious… Students weren't allowed to use those, but apparently, there was nothing that said a guest couldn't.

Amethyst placed her deck in the Disk.

"Nervous?" she asked. "Why? The outcome of this duel will only affect your entire career…"

"Funny…" said Trisha. "Game… start!"

**(Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (Amethyst: 8,000)**

"I'll even let you move first," said Amethyst, drawing five.

"Why thanks…" said Trisha, drawing six.

She looked over her cards.

_Not bad…_ she thought.

"I'll start by playing Graceful Charity," she said, playing a card.

He played the card, and the angel appeared.

She drew three cards, and considered…

After a minute, she discarded Mighty Guard and Soul Release.

"Now I'm starting with my favorite," she said. "Nanobreaker, in Attack Mode!"

She played the card, and the lovely, female android appeared, holding aloft her sword. (1,600/1,800)

"That's my turn for now," she said.

Amethyst drew a card.

"I play the Spell Card, Magical Mallet," she said, holding up a card. "This allows me to take whichever cards I choose from my hand, shuffle them into my deck, and then draw the same number.

"And I choose to do so, with all five of my cards!"

She removed her deck, placed her hand in it, and quickly shuffled.

Then she replaced it, and drew five new ones.

"Very well," she continued. "I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared.

Trisha drew a card.

She smirked.

"I summon Cyber Phoenix in Attack Mode," she said.

In a burst of flames, the metal phoenix appeared, slowly flapping its wings and hovering in the air. (1,200/1,600)

"And so long as he's on the field," she said, "my Machines are immune to all Spells and Traps that target.

"Now I'll have Nanobreaker attack your facedown Monster! Go! Nano-blade!"

Nanobreaker flew forward…

A Spellcaster in an exotic blue dress with purple hair in a ponytail, holding a staff topped with a crescent moon appeared on the card. She cringed before she was cut down.

"You just flipped my Magician of Faith," said Amethyst. "Now I get to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard. Of course, there's only one there…"

A card slipped out of her discard slot, and she held up the Magical Mallet.

"Well, I'm hardly done," said Trisha. "Cyber Phoenix, attack her directly!"

Cyber Phoenix opened its beak and fired a flamethrower at Amethyst. She crossed her arms as it closed in on her…

To the shock of everyone watching, she didn't even flinch as the flames hit her.

**(T: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 6,800)**

"Uh, yeah…" muttered Trisha. "I'll… end my turn there…"

Amethyst drew a card.

"Since I got Magical Mallet back," she said, holding it up, "I'll use it again. Once again, I'll reshuffle all five of my cards."

"What the Hell is she doing?" asked Russell. "Why does she keep resetting her hand?"

"I've seen something like this before…" answered Jason. "This is just a hunch, but… I think that somewhere in Amethyst's deck is a card that plays a very important part of her strategy…

"…and she's looking for it…"

Amethyst drew five more cards.

"Next, I play Pot of Greed," she said.

She drew two more.

"And finally," she said, "to protect myself, I summon Dark Elf in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and the dark twin of Mystical Elf appeared. (2,000/800)

Trisha got nervous.

"Something wrong?" asked Amethyst.

"The three of us…" replied Trisha. "We had a bad experience with a duelist who used that Monster…"

"No kidding," said Russell, under his breath.

Trisha drew a card.

_Get a grip, Trisha,_ she thought. _It's a perfectly useful way to form an offensive wall. She isn't going to use the Seal…_

"I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode," she said.

She played a card, and the machine hunter appeared, brandishing its blades. (1,850/800)

"That will end my turn," she said.

Amethyst drew a card.

"All right, Trisha," she said, "I'll place two cards facedown…"

She placed two cards in her Disk. They materialized.

"And since you seem to like Machines so much, I believe I'll summon one of my own…"

She showed her the card.

"It's a guy called Fusilier Dragon the Dual-Mode Beast. This is a seven-star Monster, but its effect lets me summon it with no sacrifice, so long as I cut its Attack and Defense Scores in half."

She placed a card on her Disk, and in a burst of energy, a huge Machine rolled forward. It looked for all practical purposes like a mechanical Dragon on tank treads, with laser cannons were its eyes would be, and two more guns sprouting from its torso.

Small bursts of energy flew from it, and sparks started to fly. It appeared to be broken. (2,800/2,000) –) (1,400/1,000)

"What?" asked Trisha. "Since you did that, it's no stronger than a Celtic Guardian."

"Yes, and that's 200 Attack Points strong enough to destroy your Cyber Phoenix," added Amethyst. "Fusilier Dragon… attack Cyber Phoenix with shadow fission laser!"

The Dual-Mode Beast blasted its cannons, and Cyber Phoenix was blown to shards.

**(T: 7,800) -------------------- (A: 6,800)**

"I forgot to mention…" said Trisha. "When Cyber Phoenix is destroyed in battle, I get to draw one card…"

She drew.

_Mystical Space Typhoon,_ she thought. _Might be useful…_

"It's your move," said Amethyst.

"Indeed," said Trisha. "First I draw…"

She drew.

"Then I'll attack! Nanobreaker, attack the Dual-Mode Beast!"

Nanobreaker raised her sword and leapt forward.

"You always should look before you leap, to quote a cliché," said Amethyst.

One of her facedown cards lifted, showing the image of Dark Ruler Ha Des suffering from some horrible disease.

"WHAT?" shouted Russell.

"That's Skill Drain!" shouted Jason.

"Exactly!" said Amethyst. "For the low, low price of only 1,000 Life Points, this Continuous Trap strips all Effect Monsters on the field of their effects.

"But Fusilier Dragon doesn't care… In fact, he actually likes it, because without his effect, his Attack and Defense are restored to full power!"

The sparking and bursts on the Machine stopped…

(2,800/2,000)

"And might I add, it's too late for Nanobreaker to call off her attack…"

Nanobreaker's sword struck the huge Machine…

…and it broke in two with a snap.

Nanobreaker looked at the remains of the sword with a confused look. Then she noticed that the larger Machine was taking aim at her…

With four powerful blasts, she was atomized.

Trisha growled.

"And by the way, Trisha," said Amethyst, "Dark Elf benefits from this Trap too. With her effect gone, I don't have to pay Life Points to order her to attack."

Dark Elf smirked at Trisha with an evil grin.

"It's still my turn, Amethyst!" shouted Trisha.

She turned a card on her Disk.

"First, I'll move Mechanicalchaser to Defense Mode…"

Mechanicalchaser shielded itself.

"Next, I summon Battle Footballer in Defense Mode…"

Battle Footballer appeared and crouched. (1,000/2,100)

"Next I play… Monster Reborn!"

She played the card, and Mighty Guard appeared, also kneeling in Defense Mode.

"Then I'll summon two more, by playing Machine Duplication!"

She played another Spell Card, and two more Mighty Guards appeared. (500/1,200 x3)

"Finally, I'll place three cards facedown."

She fit three of her four remaining cards into slots, and three facedowns appeared.

"That will end my turn."

_I'll give her a big surprise, _she thought.

**(T: 6,600) -------------------- (A: 5,800)**

"Well, Trisha seems able to defend herself for now," said Russell.

"True, but she had to use all the cards in her hand but one," replied Jason. "Let's hope those facedowns are good ones."

"My draw…" said Amethyst.

She drew a card.

"And my facedown card activates!" shouted Trisha, as one of her facedowns lifted.

"Mystical Space Typhoon! Say goodbye to your Skill Drain!"

The cyclone shot forward.

"I activate my Counter Trap…" said Amethyst.

"Counter Trap?" gasped Trisha.

Amethyst's other facedown card lifted.

"Judgment of Anubis!" exclaimed Amethyst.

"Not that…" gasped Jason.

"Yes, that," answered Amethyst. "This deadly Trap can be activated when you try to destroy one or more of my Traps or Spells with a Spell Card. For the cost of one card…"

She discarded another Magician of Faith.

"…this not only foils your attempt, but destroys one of your Monsters."

A frightening spectral jackal appeared above her… The Mystical Space Typhoon died down to nothing.

"Anubis, destroy!" she commanded.

The jackal howled, and Mechanicalchaser exploded in a flaming burst! Trisha fell on her behind from the impact.

"Even worse… for you," she continued, "the Attack Points of that Monster now come out of your Life Points."

**(T: 4,750) -------------------- (A: 5,800)**

"You don't play a Skill Drain deck, Trisha," she said, "without taking precautions to protect the key part of your strategy."

"Well, you certainly can't blame me for trying…" muttered Trisha.

"Then my turn continues," said Amethyst, taking a card from her hand. "I summon an evil goddess whose name is known and feared as Nuvia the Wicked."

She played a card, and a frightening form floated out of the ether. It looked like a fiendish face with a woman's face in the center, with a spiny, trailing tail, and two clawed arms. Her eyes glowed with evil light. She didn't make a sound… She just stared at Trisha in stony silence. (2,000/800)

"You're clearly starting to get the picture, Trisha," said Amethyst. "Normally, Nuvia would die if I Normal Summoned her, and even if she was Flip-Summoned or Special Summoned, her Attack Points would go down by 200 for every Monster my opponent controls…

"She just loves Skill Drain…

"Fusilier Dragon, attack Battle Footballer! Shadow fission laser!"

Fusilier Dragon blasted Battle Footballer to bits.

"Dark Elf, attack with dark curse!"

Dark Elf cast a wicked spell, and one Mighty Guard was blown up.

"Nuvia, attack with wicked gaze!"

Nuvia's eyes glowed red… twin beams of energy shot out, and destroyed another Mighty Guard.

"Your move…" said Amethyst.

Trisha drew a card.

"I summon Green Gadget in Defense Mode," she said.

Green Gadget appeared, shielding itself. (1,400/600)

"Don't forget," said Amethyst, "with Skill Drain out, it loses its effect."

"I know! Just move…" mumbled Trisha.

Amethyst drew.

"I summon Flash Assailant in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and a new creature leapt down from the ceiling. It was a fiendish bandit in pantaloons and a scarf with an eyepatch, holding a dagger.

He licked the blade eagerly. (2,000/2,000)

"Four Monsters?" gasped Trisha.

"Good, you can add," said Amethyst. "Let's see how well you can subtract. Dark Elf, attack the Green Gadget."

Dark Elf cast her Spell, and Green Gadget blew into shards.

"Nuvia, take out the last Mighty Guard."

Nuvia stared, and the last Guard was blown up.

"Her last Monster is gone…" gasped Russell.

"I activate my facedown card!" shouted Trisha. "Go, Hyper-Refresh!"

Her facedown card lifted.

"I can add and subtract," she added, "and I can multiply too. And since I now have no Monsters on my side of the field, and the combined Attack Scores of yours is greater than my Life Points, my Life Points get multiplied by two."

**(T: 10,500) -------------------- (A: 5,800)**

Amethyst smirked.

"Not bad…" she said. "But my Battle Phase continues. Fusilier Dragon, attack her directly!"

Fusilier Dragon roared. It aimed its guns and a crosshairs appeared on Trisha…

"I activate… Nutrient Z!" shouted Trisha.

Her other facedown card lifted…

Trisha screamed as the blasters fired directly into her torso.

She gasped for breath, and slowly got up… Smoke poured from her chest.

"That hurt…" she muttered, catching her breath. "But thanks to my Trap, I gained 4,000 Life Points before losing 2,800, for a total gain of 1,200.

**(T: 11,700) -------------------- (A: 5,800)**

"You have no more Traps left," said Amethyst, "but my Flash Assailant still has an attack. Flash Assailant, attack directly with flash dagger!"

Flash Assailant sped forward in a blur. Trisha screamed again as he stabbed the dagger into her torso.

He cackled as she collapsed on her stomach.

**(T: 9,700) -------------------- (A: 5,800)**

She slowly got to her feet…

"My… move…" she said.

She drew a card.

_I'm ahead on points, but she has me outnumbered four Monsters to none,_ she thought. _Maybe this will help…_

"I play Card of Sanctity!" she shouted.

She played the card, and a bright flash lit up the arena. They both drew until they had six cards.

Trisha looked at one of them.

_Mirror Force,_ she thought. _I just might win this…_

"I summon Robotic Angel in Defense Mode," she said.

She played the card, and the mysterious, faceless angel appeared, folding her arms over her chest. (0/2,000)

"Next, I play Silent Doom. I'll use it to revive Battle Footballer in Defense Mode."

She played the card, and Battle Footballer appeared.

"Finally, I'll play a card facedown, and that will be all."

She fit a card into a slot, and it appeared.

"Now that was a smart move!" exclaimed Russell. "She has two Monsters in Defense Mode with at least 2,000 Defense. Amethyst _can't_ destroy both of them this turn!"

"Oh, no?" asked Amethyst.

She drew a card.

"I summon Zombyra the Dark in Attack Mode," she said.

In a burst of shadow, a dark superhero wearing a black costume, a cape with a high collar, and a demonic, skull-like mask flew onto the field. (2,100/500)

"I've been wrong before…" muttered Russell.

"This guy is powerful," said Amethyst, "but without Skill Drain he'd lose 200 Attack Points after each attack and could never attack directly. I'll gladly let him attack you once he takes care of your defenses."

She chose a card from her hand.

"Of course," she continued, "with your earlier stunt with those facedown cards, I'm not taking any chances."

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

She played the card, and Trisha watched in horror as her Mirror Force was blown away…

"Mirror Force…" muttered Amethyst. "Figures…"

"It was worth a shot…" answered Trisha.

"Worth a shot?" asked Amethyst, as if she was talking down to her. "Trisha, you can't hope to succeed with such obvious maneuvers. You realize I couldn't have used Heavy Storm or Giant Trunade… My Skill Drain would have been demolished. So if you had put the Mirror Force and one or two more cards facedown as decoys that might have saved you a lot of pain on this round.

"Sadly you didn't… So you have to suffer for it…"

Trisha bowed her head… That was a good point…

"Zombyra…" ordered Amethyst, "attack Robotic Angel with super powered punch!"

Zombyra the Dark flew forward, and socked the robotic seraphim, blowing her to shards.

"Fusilier Dragon, destroy Battle Footballer."

Fusilier Dragon aimed its cannons, and blasted Battle Footballer for the second time.

"Flash Assailant, Nuvia, Dark Elf… Take her down."

Trisha wailed in agony as she was stuck by two dark spells and another slash from a dagger.

She fell to her knees. Smoke rose from her body…

**(T: 3,700) -------------------- (A: 5,800)**

"I've never seen Trisha take a beating like this…" muttered Russell. "What is she made of?"

"I don't know," replied Jason, "but now it's going to take a miracle. Amethyst not only has a full field of five Monsters, all of them are ones with 2,000 Attack Points or more that she summoned without so much as a sacrifice… Monsters that would have nasty drawbacks normally, but thanks to that Skill Drain, have fit the definition of 'broken'."

"I know…" said Dr. Artemis. "Amethyst was the best in the school five years ago, and she crushed anyone who challenged her with this strategy. No one could stand up to it…

"And I hate to say this, but her favorite Monster has yet to come out."

Trisha slowly caught her breath and stood up.

_There's got to be some method to this madness,_ she thought. _And I have to find out who her ancestor was…_

_Two of her Monsters are Fiends… Marik liked Fiends... The duels could have taken place after he was… cured._

_Same goes for Bakura… Naw, he was a pathetic duelist when the Evil Spirit wasn't controlling him. _

_Face it, most of the "great duelists" that those three faced were nothing more than scoundrels…_

"Are you going to move or not?" asked Amethyst.

Trisha drew a card.

"I play… Pot of Greed," she said.

She played the card. The jar appeared, and she drew twice.

"I summon Machine King Prototype in Defense Mode," she said.

Prototype, appeared, crouching in defense. (1,600/1,500)

"Now, I place three cards facedown," she said.

She played three cards, and they appeared.

"Over to you."

Amethyst drew.

She looked at the powerful Monster. She added it to her hand.

"Flash Assailant… attack!" she shouted.

The Fiend zoomed forward.

"I activate… Negate Attack!" exclaimed Trisha.

Her Trap Card lifted, and the Assailant slammed into an invisible wall.

"Now with just one Trap, your attack has been foiled, and your Battle Phase ends," she said.

"Then my turn ends as well," said Amethyst. "But you've only bought one turn."

Trisha looked at her deck.

_All I need is the right Monster…_ she thought.

She drew a card.

She grinned.

"You know, Amethyst…" she said. "I hate being on the defensive…"

She turned the card on her Disk.

"I move Machine King Prototype… to Attack Mode!"

Prototype stood up.

"Has she gone mad, you ask? Well, no… Because now I Equip him with Cannon of the Machine King!"

She played a card. The huge Cannon fell from the ceiling, and Prototype caught it. He crouched on one knee, aiming it.

"It cost me 1,000 Life Points to arm him with this weapon, but it will let him attack all of your Monsters at once."

"I see one thing wrong with that," said Amethyst. "He's still weaker than all of them."

"Not for long…" said Trisha.

Another Trap Card lifted.

"I activate… Elemental Blight! Now, by removing one Monster in my hand from play, all Monsters with the same Attribute as the one I'm removing lose 1,500 Attack Points for one round. All five of your Monsters are Dark Monsters, in case you didn't notice..."

She held up a card.

"…and I'm removing Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!"

Amethyst paled…

A wave of energy covered the field, and all her Monsters looked sick. Fusilier Dragon fell to an Attack of 1,300, Zombyra fell to 600, and the other three fell to 500.

"Machine King Prototype…" ordered Trisha. "Attack with pulverizing plasma blast!"

Machine King Prototype fired a mighty blast from his weapon, and a massive explosion erupted on Amethyst's side of the field! She flew back and stumbled off the arena floor.

Only ashes were left where the five Monsters had stood.

**(T: 2,200) -------------------- (A: 1,200)**

Amethyst coughed…

Jason and Russell started to cheer.

"I end my turn, Amethyst," said Trisha. "And the tide of this battle is turning."

"No it isn't," replied Amethyst. "I have just what I need right now, to finish you off… You die on this turn…"

Jason got nervous…

"She's speaking figuratively, moron," said Russell.

Although, even he was a little worried.

Amethyst drew a card. She added it to her hand, and then played one.

"I summon the most powerful four-star Monster ever created," she stated. "Giant Kozaky."

She played the card, and a rumbling sounded. A giant creature that looked like a crazy robot of some sort, with a saucer-shaped body and built to look like it was dressed in a white shirt and a tie, rolled into view in front of her. It had claws, a drill, a hammer, and other odd tools, and a leering expression on its metal face. (2,500/2,400)

"That thing is as strong as the Dark Magician…" gasped Jason. "It's a four-star Monster?"

"I've never heard of a Machine called Giant Kozaky…" muttered Trisha.

"That's because it isn't a Machine, it's a Fiend," answered Amethyst. "As you might expect, as the most powerful four-star Monster ever made, Giant Kozaky has the deadliest drawback. I'll explain.

"If you have it on the field with no regular Kozaky – and regular Kozaky is a weak, one-star Monster with 400 Attack Points and no effect – this thing explodes, and takes 2,500 of your Life Points with it."

"It seems to me that it's a very dangerous Monster, even for a Skill Drain Deck," replied Trisha. "What if I was somehow to destroy that Skill Drain now? You'd lose!"

"You misunderstand," said Amethyst. "I'm not going to attack with Giant Kozaky…"

She held up a Spell Card.

"I'm going to give it to you. I play… Creature Swap…"

She played the card, and it appeared.

"This card would normally require us each to choose a Monster and trade them. But since we each have only one Monster…"

Giant Kozaky and Machine King Prototype vanished, and appeared on the opposite sides.

"And now…" said Amethyst, taking another card from her hand. "I'll play Emergency Provisions, to get rid of my Skill Drain!"

"NO!" screamed Jason.

"It's going to blow up in Trisha's face!" screamed Russell. "You know, if it weren't Trisha, this might actually be kind of cool…"

Amethyst played the card, and the Skill Drain card started to vanish.

"Not so fast!" shouted Trisha. "I still have one more facedown card…"

Her last facedown card lifted.

"This facedown card was a decoy, as you suggested, but you made it work. It's my Mystik Wok. Now, I can sacrifice Giant Kozaky before it explodes."

Giant Kozaky vanished into sparkling light. Trisha started to glow.

"Even better, instead of losing 2,500 Life Points, I gain that many. And it feels good!"

**(T: 4,700) -------------------- (A: 2,200)**

"This duel is far from over," she said.

Amethyst started at her for a minute.

"Ingenious, Trisha," she said. "You are the first duelist _ever_ to avoid perishing when I used that combo. I take back what I said… Certainly, your skills as a duelist are incredible.

"But my Battle Phase hasn't started yet. Machine King Prototype, attack her directly."

Trisha cringed as she was hit in the chest by the Machine's weapon.

_Attacked by my own Monster…_ she thought, perspiring. _That was low…_

"I'll end my turn," said Amethyst.

**(T: 3,100) -------------------- (A: 2,200)**

Trisha drew.

"I summon a second Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode," she said.

A new Mechanicalchaser appeared. (1,850/800)

"Sure, Prototype gains 100 more Attack Points, but that's not quite enough. Prototype, don't hold this against me…

"Mechanicalchaser, attack!"

Mechanicalchaser flew forward, slashing at Prototype with its blades. The smaller robot exploded.

**(T: 3,100) -------------------- (A: 2,050)**

"Your move…" said Trisha.

Amethyst drew a card.

"I'll place two cards facedown, and that will be all," she said.

She fit two cards into her Disk, and they appeared.

"HA!" laughed Russell. "I think she's bluffing!"

Trisha drew a card.

"I summon Red Gadget in Attack Mode," she said.

Red Gadget appeared, putting up its fists. (1,300/1,500)

"And since your Skill Drain is gone, my Monsters gain back their effects, meaning I get to add Yellow Gadget from my deck to my hand…"

She got what she needed from her deck.

"Mechanicalchaser, attack Amethyst directly!"

Mechanicalchaser flew at Amethyst…

"Activate… Draining Shield!" she shouted.

Her Trap lifted, and a dome of force appeared around her. Mechanicalchaser jammed its blades into it, and the energy flowed into her. She glowed.

"Okay…" muttered Russell. "I guess she _wasn't_ bluffing…"

"Red Gadget, you attack!" shouted Trisha.

Red Gadget flew forward, and it was more successful. It punched Amethyst upside the face

**(T: 3,100) -------------------- (A: 2,600)**

Amethyst wiped her face.

"You're treading on dangerous waters, Trisha," she warned. "If both of your attacks had gone through, you would have won…

"But you still would have failed, because you haven't yet met my other condition, remember? You must figure it out before the last blow of this duel lands…"

She drew a card.

"Not that it matters much, because you are going to lose this duel."

She waved her hand, and her other Trap lifted. It was another Skill Drain.

"It costs me 1,000 Life Points again, but I'm quite willing," she said, "because I just drew my favorite Monster.

"You know… This guy caused my family's patriarch a great deal of trouble… But I've grown to like him a lot.

"I summon Panther Warrior in Attack Mode!"

With a growl, a tall panther-man in exotic armor and a cape holding a scimitar and a shield appeared. He growled, and lifted his weapon menacingly. (2,000/1,600)

Trisha raised an eyebrow.

"Normally," said Amethyst, "this guy couldn't attack unless I sacrificed another Monster first, but Skill Drain removes that handicap."

"So attack then," said Trisha. "I'll survive…"

"Barely…" said Amethyst, with a smirk.

She took another card from her hand.

"My deck has two copies of Boar Soldier, two copies of Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei, and two copies of this guy… Six Beast-Warriors. So I included a special Spell Card in my deck…

"The Equip Card, Fate's Guidance!"

She played the card.

"Any Beast-Warrior Equipped with this card can ignore your Monsters and attack you directly," said Amethyst. "Guess what kind of Monster Panther Warrior is.

"Panther Warrior… Attack Trisha!"

Trisha screamed as the Beast-Warrior flew forward and slammed his sword across her torso.

**(T: 1,100) -------------------- (A: 1,600)**

She slowly got up… Sweat poured down her face…

This duel obviously beat her previous record of number of direct attacks she had taken in one duel, and all but one of them so far had at least 2,000 Attack Points behind it…

…but through the soreness and pain, she was thinking hard.

_Panther Warrior gave this guy a lot of trouble?_ she thought. _This was Joey's Monster…_

_Let me think…_

_Joey first used Panther Warrior in the first Battle City… In his duel against Weevil Underwood… But Weevil defeated it pretty easily._

_In Joey's next duel, he…_

A light flashed in her head… An image of an arena that had been turned into an ocean, where this Beast-Warrior was a David to an incredible Goliath…

"I know who you are!" she shouted.

Amethyst raised her eyebrow.

"Your family's patriarch… is Mako Tsunami!" shouted Trisha. "He lost his bid for Battle City because of this Monster when he dueled Joey, and it destroyed both his Fortress Whale and Legendary Fisherman! That's what you meant by how it gave him so much trouble!"

Amethyst closed her eyes and smiled.

"Clever, Trisha," she said. "You picked up on the subtle hints. Although, I expected you to also take my looks into consideration… My family has had the same facial features for a long time. The same eyes, the same dimples, the same smile…

"However, you still must win this duel, and I just made it harder. It's your move now…"

Trisha drew a card. She looked at the green-bordered card.

"Fine," she said. "This ends now… You made a mistake by attacking me directly instead of attacking my Monsters… Because despite your Skill Drain, they're still Machines."

She took the card she had just drawn.

"I play Limiter Removal!"

She played the card, and Red Gadget and Mechanicalchaser glowed with blue flames! Red Gadget shot up to an Attack of 2,600, and Mechanicalchaser rose to 3,700.

Amethyst bowed her head…

"Red Gadget, attack the Panther Warrior!" shouted Trisha.

Red Gadget socked Panther Warrior hard, and the Beast Warrior burst into triangles.

"Mechanicalchaser, attack Amethyst directly!" she yelled.

The robot flew forward. Amethyst screamed this time, as it slashed at her with its blades.

She fell over.

**(T: 1,100) -------------------- (A: 0)**

"Game over, Amethyst…" muttered Trisha.

The two Machines vanished in plumes of flame.

Dr. Artemis got up and clapped.

"Congratulations, Patricia," she said. "Considering all the direct attacks, it was a great duel."

Amethyst slowly got up.

"Yes…" she said with a smile. "And I guess I have to fulfill my end of the bargain."

She reassembled her deck, and then her Pocket Disk retracted.

She and Trisha sat down.

"I take it you guys like parties?" she asked.

"Do we ever," answered Jason.

"Well," said Amethyst, "the second messenger will be showing up in two weeks, when you hold your annual Halloween party."

The three students paused.

That was actually going to be held a week before Halloween, on the 24th…

"Look for a dark lady with blonde hair," said Amethyst. "And one who isn't a bad duelist either. When you think you know who it is, give her a gift…

"A card… A female Monster. She'll tell you what she knows then.

"By the way, I'm personally of the 'school' of duelists who thinks that D.D. Assailant is female, but I don't know if she's the same.

"That's what I know. I wish you all the best of luck."

"That's it?" asked Russell, annoyed again. "Trisha went through all that pain for _that_?"

"That's a lot, actually," said Trisha. "We'd have missed something valuable otherwise."

She got up.

"Well, Amethyst," she said. "It was a great duel. If you ever want a rematch…"

Amethyst smirked.

"I'll think about it…" she said. "I have to be going now… The duties of an M.D. are many and numerous."

She got up, and turned to leave.

"Well guys…" said Trisha. "Not much else to do but prepare for Halloween…

"And hope it isn't as hard as this was…"

"There is one thing we can do…" replied Jason.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Four hours later.

Trisha was on the computer in the library.

"Any luck yet?" asked Russell, as he and Jason went up to her.

"Well…" said Trisha. "I tried to look for a legal card that was truly indestructible. After a lot of searching, I only found one legal card that supposedly is: This one."

She brought an image up on the screen. It was a Spell card.

They looked at it. The image on the Spell Card was that of an outdoor altar, looking vaguely Greco-Roman, surrounded by cloudy mists.

**ALTAR OF MISTS (Spell Card)**

Continuous Spell

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. On your third Standby Phase after playing this card, destroy this card and remove it from play, and then search your deck for one Ritual Spell Card and add it to your hand.

"Anyway," said Trisha, "I figured that if there was indeed a card that could destroy this before the three turns were up, then _maybe_ it would work on the Orichalcos…

"But then I saw the rulings…"

She scrolled down. They looked at them.

"In other words, there isn't a card that can destroy it…" muttered Russell.

"Not even the duelist who played it could destroy it if he wanted too," answered Trisha.

There was a long pause.

"Maybe Yugi used a custom card…" said Jason. "A sort of anti-Orichalcos."

"That sounds ridiculous…" said Russell.

"Yes, but it's the only thing that makes sense," answered Jason. "And unfortunately, Yugi's cards are in storage in some Swiss bank account somewhere…

"There must be another solution…"

_Saturday, October 10th, 2106, 3:49 AM_

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**FATE'S GUIDANCE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Two Samurai about to ambush each other from behind the corners of a building.

**Card Description:** This card can be Equipped to a BEAST-WARRIOR-Type Monster. The Equipped Monster may attack your opponent directly.

_Note: "Fate's Guidance" will be used by Atticus in a future episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of the episode._

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**Amethyst's Skill Drain Deck**

_A Skill Drain Deck is a difficult strategy to pull off. Until you draw one of the Trap Cards that is key to your strategy, the Monsters in it are difficult to use. Fortunately for Amethyst, she has ways to both find the Trap Cards fast, and hold her opponent off while she does. Magical Mallet can achieve the former, and she has a good chance of having Dark Elf, Panther Warrior, or Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei to provide an offensive wall. _

_With the exception of Fusilier Dragon, all of her Monsters are four-star (she once tried using Ultimate Obedient Fiend, but it just wasn't her). This makes it easy for her to fill her side of the field with incredibly powerful Monsters that benefit from Skill Drain, and pound her opponent into submission. It isn't exactly subtle, but it works._

_Giant Kozaky combined with Creature Swap and Emergency Provisions is a clever combo that usually gets the job done. She can often use it to deliver the finishing blow._

_The best part of this strategy is, Skill Drain not only empowers her Monsters, it usually weakens her opponents'. Without being able to use effects, her opponents have few options unless they can rely on raw power. Of course, no strategy is foolproof, but this one comes close._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Halloween…**_

_**Trick or treat… smell my feet… **_

…_**give me something good to eat…**_

_**The school holds a party, and it's crashed by a girl who just wanna have fun. Jason gets into a duel with a powerful opponent… What will be the outcome?**_

**_Don't miss "The Emperor's Holiday", coming soon._**


	36. The Emperor's Holiday

_**Halloween…**_

_**You have to love a holiday that combines ancient Celtic rituals with bite-sized Snickers bars. **_

_**It was once called All Hallow's Eve, and was believed to be the last day of the year when ghosts and spirits could roam the earth before the winter chill sealed them in their graves. Nowadays, it's a holiday merely for play, where folks dress up in scary costumes, people bob for apples and children go for tricks or treats. **_

_**I want to enjoy myself tonight, as I do at every Halloween party, but I know I have to keep an eye out…**_

_**An eye out for a dark lady with blonde hair.**_

_**She'll take us one step closer to solving our problems…**_

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

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**The Emperor's Holiday**

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_Wednesday, October 21, 2106, 4:27 PM_

Dr. Peters had four objects on his desk.

From left to right, they were: a glass case full of ants, a gas canister that was connected to the case via a tube, a small tank of water, and a holder that held a test tube holding several small stones.

"I have here on my desk," he said, "an incredibly lethal poison, and an incredibly volatile explosive."

He motioned to the gas canister.

"This is the poison. Breathing a small amount would be lethal to most animals. Watch as I introduce a small amount to this colony of ants."

He turned on the canister, and then quickly turned it off. The ants fell dead.

He then motioned to the test tube.

"This is the explosive," he said. "Ounce for ounce, it is much more powerful and volatile than standard TNT. Watch as I place a very small amount in water…"

He took a pair of tongs and lifted one of the stones out of the tube. He dropped it in the tank of water.

Sparks flew, then a small explosion, and then a burst of flame erupted out of it.

Eventually the flames died down, and he put the objects away under the desk.

"The poison is called chlorine," he continued, once he had finished. "The explosive is called sodium."

He walked in front of the desk, and reached in his pocket.

"When these two elements combine, we get sodium chloride, also known as…"

He took a salt shaker out of his pocket.

"…salt. A valuable substance that is necessary for survival, and has been used as a food preservative for centuries. This combination is a necessary part of life.

"Why do I bring this up? Ever since Duel Monsters has started, combining Monsters, also known as Fusions, has been a vital part of the game. It started with the old fashioned Polymerization… Then, someone added Fusion Gate…

"Then specialized Fusion cards came out. Dragon's Mirror, Power Bond, Miracle Fusion, Future Fusion, Overload Fusion, and many others.

"While Fusions may not be a part of every deck, they form one of the foundations of Duel Monsters.

"And that is the focus of the chapter which we will be starting tomorrow.

"Before I dismiss, as you know, the big Halloween party will be held this Saturday at nine PM. Those of you who wish to gain extra credit by helping, report to Dr. Macader. He's in charge."

Trisha held her head…

Dr. Macader planned a party like Godzilla planned a trip to Tokyo…

Big.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Trisha left class, June called to her.

"Hey Trisha, what sort of costume are you wearing?" she asked.

"I am not about to tell you, June," she answered with a grin.

As she walked back to her room, she smiled broadly.

She walked in, and took a box out of her closet.

_Everyone will expect me to go as Nanobreaker,_ she thought. _But this will surprise everyone._

As she walked back into the common room, she saw Old Ben sitting on a couch, reading a hardcover book.

Trisha was quite surprised when she saw what the title was:

_Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_

"Who'd have thought?" said Trisha with a smirk. "The Strongest Left Hand In The Land a fan of Lewis Carroll?"

"Yeah…" muttered Ben. "You found me out… I've become rather attached to this book…"

He took a photograph out of the front of the book and handed it to Trisha.

She looked at it. It was a photo of an adorable, blonde-haired girl, about eight-years old, with a smile that would melt your heart.

Written on the photo were the words:

_**To Ben,**_

_**Keep reaching for the top. Never let anything stand in your way.**_

_**- Nichole**_

**_February 12th, 2096_**

Trisha looked at it for a minute.

"Who was this?" she asked. "She's precious…"

"My biggest fan," answered Ben.

He sighed.

"When I was a boxer, I fought a lot of charity tournaments," he said, "including one big one where I represented the American Leukemia Fund. This little girl was only eight at the time, and she came to watch, because, well, she benefited from that charity. I won the tournament and earned a lot of money for it, and she started showering me with letters and homemade gifts… It was touching.

"I had to meet her in person, and, well… I became sort of like a big brother. She didn't have anyone else… She just needed someone who cared."

He picked up the book.

"She loved this book… Alice in Wonderland. She never got tired of me reading it to her. The story of a young girl who follows a White Rabbit into a fantasy world and has so many strange adventures…"

He sighed.

"Whatever happened to her?" asked Trisha.

"Didn't I tell you she had leukemia, Trisha?" asked Ben.

There was a long pause.

"She was never scared…" he said, sadly. "Up to the end, she was never scared. The last time I saw her, she gave me this, and made me promise to always keep it to remember her…

"One year later, I had to give up boxing… So she only knew the boxing Ben and not the dueling Ben.

"You know, sometimes I wonder what we could have done if she had survived… If the remission had lasted. I could have taught her the game… I'm sure she would have been a natural."

"Oh?" asked Trisha. "What sort of deck do you think she'd play?"

Ben looked at the book.

"Dunno…" he said. "Maybe Fairies… Or Spellcasters…"

Trisha put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'll keep it a secret," she whispered.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later, Sean Kishore was in the main room, opening a box that had come in the mail.

_Oh, good, it's here,_ he thought, looking at the costume. _My mom sure can sew…_

"So Sean," said Russell, walking in, "how's it feel to be a year older?"

Sean blushed a little.

"How'd you know it was my birthday?" he asked.

"I keep track of things," said Russell. "You shouldn't get so hung up on birthdays. You should be happy to have them. You ever hear about Methuselah?"

"Uh… rings a bell somewhere…" said Sean.

"According to the Bible," said Russell, "he was a guy who lived to be nine-hundred and sixty-nine years old. Bet it was hard to get him a gift every year."

Sean chuckled.

"So, going to the party?" asked Russell.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world…" muttered Sean, stashing the box behind his back.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sebastian sat on a couch, watching TV.

He flipped the channels. Even in the year 2106, there was rarely much good on, at least not until primetime.

As he surfed the channels, he searched his mind, as he had ever since he had dueled Trisha. That duel had wiped his mind clean of a painful memory, and as far as he was concerned now, that lover who had loved him and then betrayed him had never existed.

His plan had done the job… The pain in his heart had been purged. But somehow, he felt… weird.

He noticed a magazine that Cassius had left on the coffee table – _Playboy_. Even in this day and age, Hugh Hefner's brainchild had never lost popularity.

He frowned and picked it up. He opened and leafed through it.

He looked at one of the pictorial sections.

_Now there's a decent rack…_ he thought.

He frowned.

"Oh, what am I doing!" he growled, tossing it away. "This is sleazy even for me!

"If I want Trisha ever to accept the situation that is to come, I can't cheat on her, even with magazines."

He took a box of cards off the table and looked through them.

He found one…

Nanobreaker.

"Trisha…" he said, "next time we duel, you won't be so lucky. You will be mine.

"But I swear to you, you won't find it so bad after a while…

"You might even grow to like it…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Dr. Macader promised everything for the party – live music, catered food, the whole nine yards. And of course, dueling was allowed if a challenge was accepted.

Jason had a plan to get someone to duel him, and he had asked his mom to send him something. They knew they had to look for this "dark lady", but they were going to have fun.

Jason was escorting Trisha, of course, and Russell had asked Sersei – she couldn't say yes fast enough. Jason and Trisha were glad that Russell finally had a girlfriend, although Trisha was worrying what would happen at the inevitable time that she and Sersei dueled again.

Finally, at 8:30 on Saturday, Jason put the finishing touches on his costume.

Most of the costume had been easy. He had gone to the biggest suit rental place in Manhattan and asked to rent a purple tuxedo. They were able to get him one in his size (technically it was "violet"), and he combined it with a formal shirt, tie, and a purple derby hat that he had gotten in a costume store. The costume store had also supplied the long, pale, blonde wig, fake pointed ears, and red contacts.

Using the mirror, he used a powder puff to spread orange stage makeup on his face.

Finally, he slipped his Disk on his arm and picked up a box that was tied shut with a string.

"Perfect," he said. "If you're going to go to a party dressed as a Duel Monster, you might as well go as one who has a sense of style."

He walked out to Trisha's room where she said she'd meet her, and knocked on the door.

"Two minutes, Jason!" she called.

Only a minute and a half later, she came out.

Her hair was covered by a purple wig, tied in a ponytail. She wore a blue tunic tied with a golden belt, covering a shirt with loose purple sleeves, and wore silken pants and pointed slippers. She was holding a staff topped with a crescent moon.

"Magician of Faith…" said Jason. "Nice…"

"Hmm…" she answered with a smile. "I wouldn't have expected the Witty Phantom. You sure are handsome for a Fiend. What's in the box?"

"This is my key to getting a duel tonight," he said. "Shall we?"

They clasped arms.

He paused.

"Strange…" he said.

"What?" she asked.

"These costumes," he answered. "It's almost as if there's some… synergy between them. As if… As if these two Monsters went together in some way in another place and time…

"Eh, don't worry about it. Let's find Russell and Sersei."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As they walked out, Russell and Sersei were waiting.

Russell's costume made sense – he was dressed as Marauding Captain, in a suit of armor that might look real from a distance, but was revealed as carefully made papier-mâché up close. A sword was slung on his back. (The real Captain carried two swords, but Russell needed his hands free.)

Sersei was naturally dressed as Harpie Lady, an image of the Cyber version. Her exotic look was punctuated by a whip coiled and hooked to her belt.

"Not bad, guys," said Jason. "That a real sword, Russell?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Making swords is impossible unless you're a blacksmith. But fortunately, my dad collects them. He had someone bring me one yesterday."

"Well everyone," said Sersei, "let's par-tay!"

Little did they know, someone was above on the roof watching them. She giggled.

_Halloween…_ she thought. _I love this time of year! It's one of the few times of year I can come out and play…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A Lord of Dragons stood at the door to the auditorium to welcome everyone in. Orange and black streamers hung in a room that was surrounded by jack o'lanterns lit with flickering candles. And amid the music of the band that had just started to play, it seemed the floor was full of Duel Monsters.

A White Magical Hat danced with a Witch of the Black Forest. Near them, a Roboyarou passed by with his date, a Mystical Elf. An Unfriendly Amazon shared punch with Zombyra the Dark.

The group of four looked around. They saw a few people they knew.

Ansel was naturally dressed as Musician King. Next to him was Malvolio, dressed in the ominous clothing that identified him as Mataza the Zapper.

Nadia and Randy were together, instantly recognizable. Randy's costume was Avian, while Nadia's was St. Joan.

Amanda was dressed as Chaos Command Magician, a reversal of genders, possibly. Ami was Raging Flame Sprite, naturally.

Sean was dressed in an elaborate costume that depicted Mr. Volcano. His date was Fire Princess.

Silver and Karen were also together. Silver was dressed as Different Dimension Master, and Karen as Doriado.

Jack was dressed as Green Phantom King… His date, naturally, was Queen of Autumn Leaves. Russell noticed a Vampire Lord and a Vampire Lady nearby…

He looked carefully. Yes, the Lord was Nathan, but he couldn't tell who his date was.

Even a few staff had gotten in on the festivities. The Buster Blader stood by one end of the auditorium, and while he was clad completely in armor, the metal arm identified him as Old Ben.

And standing quietly in one corner was the imposing form of The Agent of Judgment – Saturn. Even in costume and makeup, Dr. Artemis exuded as much authority as ever. She was serving as chaperone, and the fact that she had chosen a divine being who was also a judge sort of drove the point home.

The band was named Driving Rain (Dr. Macader had said that the lead singer was a duelist), and to fit the occasion, they were also in costume, as Water Monsters. The lead singer was a Mermaid Knight (propped up on a cushioned pedestal, since her costume disabled her legs); the drummer was an Aqua Madoor; a Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness and a Water Magician were on bass; and a Deepsea Warrior played keyboards.

"Hello everyone!" announced the lead singer. "Welcome to a night of spooky fun… Where we won't only be enforcing the scary… But the comedy!"

The she started to sing as a lightshow started. The students started to dance.

_**Something familiar,  
Something peculiar,  
Something for everyone:  
A comedy tonight! **_

Something appealing,  
Something appalling,  
Something for everyone:  
A comedy tonight!

Nothing with kings, nothing with crowns;  
Bring on the lovers, liars and clowns!

Old situations,  
New complications,  
Nothing portentous or polite;  
A tragedy tomorrow,  
Comedy tonight!

Something convulsive,  
Something repulsive,  
Something for everyone:  
A comedy tonight!

Something aesthetic,  
Something frenetic,  
Something for everyone:  
A comedy tonight!

Nothing with gods, nothing with fate;  
Weighty affairs will just have to wait!

Nothing that's formal,  
Nothing that's normal,  
No recitations to recite;  
So, open up the curtain:  
Comedy tonight!

Something erratic,  
Something dramatic,  
Something for everyone:  
A comedy tonight!

Frenzy and frolic,  
Strictly symbolic,  
Something for everyone:  
A comedy tonight!

Something familiar,  
Something peculiar,  
Something for everybody:  
Comedy tonight!

_**Something that's gaudy,  
Something that's bawdy –  
Something for everybawdy!  
Comedy tonight! **_

Nothing that's grim.  
Nothing that's Greek.  
She plays Medea later this week.  
Stunning surprises!  
Cunning disguises!  
Hundreds of Monsters out of sight!

Pantaloons and tunics!  
Courtesans and eunuchs!  
Funerals and chases!  
Baritones and basses!

Panderers! Philanderers!  
Cupidity! Timidity!  
Mistakes! Fakes!  
Rhymes! Crimes!

Tumblers! Grumblers!

_**Bumblers! Fumblers! **_

No royal curse, no Trojan Horse,  
And a happy ending, of course!  
Goodness and badness,  
Panic is madness –  
This time it all turns out all right!  
A tragedy tomorrow,  
Comedy tonight!

So intense was the music, very few people noticed when a Dark Magician Girl wandered in.

She looked around, and quickly started to attract attention. Eventually, she motioned to Malvolio, and the two started dancing to the music. Everyone started watching her.

Artemis's eyes narrowed.

_So…_ she thought. _The duel world's biggest party animal returns… Sigh… Asking her to leave would make everyone hate me…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So," said Jason, "you see any sign of a 'dark lady'?"

"Well, I have some suspicions," said Russell. "We have quite a few Dark Monsters around. You seen where Sersei went, by the way?"

Jason pointed to the refreshment table.

Sersei and the Dark Magician Girl were drinking from the punch bowl and laughing.

"Say, Russell," said Sersei, as he came up. "I have a bet with DMG here… You think this punch is made with Kool Aid or Hi-C?"

Russell took some and tasted it.

"Mmm, I'd say Hi-C," he said.

He looked at the table.

There wasn't quite enough food to feed an army – he should know – but there was a lot. There was almost every type of hors d'oeuvre they could possibly have – mozzarella sticks, cocktail weenies, stuffed mushrooms, finger sandwiches, buffalo wings…

But even more attention had been given to the sweets. On another table were cupcakes frosted to look like jack o'lanterns, fudge brownies, candied apples, five kinds of chips with four kinds of dip, and one of the major staples of Halloween – large bowls full of small individually wrapped Snickers, Milky Ways, Almond Joys, Skittles, Starburst, and every other candy you could think of.

"So much junk," commented Russell. "It's gonna be a miracle if someone doesn't end up sick. Someone always gets sick at these parties, come to think of it."

Dark Magician Girl smiled sweetly. Russell looked at her strangely. He noticed that she had a Duel Disk on her arm.

She picked up a cupcake.

"I for one am glad for it all," she said. "Where I come from, treats like this are almost impossible to get…"

Russell didn't doubt it. She seemed to have a figure like a supermodel.

Sersei looked over her costume…

One which exposed a great deal of cleavage and thigh. She shook her head.

_You know…_ she thought. _If I was the Dark Magician's apprentice, I would hope I could score a more dignified outfit…_

"So…" she asked. "You didn't have anyone to bring?"

"Eh, I have someone who's sort of a boyfriend," she replied, "but he's always busy… He has a very demanding job…"

"I see…" muttered Sersei.

She looked at her strangely.

The music finally stopped.

"Thank you!" said the Mermaid Knight. "We're gonna take a little break now, but we'll be back later…"

"That's my cue…" said Jason. He went up to the stage and whispered something to someone near it.

After a minute, the Mermaid gave him the microphone.

"Hey everyone," he called out. "I have here in my hand, my mother's homemade chocolate-chip and macadamia nut cookies…"

He held up the box he had brought.

"…and anyone who can defeat me in a duel me will get them!"

Murmurs broke out among the crowd.

"Ooh…" moaned Sersei.

"What's wrong?" asked the Dark Magician Girl.

"I love those cookies…" groaned Sersei. "He shared them once before… But I'll never beat him…"

Dark Magician Girl rubbed her chin.

"Anyone?" asked Jason.

"I'll take that challenge!" said a sweet voice.

He turned and saw Dark Magician Girl smiling sweetly.

"On one condition," she continued. "If I win, you give them to Sersei."

"Very well, I'm jack with that…" said Jason.

He started to shuffle his deck.

"So, uh… what's your name?"

She giggled.

"Tell you what," she said. "Beat me, and I'll tell you."

"Deal," he said.

Russell picked up the microphone and Trisha stood behind him.

"Hello, ladies and germs, hope you're having a good time," he announced. "Looks like an official challenge has been made! So it seems we can stop with the dancing and see some good old-fashioned violence."

"Nice…" muttered Trisha.

"In one corner, dressed as one who presides over death and looks sharp doing so, Jason 'Glad I'm Not Still His Roommate Because He Hogs The Bathroom' Conrad."

"Real funny, Russell," snapped Jason.

"And in the other corner," continued Russell, "dressed as someone who has technically always come second, but will be first in most duelists' books… uh, I don't know her name, but… uh…

"Looks like I talked myself into a corner."

Trisha grabbed the microphone.

"It's time to duel, people!" she shouted.

"Get your game on!" shouted Jason.

The Disks activated.

**(Jason: 8,000) -------------------- (Dark Magician Girl: 8,000)**

"Ladies first," said Jason.

She giggled.

"No, I insist, _you_ go first," she answered.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Positive," she answered.

Jason drew a sixth card.

"Well… okay…" he said.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I'll summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode," he said.

Peten appeared on the field. (500/1,200)

To Jason's surprise Peten tipped his hat and made a polite bow to his opponent before crouching in Defense.

_Hmm, he never did that before,_ he thought. _Well, next round, I'll sacrifice him or the next Peten to summon my more powerful Monster…_

"Over to you," he said.

Dark Magician Girl drew her first card.

"Well…" she said. "I think I'll… place this Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

She put a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

Jason drew a card.

"I'll sacrifice Peten to summon Luster Dragon #2!" he exclaimed.

Peten shattered, and the powerful Dragon appeared. (2,400/1,400)

"Yeah…" said Russell. "Look's like Jason is about to take this duel by the horns."

"Luster Dragon…" continued Jason, "attack with emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon shot forth a blast of fire…

A weird creature with red skin and eyes all over its body appeared on the facedown card, and was burned up.

Dark Magician Girl giggled.

"Uh oh!" said Trisha. "That was Big Eye. Now Dark Magician Girl gets to look at the top five cards on her deck and rearrange them any way she chooses."

"And I know just how I want them!" said Dark Magician Girl, looking at them.

She placed them back on her deck.

"Well, it's your move then," said Jason.

She drew a card.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode again," she said.

Another card appeared facedown.

"Back to you!"

Jason drew another card.

_Well, it's my old friend Vorse Raider…_ he thought.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode," he said.

The sinister Beast-Warrior appeared, hefting his axe. (1,900/1,200)

"All right," said Jason, "attack the facedown Monster!"

Vorse Raider charged…

The Monster appeared on the card. It was a woman shrouded in fire, in a blue formal dress and a fancy hairdo with a white streak.

"Huh? Who's that?" asked Russell.

"She's the Lady Assailant of Flames," answered Dark Magician Girl with another giggle. "So now I get to remove the top three cards on my deck from play, and she gets to blast you!"

She took the three cards off her deck, and flames appeared in Lady Assailant's hands… Her eyes glowed…

She shot a stream of fire forward, hitting Jason.

Vorse Raider's axe finally hit, and she shattered.

"Well, that was strategy," said Russell. "Thanks to Big Eye, she knew exactly what cards she was removing from play."

"Yeah, but now she's at Luster Dragon's mercy!" added Trisha.

"You got that right," said Jason. "Luster Dragon, attack directly!"

Luster Dragon blasted his breath weapon forward. Everyone gasped as Dark Magician Girl was engulfed in flames.

But she was still smiling when it stopped.

"Giggle, giggle," she laughed. "Not bad."

**(J: 7,200) -------------------- (DMG: 5,600)**

"What are you made of?" asked Jason, in wonder.

"Strong stuff," she answered. "Anything else?"

"This is feel-good violence," said Russell. "Come on you sissies! Don't make me come down there!"

"Actually, I do have another move," continued Jason. "I play this, the Continuous Spell Card, Future Fusion."

He played the card, and then took his deck.

"I take fusion material Monsters from my deck," he explained, "like two of my Cyber Dragons, and send them to Graveyard…"

He discarded the two cards.

"And in just two of my turns, I'll be able to Special Summon the resulting Fusion Monster, meaning Cyber Twin Dragon!

"That will be my turn."

"Meh…" said Russell. "He could have sent all three of them there to summon the _big_ guy… Don't tell me he's wimping out."

"Maybe he wants to save one Cyber Dragon for later," answered Trisha.

_Exactly,_ thought Jason. _And since the Fusion Monster would be destroyed if Future Fusion were destroyed, playing this card is always risky. I can't afford to lose all three Cyber Dragons._

_Besides, I'm already winning… Cyber End would be overkill._

Dark Magician Girl drew a card. She added it to her hand.

"I play the Spell Card, Soul Release," she said, "to remove Big Eye and Lady Assailant of Flames from play."

She played the card, and then chose another one.

"Now, since five of my cards have been removed from play," she continued, "I can play this, Miracle Dig, to return three of them to my Graveyard."

She played the card.

"Now, I'll play Monster Reborn, to revive a Monster I just put in there, in Defense Mode. Magician's Valkyria!"

In a burst of light, a female figure appeared, kneeling in defense. She looked somewhat like Dark Magician Girl, but brunette, with fancier raiment, and a more elaborate staff. (1,600/1,800)

"And finally," she said. "I'll summon a second Valkyria in Defense Mode!"

She played the card, and an identical twin of the first Valkyria appeared.

"Uh oh…" said Russell. "I think I see her strategy now…"

"What?" asked Trisha.

"Magician's Valkyria has an effect like Marauding Captain, only with Spellcasters," answered Russell. "When one's on the field, the opponent can't attack any Spellcasters except her."

"So with two on the field, Jason can't attack at all!" exclaimed Trisha.

"Well, at least they aren't strong enough to defeat Luster Dragon and Vorse Raider."

Dr. Artemis crossed her arms.

_After so many years,_ she thought, _still the same basic strategy. Jason will have his work cut out for him…_

Jason took the situation in, and drew a card.

"Think I'll pass for this turn," he said.

Dark Magician Girl drew a card.

"I play the Spell Card, Curse of Fiend!" she exclaimed.

An ominous mist formed over the field, and a series of torches lit.

"When this card is played, all Monsters in Defense Mode move to Attack Mode…"

Her two Valkyria stood up.

"…and vice versa!"

Vorse Raider and Luster Dragon crouched in Defense Mode.

"Now go!" she shouted. "Bright rainbow blast!"

The two Valkyria shot beams of multicolored light and Jason's two Monsters were blasted to pieces.

"Ugh…" said Jason.

"Giggle, giggle," laughed Dark Magician Girl. "It's your move…"

Jason drew a card.

"You know what this means," he said, "Future Fusion now activates!"

Cyber Twin Dragon appeared in a flash of light! It roared! (2,800/2,100)

Everyone applauded.

"I may not be able to attack right now," he added, "but your Valkyria can't defeat him."

Dark Magician Girl giggled again.

"Oh no?" she asked.

She drew a card.

"I play a Spell Card," she said. "Magicians Unite!"

The Spell Card appeared, showing the image of two cloaked mages in front of a stained glass window.

The two Valkyria nodded to each other. One of them tossed her staff to left hand, and the two of them linked arms.

"What's happening?" asked Jason.

"Magicians Unite can be played when I have more than one Spellcaster on the field," she replied. "It lets them attack as a team, with an Attack Score of 3,000!"

"Oh… no…" muttered Jason.

The two Valkyria fired a mighty spell, and Cyber Twin Dragon exploded in a powerful blast!

Everyone in the room cheered. It was hard to see who was on who's side.

**(J: 7,000) -------------------- (DMG: 5,600)**

"Well, uh… Jason's in the lead…" said Russell.

"Maybe not for long…" added Trisha.

"I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn," said Dark Magician Girl, placing a card into her Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

Jason drew a card.

_Des Feral Imp…_ he thought. _Let's see them get past this…_

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"My draw!" laughed Dark Magician Girl.

She drew a card.

"Mmm, not the best, but I can still use it…"

She took the other card from her hand.

"I play Pot of Greed…"

She played the card, and the grinning jar appeared.

"And I'll chain my facedown card, Serial Spell!"

Her facedown card lifted.

"Now, I'll discard the card I just drew, and it lets me play Pot of Greed twice!"

A second Pot of Greed appeared, and the two of them shattered as she drew four cards.

_Sheesh…_ thought Jason. _Clearly, this girl is no amateur…_

"Now let's play some!" she giggled. "I play Premature Burial to bring back Lady Assailant of Flames."

She played the card, and the Pyro reappeared. (1,500/1,000)

"And now I'll sacrifice to her to summon…"

She laughed again, as Lady Assailant vanished.

"Well… Take a look! It's someone who's been in front of you the whole time!"

To everyone's shock, a Spellcaster who seemed to be an exact copy of the duelist appeared in front of her! (2,000/1,700)

"How cute," said Russell. "She's using the same Monster she's dressed as!"

"Uh, Russell?" said Trisha. "Isn't this a little… odd?"

"What do you mean?" asked Russell.

"Dark Magician Girl has always been an _incredibly_ rare card," said Trisha. "Most of the known copies have been owned by rich collectors. Very few duelists were actually known to regularly use one – one was the King of Games himself."

"I see…" said Russell. "This is weird…"

Dark Magician Girl took another card from her hand.

"Next, I'll Equip her with this," she said, playing it. "Magic Formula."

A large spellbook floated onto the field, and opened. The Dark Magician Girl on the field perused over the pages.

"I love curling up with a good book, and so does she," said the duelist, "because it gives her 700 more Attack Points!"

(2,700/1,700)

"Now go!" yelled the duelist. "Dark burning blast!"

The Dark Magician Girl cast her dark spell, and Des Feral Imp appeared before it was blown to pieces.

"Well…" said Jason, nervously. "When Des Feral Imp bites the big one, I get to take one card from my Graveyard and shuffle it into my deck…"

He showed her a Cyber Dragon, and then shuffled it into his deck.

"Okay…" he said. "I guess you can finish…"

He closed his eyes…

"Valkyria…" she laughed, "attack directly!"

The two Valkyria fired their spells and an explosion centered on Jason.

**(J: 3,800) -------------------- (DMG: 4,800)**

For a few seconds, all Jason could hear were little birds flying around his head…

"I'll place a card facedown and end my turn," she continued.

She played her last card, and a facedown card appeared.

_This is bad,_ thought Jason. _Since Dark Magician Girl is a Spellcaster, those Valkyria protect her from an attack too, even if I could summon a stronger Monster…_

He drew a card.

"I play… Magical Mallet!" he exclaimed. "Now, I'll reshuffle all six of my cards back into my deck, and redraw six again."

He shuffled the cards into his deck, and then drew six.

"All right…" he said. "First, I'll place down one facedown…"

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"Then, a Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That will end my turn."

"All right!" laughed Dark Magician Girl.

She drew a card.

"Valkyria number one, attack!"

The first Valkyria flew forward…

Ancient Lamp appeared on the card! (900/1,400)

"Gotcha!" shouted Jason, as the Lamp glowed. "Now I can redirect her attack towards your Dark Magician Girl!"

The first Valkyria's eyes glazed over. She aimed her staff at the stronger Spellcaster…

The Dark Magician Girl on the field looked surprised. She defended herself with her own magic, and the Valkyria was blown away.

"Humph…" said Dark Magician Girl. "You… Attack Ancient Lamp!"

Her twin aimed her staff…

"I activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Jason.

His Trap Card lifted, and the Spellcaster's blast was deflected.

"Sigh… It's your move…" she said.

**(J: 3,800) -------------------- (DMG: 3,700)**

"Well," said Jason, drawing. "Now that I can attack again…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I use Ancient Lamp's ability to Special Summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp."

Smoke poured out of the Lamp, and it formed into La Jinn. (1,800/1,000)

"And next… I'll sacrifice both my Monsters…"

La Jinn and Ancient Lamp vanished…

"To summon Tyrant Dragon!"

Everyone gasped again, as the huge Fire Dragon appeared! (2,900/2,500)

"And since your Trap likely won't work on him," he continued, "attack her Magician's Valkyria! Imperial inferno!"

Tyrant Dragon roared, and shot a stream of flame towards Valkyria…

"Sorry, Phantom," said the duelist. "But this Trap affects my own Monsters. I activate Covering Fire!"

Her Trap lifted…

The stronger Spellcaster leapt behind the weaker one, and they both aimed their staffs. Valkyria's Attack rose to 4,300.

With two powerful blasts, the fire was deflected, and Tyrant Dragon was blasted to pieces.

Everyone was dumbfounded…

"Giggle, giggle…" laughed Dark Magician Girl. "Gotcha!"

"Yeah, you 'got' me…" muttered Jason. "It's your move…"

**(J: 2,300) -------------------- (DMG: 3,700)**

She drew.

"All right sweetie…" said Dark Magician Girl, "let's finish this!"

The Dark Magician Girl flew towards him, scepter first…

He howled as the powerful spell ripped through him.

**(J: 0) -------------------- (DMG: 3,700)**

"Well, looks like we have a winner…" said Russell. "Eh… It was his own fault…"

He looked offstage.

"And folks can have more opportunity to duel later. Here's Driving Rain again!"

The Deepsea Warrior carried the Mermaid Knight back to her pedestal, and she took the microphone.

"Don't forget our, deal, Phantom," said Dark Magician Girl. "Sersei gets those cookies now…"

Jason grinned.

_I hope she doesn't get fat on Russell…_ he thought.

"That was fun everyone," said the Mermaid. "Now let's mash!"

The music started again.

_**I was working in the lab, late one night,  
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight,  
For my monster from his slab began to rise,  
And suddenly to my surprise, **_

He did the Mash!  
He did the Monster Mash.  
The Monster Mash!  
It was a Graveyard smash.  
He did the Mash!  
It caught on in a flash.  
He did the Mash!  
He did the Monster mash.

From my laboratory in the castle east,  
To the master bedroom where the vampires feast,  
The ghouls all came from their humble abodes,  
To get a jolt from my electrodes.

They did the Mash!  
They did the Monster Mash.  
The Monster Mash!  
It was a Graveyard smash.  
They did the Mash!  
It caught on in a flash.  
They did the Mash!  
They did the Monster Mash.

The zombies were having fun;  
The party had just begun;  
The guests included the Wolf Man,  
Dracula, and his son.

The scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds,  
Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds,  
The coffin-bangers were about to arrive,  
With their vocal group, "The Crypt-Kicker Five".

They played the Mash!  
They played the Monster Mash.  
The Monster Mash!  
It was a Graveyard smash.  
They played the Mash!  
It caught on in a flash.  
They played the Mash!  
They played the Monster Mash.

Out from his coffin, Drac's voice did ring;  
Seems he was troubled by just one thing;  
He opened the lid, and shook his fist;  
And said, "Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist?"

It's now the Mash!  
It's now the Monster Mash.  
The Monster Mash!  
And it's a Graveyard smash.  
It's now the Mash!  
It's caught on in a flash.  
It's now the Mash!  
It's now the Monster Mash.

_**The zombies were having fun;  
The party had just begun;  
The guests included the Wolf Man,  
Dracula, and his son.  
**_

_**Now everything's cool, Drac's a part of the band,  
And my Monster Mash is the hit of the land,  
For you, the living, this Mash was meant too,  
When you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you. **_

Then you can Mash!  
Then you can Monster Mash.  
The Monster Mash!  
And do my Graveyard smash.  
Then you can Mash!  
You'll catch on in a flash.  
Then you can Mash!  
Then you can Monster Mash.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

An hour later, another duel was in progress, Silver had challenged Karen…

And right now, he was getting royally trounced.

He had Dimensional Fissure active and D. D. Survivor on the field, but Karen had Doriado in Defense Mode, Equipped with Heart of Clear Water.

"I summon Element Dragon!" she shouted.

Element Dragon appeared on the field.

"Not only does Doriado's Fire nature make him stronger than Survivor, but her Wind nature lets him attack twice!

"Attack D.D. Survivor! Blazing breeze!"

The Dragon shot a cloud of flame that burned up D.D. Survivor.

"Now, attack directly!"

Silver winced as the strong direct attack plowed into him.

"Oh yeah?" he said. "Well, since my Dimensional Fissure just removed D.D. Survivor from play, he comes right back as you end your turn…"

A portal opened, and Survivor came out.

"My move…" he said, drawing.

"I summon D.D. Assailant in Defense Mode."

Assailant appeared, crouching in Defense.

Dark Magician Girl and Sersei were watching the duel very closely, while Jason, Trisha, and Russell were watching Dark Magician Girl.

"You sure it's her?" asked Trisha.

"A 'dark lady' with blonde hair?" asked Jason. "How close can you get?"

"I flip Aussa the Earth Charmer into Attack Mode!" shouted Karen, as Aussa appeared on the field. "Now I can brainwash D.D. Assailant!"

Aussa cast her spell, and D.D. Assailant was drawn over to Karen's side.

"Now, Element Dragon, attack twice!"

Element Dragon wiped out D.D. Survivor, and then attacked directly.

"D.D. Assailant, you attack too!"

Assailant slashed at Silver with her cleaver, reducing his Life Points to zero.

Russell wasn't paying attention. He walked up to Dark Magician Girl.

"Hey," he said. "I have a little gift for you…"

"Oh?" she asked.

He handed her a Duel Monsters card.

It was the Getsu Fuhma he had used against the Puppeteer.

She looked at it. For the first time all night, she looked serious.

"Well…" she muttered. "Let's have a talk, you, me and your two friends. Let's all go outside…"

They walked out, into the night air.

She sat down on one of the many benches around a monument, and sighed.

"You figured out that I was the second messenger," she said. "I want to thank you for such a fun duel…"

"Don't mention it…" answered Jason. "I'm still sore…"

"Anyway," continued the Dark Magician Girl, "I can't lead you to the Dark Messiah, but I know who can…"

"Just give us a name," said Trisha.

"Patience," said Dark Magician Girl. "Listen… Outside of Rye is the Briarwood Reservation Casino. Now, it's different than most Native American-owned casinos… Sure, you can play slots, blackjack, roulette, craps, and all the average stuff…

"However, they have a special attraction. You'll notice that many of the dealers and cocktail waitresses have Disks. These employees will duel the guests if you desire and you wager against their odds. Each duelist has odds assigned to him or her, based on how good he or she is.

"Go there… Ask for their best duelist. You can wager as much money as you want…

"But wager one other thing as well… Your darkest secret against your opponent's. If you win, your opponent will be forced to tell you."

She paused.

"I'm afraid that's all I can help you with," she said. "Now go back, enjoy the rest of the night, and who knows?

"Maybe I'll meet you again next year… And maybe we can duel again…

"Thanks for the card."

She got up and slowly walked away…

She vanished into the darkness.

A Witty Phantom, Marauding Captain, and Magician of Faith looked at each other…

"So, a casino," muttered Jason. "Hopefully, this will be the last leg…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Please, boss?" asked Cleo.

"No…" growled Fortunado.

"Please, boss?" she repeated.

"If I said no the first time," he answered, "do you really think I'll say yes the second time?"

"No…" she said. "But you might say yes the forty-third time. Please, boss?"

"Argh…" he said. "All right! But don't say I didn't warn you…"

He went to a painting on the wall, and moved it aside, revealing a safe.

He turned the dial back and forth and opened it.

Inside the safe were two objects: a single Duel Monsters card in a plastic case, and a leather gauntlet with the Eye of Wdjat on the palm.

"Cleo, listen closely," he said, taking them out. "Jaden Yuki's heirs would not sell these even when I offered astronomical amounts. They feared that they'd be used for evil. I had to hire a group of… eh, thugs to steal them. All but one of them was caught, and most of the things they stole were reclaimed. However, the one who escaped managed to keep these.

"So do NOT lose them! I mean that."

He handed them to her.

"Oh, I won't…" said Cleo. "Jason will expect the Orichalcos next time…"

She fit the glove on her hand.

"…but he'll get a big surprise instead…"

_Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 12:02 AM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MAGICIANS UNITE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Silhouettes of two cloaked mages in front of a stained glass window.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have two or more SPELLCASTER-Type Monsters on your side of the field. The ATK of one SPELLCASTER-Type Monster on your side of the field becomes 3,000 for the remainder of the round. No SPELLCASTER-Type Monsters except the one you use this effect on can attack during the round you use this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MAGIC FORMULA (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A spellbook glowing with energy.

**Card Description:** This card can only be Equipped to "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl". Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 700. When this card is sent from the field to your Graveyard, gain 1,000 Life Points.

_Note: "Magicians Unite" and "Magic Formula" are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States. "Magicians Unite" was used by Pharaoh Atem in the anime episode "The Final Duel (Part 4)"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

_**Coming up next:**_

_**Russell gets caught in a duel where the toss of a coin or the roll of a die can change the outcome dramatically. Will he roll snake eyes or double boxcars?**_

**_It's a chapter called "Gamble", naturally, coming soon._**


	37. Gamble

_**As much as I admire the members of the Trinity, I don't agree with all of them in their tastes. Joey Wheeler is an example. He had a lot of cards that relied on luck and chance… Dice rolls, coin flips, and simply trying to guess from hidden possibilities. **_

_**I'd never choose to rely that much on luck. According to the laws of probability, a coin flip always has a fifty percent chance of being called right. Not the best odds. Dice rolls are random as well, their outcomes always tricky. **_

_**As you can probably guess, I'd never make a habit of coming to a place like this. But now it's necessary. And I'm facing a formidable foe…**_

_**I have to hope my luck is better than hers, because if it isn't, our quest will have hit a dead end.**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Gamble**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 9:10 AM_

The next morning, after having slept off a night of dancing and sugary sweets, the three friends were sitting at the Spring of Rebirth at the Ra Dorm's promenade.

"So," asked Russell, "how the heck are we going to get to Rye?"

"I called a taxi shuttle service," answered Jason. "They said that they could take us from Manhattan to the casino for one-hundred and fifty dollars. One way."

"Three hundred dollars round trip?" gasped Trisha. "I am _not_ gonna be the one to explain to my folks why I spent a hundred bucks to go to a casino!"

"My parents warned me about casinos," grumbled Russell. "They hate gambling. They didn't even like state lotteries."

"Who wants to go to a casino?" asked a voice.

They turned around and saw Ansel, dressed in his casual clothes.

"Uh, hi Ansel," said Jason. "We heard about a casino in Rye where you can duel and wager money."

"Briarwood?" answered Ansel. "Hey, my folks love that place.

"Tell you what, I have nothing to do today… I'll drive you there."

"You have a car?" asked Jason.

Ansel held up a set of keys.

"My folks are in Aruba for the week," he said. "It's a business trip for dad, and a free vacation for mom. Anyway, mom lent me her wheels…"

His eyes narrowed.

"Just don't eat in it, drink in it, or smoke in it," he warned, "or she'll be madder than that Berserk Gorilla my last opponent used."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Even in the year 2106, Cadillac was the favored brand of car for those who could afford it…

And for those who wanted to look sharp and had enough money, the Cadillac Platinum Plexus was one of the best cars out there. In these times, the best cars didn't even use gasoline, as electric engines had been perfected fifty years ago, and this one got great mileage and made almost no noise. It had excellent control, had many options… And best yet, it was made for comfort. The seats were relaxing, with plenty of leg room.

"So," asked Ansel, as they drove onto the highway, "why the sudden interest in betting on dueling?"

"Let's just say it's a long story, Ansel," said Jason. "It's just something we have to do. I don't know how we can repay you for taking us… This means a lot."

"Tell you what," answered Ansel, "if you win any money gambling, you spend some of it on the place's buffet, your treat. I like the food in these places.

"Just sit back and relax. You like music?"

He placed music disk into a slot on the dashboard, and an old song came on.

_**A long, long time ago,**_

_**I can still remember,**_

_**When that music used to make me smile…**_

_**And I knew if I had that chance,**_

_**I could make those people dance,**_

_**And maybe they'd be happy for a while…**_

_**But February made me shiver,**_

_**With every paper I'd deliver,**_

_**Bad news on the doorstep,**_

_**I couldn't take one more step…**_

_**I can't remember if I cried**_

_**When I read about his widowed bride,**_

_**But something touched me deep inside…**_

_**The day… the music… died…**_

A tear fell down Russell's cheek.

"I love that song…" he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cassius lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

Something wasn't right…

He looked at the wall. The portrait of his father was there.

_When the heck did I put THAT back up?_ he thought.

He stared at it.

"_Bee in your bonnet, son?"_ said his father's voice.

"If you must know," growled Cassius. "I'm planning to duel Russell again, and I don't think he's going to fall for the same trick twice."

"_Then form a new strategy,"_ said the voice. _"One that is foolproof…"_

"And you'd be an expert in foolproof strategies?" he asked. "Once he gets Hermos out, he can't be stopped."

"_Well…" _said his father's voice. _"Perhaps you could find a way to keep him from using Hermos."_

Cassius looked at him.

"Keep him from using Hermos…" he thought. "Hermos can merge with any Monster to form an Equip Spell Card…"

He considered.

"Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell might work…"

"_Are you certain that Hermos is a Spell?"_ asked his father. _"No green border on the card, you know. I don't think he fits into any category."_

"Prohibition then?" muttered Cassius.

"_Too fragile,"_ said his father. _"One Mystical Space Typhoon and you're in trouble. _

"_But… I do know that any card Hermos creates counts as a Spell."_

There was a pause.

"_Good gracious, son, look at your cards!"_ shouted the voice. _"The answer is right in front of you."_

Cassius took out his cards and leafed through them.

Then he stood up.

"Dad…" he muttered. "You are a clever bastard…"

He took the portrait off the wall.

"I'm glad you're dead!"

He threw the painting under his bed again.

"Oh, that was a good one," he said with a laugh. "I'm glad you're dead… But he did have a good idea… Next time I see Russell…

"Hermos is going out first…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was only noon when the four students walked into the main casino of Briarwood, but the place was bustling.

They looked around. Like Dark Magician Girl said, a few of the dealers and some of the waitresses did indeed have Disks on their arms.

This was going to be tricky.

Ansel motioned to one of the waitresses.

"Could I get a bottled water, please?" he asked.

"Guys," said Jason, as they walked over to the counter. "How much cash can you spare?"

Russell took out his wallet.

"Fourteen dollars," he said.

"Eight dollars," said Trisha, taking money out of her purse.

"And I have eight too," said Jason.

Russell let out a sigh.

"Well, since I'm putting in the most," said Russell, "I'd best be the one who duels.

"I don't like it, but maybe I can humiliate these high rollers."

That seemed to make sense, so they gave Russell the money. He walked up to the changer on the counter.

"Thirty dollars in chips, please," he said.

The changer took the money, and handed him a cup full of plastic chips.

"Going to try your luck at craps?" he asked.

"No," said Russell. "I was interested in dueling."

"Oh…" said the changer.

He turned aside.

"Lou!" he called.

A short man hurried up. He was wearing a formal vest and suit and pants, and a green bookie's visor. He looked about in his late fifties, with a bulbous nose and small eyes.

"Lou," said the changer. "One of these kids wants to duel one of our duelists."

"Oh?" said the man. He turned to them.

"Well kids," he said, "I'm in charge of that. Anyone in particular?"

"I want your best duelist," said Russell. "And when I say best, I mean best. Period."

Lou slowly took a large cigar out of his pocket, and bit off the end.

"Really?" he said, lighting it. "I warn you, our best duelist has thirty-to-one odds."

"Call me a sucker for a challenge," answered Russell.

"Well then," said Lou, with a smirk, "I guess if you want to blow some money, you might as well do it style…"

He chuckled.

"Heh, heh… This way."

While they were doing that, the waitress handed Ansel his water, and he gave her a five-spot. He quickly ran to join them.

Lou led them to the blackjack tables, where one was dominated by an impressive dealer.

It was a woman, blonde, blue-eyed, and busty, with hair that was bobbed in "roaring twenties" style, wearing a low-cut casino-style outfit.

She currently had a ten revealed on the table.

She grinned as she revealed the other one, showing it to be another ten. The players groaned and tossed the cards down.

"Frenchie!" said Lou. "Enough of that for now. Someone here wants to duel you."

Frenchie gave them a sweet smile and walked up to them.

"Well, that's my job," she said, taking a deck of cards. "Who's the one who wants to duel my Casino Deck?"

_Casino Deck?_ thought Trisha.

"That would be me…" said Russell, his eyes narrowing.

"Mmm, okay handsome," she purred. "Then place your wager. As Lou no doubt told you, I'm thirty-to-one."

"I bet thirty dollars," said Russell, placing the chips on the table beside him. "And also…"

He paused.

"The loser must tell the winner his or her darkest secret."

Everyone looked surprised.

"Well!" exclaimed Frenchie. "That's certainly new! And I love trying new things…

"So, you wager thirty dollars, and your darkest secret. I'm game with that…"

Lou motioned to another waitress.

"Get these kids some drinks…" he muttered.

Frenchie looked at him intently as she placed her Disk on her arm. She was all smiles on the outside, but her heart sank into gloom…

_I knew this would happen eventually…_ she thought. _The guy in the cloak told me it would. Of all the dealers in all the casinos in all the world…_

_Why did it have to happen to me?_

Russell took a toothpick from his pocket.

He glared at her as his teeth clenched on it…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Hey everyone!" shouted someone at the slots. "Frenchie is dueling!"

That seemed to elicit a big reaction so a lot of folks left what they were doing, and gathered around the open space where Frenchie and Russell faced each other.

"Since I'm one who lives by chance most of the time, hon," said Frenchie, "we'll let a toss of the coin decide who goes first."

She held up a gold coin that had the image of the Eye of Wdjat on the front.

"This is heads…"

She turned it around, revealing a side with a circle.

"…this is tails."

She tossed it.

"Call it!"

"Heads!" shouted Russell.

The coin fell to the ground.

It was tails.

"Then I'll make the first move," said Frenchie with a grin, as their Disks activated.

"Very well," said Russell, drawing five cards. "Ready… battle!"

"I like your style…" she purred.

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Frenchie: 8,000)**

Russell looked at his cards.

_What luck,_ he thought_. I drew Freed on my opening hand!_

"Okay, hon," said Frenchie, drawing her first card. "As they say in this business, it's time to ante up!"

She played a card. It showed the image of a fiendish, cloaked hand holding a Skull Servant card.

"And that's exactly the name of the Spell Card I'm throwing at you, Ante!"

The card appeared.

"Okay… how does that work?" asked Russell.

"Each of us chooses one card from their hand," explained Frenchie, "and the one whose card has the least number of stars has to discard it, and gets blasted for 1,000 points of damage. Spells and Traps count as zero stars. Got it?"

Russell paused.

He nervously took Freed from his hand. Frenchie took a card from hers.

They showed them to each other.

Russell groaned. Her Monster had six stars, one more than Freed had. (It was called "Maximum Six"; Russell was certain he had seen it somewhere before, but where?)

"Ha, ha!" laughed Frenchie. "Looks like we found something you're bad at!"

The Ante card glowed, and shot a beam of light, hitting Russell! He groaned again.

He slowly discarded Freed.

**(R: 7,000) -------------------- (F: 8,000)**

"Nuts," said Trisha. "That's not good. Losing one of his most powerful cards might cost him."

"Continuing my turn," said Frenchie, "I'll summon a big guy named Abare Ushioni in Attack Mode."

She played a card, and in a flash of light, a large, very angry-looking bull with a red hide and strange symbols on its skin appeared. It had three glaring eyes and sharp teeth. It growled and then swished its tail. (1,200/1,200)

"Holy cow…" muttered Ansel.

"You had to say it…" replied Trisha.

"Now, I activate his effect," said Frenchie, taking another coin. "I toss a coin and call it. If I call right, you lose 1,000 Life Points. If I call wrong, I lose 1,000 Life Points.

"Exciting, isn't it?"

"Don't worry, Russell!" shouted Jason. "You have a fifty-fifty chance!"

"That may be true," said Frenchie, "but of all my cards, I've had the most luck with this guy… I've _never_ lost the toss on this Monster."

"Never?" asked Russell. "I find that hard to believe…"

"Heads!" shouted Frenchie, tossing the coin.

She caught it and flipped it on her wrist.

Russell groaned again. It was heads…

"And it seems my perfect record with him still stands!" laughed Frenchie.

Abare Ushioni's three eyes glowed, and it shot three rays at Russell. He cringed as they hit him.

"I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn," said Frenchie.

A facedown card appeared.

**(R: 6,000) -------------------- (F: 8,000)**

"About time!" said Russell, drawing.

_That oversized hamburger is rather weak,_ he thought, looking over his cards. _That facedown is likely a Trap to protect it. But if I don't attack, she might sacrifice it to summon that six star Monster she has._

_I have to risk it._

"I summon… Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" he shouted.

He played the card, and the elven Warrior appeared, holding aloft his sword. (1,400/1,200)

"Turn that bull into prime rib!" he shouted. "Silver blade slash!"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian charged…

"I activate my Trap," exclaimed Frenchie. "Go… Fairy Box!"

Her facedown card lifted, and a colorful box resembling a whack-a-mole appeared. Loony music started to play, as cylinders with stars on them popped in and out of the top.

"What the heck?" asked Russell.

"Ever play whack-a-mole?" asked Frenchie. "This might not look impressive, but it can be deadly.

"Now I get to toss a coin again, and if I'm right, your Warrior's Attack Score will be reduced to zero!"

She tossed the coin.

"Tails!"

She grabbed it and flipped it on her hand.

It was tails.

Abare Ushioni growled, and slammed its horns into the Guardian. He shattered.

"Wow… This gal has pretty good luck," said Ansel.

**(R: 4,800) -------------------- (F: 8,000)**

"By the way," said Frenchie, casually tossing the coin, "I can use the effect of Fairy Box each time you attack, so long as I pay 500 Life Points each turn."

"I can't do anything else," said Russell. "It's your move."

Frenchie drew a card.

She grinned.

"First I'll pay 500 Life Points to keep my Fairy Box for now," she said.

"Next, I'll play an incredibly rare Continuous Spell Card," she continued. "It's called Lethal Stakes."

She played the card, and it appeared. It showed an ominous picture of Sand Gambler and Goddess Whim playing blackjack, with Terrorking Archfiend as the dealer.

"Let me explain how this complex Spell works, hon," she said. "On each of our turns, before we begin our Battle Phases, we can wager our Life Points, in increments of 100. If we successfully damage our opponent more than the amount we wagered, we gain Life Points equal to the wager. If we do less, we lose Life Points equal to the wager.

"Got it?"

"Yeah…" said Russell. "It… sounds interesting, I guess..."

Frenchie held the coin up.

"Well," she said, "I could use Abare Ushioni's effect again…"

She tossed the coin casually, and then grabbed it.

"But while my record with him is perfect, a clever gambler knows never to take risks when she doesn't have to, and right now, I really don't have to. That's the first rule of gambling.

"So, I'll wager 1,100 Life Points on Lethal Stakes, and unless you have a Kuriboh in your hand, that's a wager I can't lose!"

Eleven glowing blue chips fell in front of her.

"Abare Ushioni, attack Russell directly!

"Pamplona pound!"

Abare Ushioni snorted and steam shot from its nostrils. It charged and rammed into Russell's stomach! He struggled to keep his footing.

"Looks like I won that wager, hon," she said.

The glowing chips were absorbed into her body, and she glowed.

Russell groaned and clutched his stomach.

**(R: 3,600) -------------------- (F: 8,600)**

"Russell's in trouble…" moaned Trisha.

"He passed 'trouble' last turn," said Jason. "He's getting to the point where it becomes overwhelming."

"To complete my turn," said Frenchie, "I'll play another Continuous Spell Card. It's called Dangerous Machine Type-6."

She played the card, and with a rumble and a blast of sparks, a large and frightening machine rose up behind her. It looked like some sort of cross between a clock and an electric generator, with the letters one through six on its face. Sparks flew from it, as if it was ready to explode.

"That _does_ look dangerous," said Trisha.

"One guy I dueled used this card against me once…" said Ansel. "On every one of her Standby Phases, it will choose a number between one and six at random, and depending on the number, it could hurt or help either duelist."

Russell drew a card.

_Attacking it with that Fairy Box in play is too risky,_ he thought. _I'll defend for now…_

"I place one card facedown," he said, "and then summon Axe Raider in Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared, and Axe Raider appeared, kneeling and holding his weapon in his lap. (1,700/1,150)

"That's all I can do."

Frenchie drew a card.

All the eyes in the room turned to the Dangerous Machine, as its numbers started to glow. Finally, the number one lit up red.

Frenchie frowned.

"Eh, that's means I have to discard a card…" she muttered.

A card in her hand glowed, and she discarded it (it was Goddess of Whim).

"Well, at least we know it's _possible_ for her to miss…" said Jason with a shrug.

"I'll neglect to pay for Fairy Box, so it's destroyed," continued Frenchie.

The Fairy Box burst into pixels.

"Next," she said, "I'll sacrifice Abare Ushioni to summon someone better…"

The large bull vanished.

"I summon Maximum Six!"

A large, hulking creature appeared on her side of the field. It was a ten-foot-tall, muscular ogre with purple skin, blonde hair tied in a long ponytail, and six arms, each with huge biceps. The Roman Numeral for six was tattooed on his chest. His only clothing was a loincloth. He stood up erect and proudly flexed his muscles. (1,900/1,600)

"When you play poker," said Frenchie, "you have to worry about cheaters who hide cards up their sleeves. I wouldn't want to play cards with _this_ guy… He has six sleeves!"

Lou groaned.

"That joke was funny for about two minutes," he said. "Frenchie, try getting a new one, okay?"

Frenchie seemingly ignored the remark. She continued:

"But I love him anyway, because when he's summoned…"

Her hand glowed, and a large die formed in it.

"…I get to roll one die, multiply its result by 200, and add it to his Attack Score."

She threw the die, and it rolled…

It came up a three.

"Not bad," said Frenchie, as Maximum Six's Attack rose to 2,500.

"Since you're defending, I won't bother making a wager. Maximum Six, attack with sextuple slugging!"

Maximum Six leapt forward, and clobbered Axe Raider with all six fists, and he shattered.

"Don't worry, Russell!" shouted Jason. "She only has one card left in her hand! You can come back!"

"That's rubbish," replied Frenchie. "I'll place that last card facedown, and end my turn."

She placed the card in her Disk, and it appeared.

Russell drew.

"I activate my Trap Card!" exclaimed Frenchie.

Her facedown card lifted.

"Fire Darts!"

"Okay, this one I don't know about," said Ansel.

A flame appeared in Frenchie's right hand, and then a fiery crossbow appeared in it.

"What?" asked Russell.

"Fire Darts can _only_ be activated when I have no cards in my hand," said Frenchie. "When I activate it, I roll three dice, and the number I get… Well, that's how many arrows this thing gets.

"Each shot costs you 100 Life Points, so hope I roll low."

Three dice flew forward.

One came up five, the second one six, and the third one five.

Russell groaned as Frenchie aimed the weapon at him.

_Can my luck get any worse?_ he thought.

Frenchie pulled the trigger, and a series of fiery blasts shot at Russell, striking him in the chest!

**(R: 2,000) -------------------- (F: 8,600)**

The crossbow vanished in a burst of flame.

"It's still my move, Frenchie," he stated, holding his chest.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"Command Knight in Defense Mode!"

Command Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,200/1,900) – (1,600/1,900)

"That ends my turn…" he said.

Frenchie drew a card. The Dangerous Machine whirred again…

It landed on the three.

"That means I get to draw one card," she said, drawing.

She looked at it.

"I'll place it facedown…"

Another facedown card appeared.

"…and then I'll attack with Maximum Six!"

The ogre rushed forward, and flattened Command Knight.

"Your move…"

Russell drew.

"I play Pot of Greed…" he said, playing it.

The jar appeared, and he drew two cards.

_Finally…_ he thought, looking at them.

"Thanks a bunch!" laughed Frenchie. "Since you did that, I can activate the Trap I put down last turn.

"This one's name says it all… Gamble!"

Her Trap lifted, showing the image of a hand tossing a coin over a table with cards scattered on it.

"Uh oh…" said Ansel. "I know about this one too. It can only be used when your opponent has six or more cards in his hand, and you have two or less. She flips a coin again, and if she calls it right, she gets to draw until she has five."

"And if she calls it wrong?" asked Russell.

"Her next turn is skipped," replied Ansel.

"Will you shut up?" groaned Russell. "I knew what it did, okay?"

Frenchie produced another coin.

"It's heads!" she shouted, tossing it.

She caught the coin on her wrist.

Russell slapped his forehead in frustration… It was heads.

Frenchie grinned, and drew four cards.

"You know something, Frenchie?" he asked, getting annoyed. "I'm starting to think you could make more money by just patronizing these places rather than working here."

"Been there, done that," replied Frenchie, looking over her new hand. "Being a card shark was fun for a while, but no one can live on gambling alone. No matter how lucky you are at games of chance, you still need the one thing that's reliable… A paycheck.

"And these places can afford to pay their dealers very well… Plus I get free medical and dental."

"Indeed," said Russell, scowling. "Well, you obviously thought that with 2,500 Attack Points, Maximum Six could have protected you if you had missed on that Gamble card. You were wrong. Let me show you a little trick that all Warrior duelists know.

"I play Premature Burial, to bring back the guy I discarded when you played Ante…"

He played the card.

"Freed the Matchless General!"

General Freed appeared, bravely facing Maximum Six. (2,300/1,700)

"Of course," continued Russell, "any Equip Card that is Equipped to Freed is destroyed…"

Premature Burial shattered.

"…however, due to the technicality of that effect, Freed is not destroyed, so except for it costing me 800 Life Points, Premature Burial is like Monster Reborn for Freed.

"Next, I'll summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode…"

He played a card, and Grepher appeared, holding aloft his sword. (1,700/1,600)

"And now I'll use your Lethal Stakes card and wager 600 Life Points, which is the maximum that I can."

Six of the glowing chips appeared next to him.

"What?" laughed Frenchie. "But he can't even defeat Maximum Six!"

"Forget about my facedown card?" asked Russell.

His facedown card lifted.

"The Trap Card, Reinforcements. This will raise Freed's Attack Score to 2,800!"

Freed glowed, and his Attack Score went up.

"Freed, attack Maximum Six!" he shouted. "Blade of the battle-scarred!"

Freed leapt up, and slashed his sword across Maximum Six's chest. The ogre doubled over in pain, and let out a groan, and then shattered into pixels.

"And now…" continued Russell, "Warrior Dai Grepher attacks you directly! Go! Steel blade slash!"

Frenchie shrieked as Grepher slashed at her with his blade. She stumbled backwards and fell on her tuckus.

"Looks like I won my wager," said Russell. "Bad luck for you."

The chips were absorbed into him, and he glowed.

"And it's good luck that I _didn't_ miss that coin toss," she muttered, getting up.

**(R: 1,800) -------------------- (F: 6,600)**

"Well, Russell just got a shot at her," said Trisha. "And he has Freed on the field."

"But she's still in the lead," added Jason. "Way in the lead."

Frenchie drew a card. The Dangerous Machine shook again, and this time landed on the two.

"Ha, ha!" laughed Frenchie. "That means _you_ discard one card!"

A card in Russell's hand glowed. He frowned, and discarded Big Shield Gardna.

"Now then," said Frenchie, "I'll summon the Sand Gambler in Attack Mode."

In a shimmering light, a new Monster appeared. He looked like a handsome gentleman in an old fashioned suit, with a pencil-thin moustache. He placed his left hand in his pocket and started to casually toss a coin with his right hand. He smirked at the two Warriors. (300/1,600)

"Oh no…" muttered Ansel.

"What?" asked Russell. "I have a feeling you're gonna tell us?"

"This creature can be _very_ dangerous if her luck holds out…" muttered Ansel.

"Well, what?" asked Trisha.

"She tosses a coin… this time, three times," answered Ansel. "If she gets three heads, all of Russell's Monsters are destroyed. But three tails, and all of her Monsters are destroyed."

"So here we go!" said Frenchie, tossing her coin.

She caught it and slapped it on her wrist.

Heads.

She tossed it, caught it and slapped it again.

Heads.

"Third time's the charm…" she said, tossing it.

She slapped it on her wrist once more.

She frowned.

Tails.

Sand Gambler put his hand on his chin and shook his head…

"In that case," said Frenchie, "I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

Russell drew a card.

_Talk about a bad hand,_ he thought. _That facedown card worries me. If I make a wager, and it's something that can block my attack, I'll be in dangerous waters…_

He paused.

_Man, she has a poker face!_

"I wager 900 of my Life Points on Lethal Stakes," he said. "Grepher, attack Sand Gambler!"

Grepher raised his sword. Nine of the blue chips appeared next to Russell.

"I activate my Trap!" exclaimed Frenchie, as her Trap Card lifted. "Hallowed Life Barrier."

Three figures, looking somewhat like the Waboku priestesses, but clothed in purple, appeared and surrounded Frenchie. She glowed with soft light.

"Now, for the cost of only one card…"

She discarded a card. 

"All damage dealt to me this round is reduced to zero."

Grepher's sword slammed into Sand Gambler, blasting him away, but it didn't hurt Frenchie at all.

Russell shook his head.

"I have no choice…" he said. "I have to end my turn."

"And you lost that wager, hon…" said Frenchie.

The chips in front of Russell exploded, and he cringed.

"Know why?" asked Frenchie. "Because you forgot the first rule of gambling that I told you before… Never take risks when you don't have to."

**(R: 900) -------------------- (F: 6,600)**

_This is madness!_ thought Russell. _I have to win this duel to find the Dark Messiah, and such important information is being left to chance? To random rolls and tosses? This isn't how it should be!_

This isn't how it should be at all. Such vital information shouldn't be wagered on against your luck…

Frenchie drew a card.

The Dangerous Machine spun again, and sparked even more. It landed on a four.

Frenchie frowned.

"That means _you_ get to draw one card," she said.

Russell drew a card.

_Gilford the Legend,_ he thought.

"Now I'll play my own Pot of Greed," said Frenchie.

She played the card, and drew two cards.

"And now…" she said, "I'll play another copy of Ante!"

She played the card. Trisha and Jason gulped.

"You remember how this works, right?" she asked.

"Indeed," said Russell. "And if I lose, I'm toast."

"Exactly," said Frenchie, with a smile.

They both chose cards.

Frenchie held up a six-star Blowback Dragon.

Russell grinned and flipped Gilford the Legend around.

"Eight stars?" gasped Frenchie.

She shrieked as she was shocked by energy from the card.

She grunted, and discarded the card.

"Your luck's starting to run out," muttered Russell.

But personally, he knew that that had been one of the closest calls ever. If the Dangerous Machine hadn't landed on four, he wouldn't have gotten a free draw, and Gilford wouldn't have been in his hand…

And the only other Monster he had right now was Warrior Lady of the Wasteland – she had only four stars.

He trembled.

**(R: 900) -------------------- (F: 5,600)**

"We'll see," she said. "I summon Slate Warrior in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and the alien-looking Fiend with a blank face and a gold breastplate appeared. (1,900/400)"Next, I'll play a Spell Card," she said, "Graceful Dice!"

She played the card, and a small teddy bear with wings holding a die appeared. It tossed the die. It rolled.

It came up a five.

Slate Warrior's stats rose to (2,400/900).

"My luck hasn't run out yet, hon," said Frenchie. "Slate Warrior, attack the General with fist of slate!"

Slate Warrior flew forward and punched Freed in the face. He groaned, and then shattered.

"I end my turn…"

**(R: 800) -------------------- (F: 5,600)**

Slate Warrior's Attack fell back to 1,900.

"Crud," said Trisha. "Russell lost Freed again, and now Frenchie has a 1,900-Attack Point beatstick on the field."

"Even worse," said Jason, "if he does manage to destroy Slate Warrior, the Monster who does so will be weakened."

Russell paused.

_I have Gilford the Legend,_ he thought. _But he can't be Special Summoned, and I'd have to trade two Monsters for him. I'd better get a good draw._

He drew.

He looked at the card strangely. It had been a long time since he actually had used it. For some reason, he rarely ever drew it.

"I shift Grepher into Defense Mode," he said.

Grepher knelt in Defense.

"And then, I'll place another Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That will end my turn," he said.

Frenchie drew, and the Dangerous Machine started to whir again.

It landed on a six.

"Oh no…" muttered Frenchie. "Not THAT one!"

The Dangerous Machine Type-6 started to spark and shake…

Then it exploded in a fiery burst!

"Well… So much for that…" she said with a sigh.

She played a card.

"I play… Roll of Fate," she said. "Now I get to roll a die again…"

A white die appeared in her hand. She threw it.

It landed on the five.

"Perfect," she said. "Now I get to draw five cards…"

She drew five times.

"Of course, now I have to remove the next five cards from my deck from play."

She took the next five, and placed them in the Removed From Play slot in her Disk.

"Well, hon," she said, "it's been a great duel… So great, that I'm going to end it on a high note that I don't often do…

"I'm going to finish you off with my strongest Monster…"

She paused.

"Some say that gambling is a sin…" she said, softly. "Except, of course, when churches hold fund raisers with casino themes…"

A lot of people laughed at that remark.

"Is it any wonder then," she asked, "that the Monster that represents the greatest gamble of all is a Fiend?"

"What are you up to?" asked Russell, narrowing his eyes.

Frenchie played a card.

"I play the Ritual Spell Card, Contract With The Dark Master!" she exclaimed.

Everyone gasped…

"Now, I'll sacrifice Slate Warrior and another Monster…"

A Roulette Barrel appeared on the field. Both Monsters were shrouded in dark flames and slowly consumed…

A cocoon made from dark, wiry ribbons formed on the field. It started to swell…

"…and I summon… Dark Master Zorc!"

The lights dimmed in the whole room… The cocoon burst.

A shadowy shape rose up. It looked like a cross between a Fiend and a Zombie, with black skin, and wiry hair. It bore wicked claws, and its eyes glowed red… It seemed to be creating the darkness rather than simply residing in it.

A haunting laughter echoed through the whole hall. (2,700/1,500)

Lou looked incredibly nervous. He slowly downed the glass of scotch he was holding.

"Where'd she get that card?" gasped Trisha.

"Bought it with her Christmas bonus," muttered Lou. "Last year. We can afford to give out pretty big bonuses. I don't like it when my duelists lose, but…"

He gulped.

"…that guy even creeps me out. And you're talking to someone who was in the service during the war…

"It's kind of like that thing was once real… In one way or another… I know it doesn't make sense, but…"

"Kinda defeats the purpose of Christmas…" muttered Trisha.

"Let me explain how Zorc works," said Frenchie, as she waved her hand.

A black die appeared in her hand.

"I roll one die… And on a roll of one or two, he can wipe out all your Monsters. Three or four, and he can destroy one. A six, and all my Monsters are destroyed."

"The odds are way in her favor…" muttered Trisha.

"Russian roulette…" mumbled Ansel.

"What?" asked Trisha.

"It's like Russian roulette," he answered. "Her chances of losing are slim, but if she does lose, she's dead."

"Guys…" said Jason, "perhaps you don't realize it… Zorc has 2,700 Attack Points, and Russell has only 800 Life Points left! If he has to take a direct attack from that thing, he loses!"

_All will have been for naught…_ thought Russell, looking at the hideous creature. _All we've worked for depends… On the roll of a die…_

Frenchie tossed the die… It rolled.

It landed on a five.

_Okay…_ muttered Russell. _So I survive for one more turn._

"Zorc, wipe out Grepher!" she commanded.

Zorc simply raised his hand, and Grepher winced in pain.

Then he was simply consumed in dark flames! Everyone watched in horror as he was immolated from the inside out!

"Now, attack his facedown Monster!"

Zorc breathed black flames at the facedown Monster…

Warrior Lady of the Wasteland appeared on the card. She shrieked before she was incinerated.

"Heh, heh," said Russell. "Since you destroyed Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, her effect activates, and I get to summon an Earth Warrior with 1,500 Attack points or less from my deck. Go, Hero Kid!"

One Hero Kid leapt up and did a somersault. (300/600)

"And since he was Special Summoned," continued Russell, "here come two more."

The Kid's two brothers appeared next to him, crouching in Defense Mode.

"And what are they going to do?" asked Frenchie. "I'll end my turn."

Russell drew a card.

A Trap Card… A very common one.

Then he looked at the evil creature in front of him…

"Okay…" he said. "I'll move the Hero Kid who's in Attack Mode, to Defense Mode…"

The standing Hero Kid knelt.

"And then, I'll place _three_ cards facedown."

He threw three cards into his Disk, and they appeared, one behind each Kid.

"And I'll end my turn…"

_Let's hope that for this roll, my luck is better than hers…_ he thought. _Let's hope it holds out one more time…_

Frenchie drew a card.

The die formed in her hand again. She threw it…

It landed on a four.

Zorc raised his hand, and one of the Hero Kids burst into flames.

"Zorc, take another one out!" she shouted.

Zorc shot forth dark flames again.

"I activate… Negate Attack!" said Russell. 

His facedown card lifted, and the flames stopped short.

"All right, fine," said Frenchie. "But this duel will be over soon…"

"I agree," said Russell, drawing a card. "Prepare to eat the floor.

"I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back Freed."

Another facedown card lifted, and Freed reappeared. (2,300/1,700)

"Now, Monster Reborn, to bring back Axe Raider."

He played the card, and Axe Raider appeared on the ankh. (1,700/1,150)

"Next, I'll Equip him with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade…"

He played the card. Axe Raider's axe vanished, and the powerful blade appeared in his hands. His Attack went up to 2,500.

"Finally, I'll sacrifice my two Hero Kids to summon Gilford the Legend!"

The two Kids vanished, and Gilford arose, holding his huge sword. (2,600/2,000)

"Neither of them are strong enough," said Frenchie. "You should have Equipped that Sword to Gilford!"

"We'll see," said Russell. "I activate my last Trap…

"Go, Miracle Kids!"

The Trap Card lifted.

"Now, for each Hero Kid in my Graveyard, your Monster loses 400 Attack Points."

The ghosts of the three Kids flew out of the card laughing, and flew at Zorc! The Fiend lord roared in rage, and tried to swat them aside, but they clung to him and glowed with bright energy! The demon groaned, and his Attack fell to 1,500.

"Good lord…" muttered Lou. "Dark Master Zorc… taken down by kids?"

"Freed, destroy Dark Master Zorc!" shouted Russell.

Freed leapt forward, and with one swipe of his sword, cleaved the Fiend in half. The remains shattered. The spirits of the three Kids flew away, laughing heartily.

"Axe Raider, Gilford, attack directly! Combination attack!

"Smash her good!"

Frenchie screamed as the two Warriors charged at her! They slammed their swords into her and she was thrown backwards!

**(R: 800) -------------------- (F: 0)**

"Cease fire…" muttered Russell.

Frenchie groaned. The darkness started to clear up.

Lou wasn't so happy either.

"Ho boy," he muttered, motioning to a girl who was a carrying a tray of chips. "Serves her right for using that awful card… I really should tell her to get rid of it…

"Let's see… Thirty-to-one odds, thirty dollars wagered…"

He went up to Russell and handed him nine golden chips.

"Don't lose those," he warned. "Each is a one-hundred dollar chip. If you want to test your luck any more, you can exchange them for some smaller ones."

"No," said Russell, "we're going to cash in. But I think Frenchie owes us something else."

Frenchie got up.

"I know…" she muttered. "My darkest secret…"

"Hey," said Russell, "no hard feelings. It was a good duel. At least it didn't backfire on you like most Gamble Decks tend to do. Once we cash in our chips, we're going to go to the buffet. Why don't you join us, and you can tell us there?"

"Well…" muttered Frenchie. "I could use some strong coffee…

"Lou, I'll be taking my lunch break."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Despite all the great amount of food that was available in the buffet restaurant, Frenchie seemed content with a simple cup of black coffee.

"It's strange that you should want to know my darkest secret," she said. "You see, the one who told this told me that I shouldn't tell until someone challenged me for it.

"I guess now is the time."

She motioned for the waitress with the coffee pot.

"Are you sure you don't want anything else?" asked Trisha. "We have everything here."

"You're very kind, but no," she said. "You see, it all happened about three months ago. My boyfriend and I were drifting apart. I just know he was cheating on me.

"He was a duelist too, but even though I have a powerful Fiend in my deck, I never liked his cards. He played a Dark World Deck, full of… hideous creatures."

"I played against a guy who used Dark World Fiends once," said Ansel. "I agree with you… They are butt-ugly. And all of their powers are activated when they're discarded. A Hand Control Deck's worst nightmare."

"You can already tell that a lot of cards in my deck would have benefited him even if he lost the roll…" continued Frenchie. "Ante, the Dangerous Machine… With Dark World Fiends, making your opponent discard is NOT a good idea.

"One night, he called me, saying he wanted to apologize. He invited me to our special spot for a friendly duel, promising me an unforgettable night afterwards… I saw no harm in that…

"A part of me wanted to believe that he was sincere… That we could start over… That we would be happy again…"

A tear fell down her cheek.

"But a few rounds into the duel, he played a horrible Field Spell…"

Her hand shook as she sipped the coffee.

"The Seal of Orichalcos…" said Jason with a growl. "That was shortly before we came across it. They must have been doing test runs of some sort…"

"Maybe those slimes we've been tangling with want their recruits to prove loyalty," added Trisha. "How else can you prove it by taking the soul of your girlfriend?"

"Before I knew it," continued Frenchie, "I was dueling for the worst stakes ever. My deck relies so much on luck, and I had to pray that it held out. I didn't dare use Ante or the Dangerous Machine this time, and it seemed that those cards were in my hand for the longest time, completely useless…

"My Life Points were in triple digits, and he used Card Destruction to summon four of his Fiends. My only Defense was my Abare Ushioni in Defense Mode, and my Fairy Box. I won the first toss, and fortunately, his Life Points were too low for him to risk attacking with his others. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough Life Points to keep the Fairy Box for more than that round.

"My only chance was Abare Ushioni's effect… I made the toss…

"…and I won…"

She paused. She removed the Abare Ushioni card from her deck, and looked at it for a minute.

"Strange…" she said. "You know, I was scared to make the toss at first… I had never missed with him, but I knew there was a first time for everything. If I missed this time, I would have been the final time. But then… Someone urged me, telling me that I wouldn't miss. I could have almost sworn that the urging was coming from the card itself… As if the Monster himself was telling me not to give up…"

She put the card back.

"I must have cried for an hour after it was over," she continued. "But then, out of the darkness, a man came to comfort me… A strange old man… I never got his name, but I'll never forget his face.

"He reminded me of Gandhi, only not as gaunt. He wore a fancy robe that was all black with a red sash.

"His soothing words calmed me down, and he told me that I wouldn't face that horrible card again. But others, unfortunately, would. He told me he was the leader of a special sect who resided in a secret monastery, located deep under the city…

"At the right time, he would unleash the holy power of the Dark Messiah, and the Orichalcos would be defeated."

"What else did he say?" asked Jason, getting excited. "How do we get to this monastery?"

Frenchie paused.

"He told me," she continued, "that the path would be open to the ones chosen by the Dragons once the current Swordsmen were utterly defeated.

"Once that happened, Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos could reveal an entrance to a series of abandoned sewers from Grand Central Station. From there, the monastery would be easy to find by the ones holding those cards."

She sighed.

"I'm afraid that's all I know…" she muttered.

"Thank you," said Trisha. "You've given us more than enough."

As Frenchie left, they looked at each other.

"The first step is obvious," said Russell, clenching his fist. "We have to hunt down those three goons and take them out. Take them out hard! Show them as much mercy as they've shown us and who knows who else."

"We'll go to class for now," said Jason, "and assuming they don't come for us, we'll start looking for them on Friday afternoon."

Ansel had been listening to this whole thing mostly in silence.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

"If you know any good prayers," replied Trisha, "say some for us…"

She raised her glass of soda.

"Here's to the utter defeat of the Orichalcos," she said.

They clinked their glasses together.

Russell looked through the money he had won.

"The bill for this food will be about sixty dollars," he said. "That leaves two-hundred and eighty for each of us. I suggest we spend it on strengthening our decks…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the car started to drive back to New York City, thunder rolled.

"Uh oh…" said Ansel. "Rain. We've been getting so much lately…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At ten o'clock that night, Raphael and Valon waited outside the Ra Dorm.

Alister slowly walked out, with a disappointed expression on his face.

"Any luck?" asked Valon.

"No…" muttered Alister, sitting down. "I wasn't able to communicate with her, and try as I might, I couldn't do it with my cards again. I think that each of us are only allowed to give a gift once…"

"Swell…" muttered Raphael. "That leaves you and me, Valon. One of us will have to give one of them their deck…"

"Hold the phone, guys," said Alister. "Both of you have strategies that are… hard to use, to say the least."

Raphael and Valon looked at each other. They couldn't deny that.

"Then it all comes down to whoever's strategy is _less_ hard," said Raphael. "And I hate to say it, but I don't think it's mine…"

"True…" muttered Alister. "Your whole strategy depended on never sending a Monster to the Graveyard, and you were the only duelist in history who could do that."

"I know," answered Raphael. "I really don't think any of these kids can manage that."

"And your Guardians are hard enough to summon to begin with," said Valon.

He took his deck out and leafed though it.

"It's up to me then…"

_Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 10:17 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**LETHAL STAKES (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Sand Gambler and Goddess of Whim playing blackjack with Terrorking Archfiend as the dealer. They're using blue lights rather than chips.

**Card Description:** During each player's Battle Phase, they may declare an increment of 100. If during that Battle Phase they deal damage to their opponent's Life Points totaling more than the declared number, they gain Life Points equal to the declared number. If they deal damage to their opponent's Life Points totaling less than the declared number, they lose Life Points equal to the declared number. The declared number must be at least 100 and cannot be greater than double the declaring player's current Life Points.

_Note: "Lethal Stakes" was created by Man Called True for his fanfic "Yu-Gi-Oh! Tilting the Balance". All creative credit goes to him._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MAXIMUM SIX (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **1,900  
**DEF: **1,600

**Card Description:** When this card is successfully Tribute Summoned, roll one die. Multiply the result by 200, and add the result to this card's ATK for as long as it is face-up on the field.

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**DANGEROUS MACHINE TYPE-6 (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A machine looking vaguely like a clock, with six numbers on its face, sparkling with electricity.

**Card Description:** During each of your Standby Phases, roll one die. Activate one of the following effects according to the result of the roll: 1 – Discard one card from your hand at random. 2 – Your opponent discards one card from his hand at random. 3 – Draw one card. 4 – Your opponent draws one card. 5 – Destroy one opposing Monster. 6 – This card is destroyed.

_Note: "Maximum Six" and "Dangerous Machine Type-6" are Japanese promotional cards that have not yet been released in the United States. Both were used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode "Down in Flames"._

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**ROLL OF FATE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A beautiful woman's portrait on the right, and a dark-haired man's portrait with his eyes closed on the left. A die separates the two portraits.

**Card Description:** Roll one die. Draw a number of cards equal to the result of the roll. Then, remove from play the same number of cards from the top of your deck.

_Note: "Roll of Fate" was used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode "Down in Flames". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**Frenchie's Casino Deck**

_Frenchie has lived in a world of card sharks and high rollers for a long time, first as a gambler and later as a blackjack dealer. She's had tremendous success in games of chance of all types, so as a duelist, it would make sense that cards dependent on luck and risk would populate her deck._

_Frenchie has a few average beatsticks, like Slate Warrior and Gemini Elf (good to combo with Graceful Dice and Skull Dice) but most of her Monsters are ones whose effects are activated with coin tosses and dice rolls. Abare Ushioni is one of her favorites, because she can honestly say she has NEVER lost the toss with this Monster. Most don't believe her when she claims this, but it is actually true. Despite this, she doesn't think she is invincible, and as she said, she won't take risks when she doesn't have to._

_Many more Monsters fill in the gaps. Dice Jar, Roulette Barrel, Maximum Six, Blowback Dragon, Sand Gambler, Time Wizard, and Goddess of Whim are all prevalent in her deck. She also keeps quite a few gambling-inspired Spells and Traps, including two copies of Ante and one each of Sixth Sense, Fire Darts, Fairy Box, and Gamble._

_Dark Master Zorc doesn't see much use. As useful as this card is, she would agree with Ansel that it's too much like Russian roulette, a gamble that even she would never take._

_Surprisingly, Frenchie's deck does not contain any copies of Second Coin Toss or Dice Re-Roll. In real gambling, a player is NOT allowed a second chance when he loses, and she feels that these two cards are cheating. Perhaps Frenchie simply considers herself a gambler first and a duelist second, which is why she has set such restrictive rules for herself._

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_**Coming up next…**_

_**Russell finds Cassius and demands a rematch, which Cassius is all too happy to give him. But the outback outlaw has switched tactics, and won't go down as easy this time. And his plan to cripple Hermos is one that has spelled doom for many duelists.**_

_**The next arc starts in a chapter called "Magic Jammer", coming soon.**_


	38. Magic Jammer

_**Somewhere under this city lies a secret monastery, and in this place lies the power of the Dark Messiah.**_

_**We have to find this place. We have to get that power. We need it to fulfill the prophecy and win this war…**_

_**But three obstacles stand in our path… Their names are Cassius, Cleo, and Sebastian. They must be utterly defeated before the path to the monastery opens.**_

_**Well, no problem. We beat them before, and this time we know their strategy. We can beat them again.**_

_**Yeah, right… I wish it were that simple.**_

_**But this "Fortunado", whoever he is, didn't choose them as his Swordsmen because they were pushovers.**_

_**The next phase is starting, and I doubt it will be easy.**_

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

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**Magic Jammer**

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_Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 10:39 PM_

As the storm raged down, and sheets of rain fell down on the city, Fortunado lounged in an armchair.

He was slowly munching on salted mixed nuts (except the Brazil nuts, which he hated) and staring out the window.

He looked at the bowl of nuts in disgust as he chewed on a pecan.

"Am I eating just because I'm bored?" he asked to no-one in particular.

He threw the bowl over his shoulder.

"No… I'm eating because I'm nervous. Those three kids are going to come looking for my men soon, and it wouldn't hurt to add to my forces…

"Cassius!"

Cassius ran into the room.

"What took you so long?" asked Fortunado.

"Uh…" started Cassius.

"Never mind," said Fortunado. "Does your mother still have the Scepter of Bound Divinity?"

"Uh, yeah…" he replied.

"Well, steal it from her again," ordered Fortunado.

"We can't use it to bring Loki to the mortal world again," replied Cassius. "His jailers will have tightened his chains tenfold after what happened. They'll make sure he won't escape again."

"True," said Fortunado, "but Loki is far from the only deity who has gotten in trouble with his colleges. More divine beings have committed crimes of some sort, and have been punished by being locked away in celestial prisons…

"And some of these places haven't learned about Loki yet, and they won't have taken the same precautions."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the same time, Dr. Artemis was going over her most prized books.

She held out her coffee cup, and Twinky rolled up.

"Cream, two sugars," she muttered.

As Twinky filled it, she turned to a page in an old book and rubbed her chin.

"Those three are getting closer and closer," she muttered. "This is usually the part where the ground falls out from under your feet.

"That Frenchie woman told them about some sort of monastery under the city… I know I read about that in here somewhere…"

She turned to a page.

"Here we are…" she said. "No information on the actual monastery or who's in it, but here's a prediction…"

She read:

_Three warriors will be chosen by dragons, and will seek the sacred ground out. To find it, each will be tested by a challenge to test the power of light inside them._

_The first challenge: Proof of Order. Only by proving superiority of Law over Chaos will the Chosen pass._

_The second challenge: Test of the Soul. Only by proving superiority of one's soul over the skill of one who has none will the Chosen proceed. _

_The third challenge: Days of Past Reckoning. Only if they are blessed by the one who came before them, will they prove their worth._

Dr. Artemis paused.

"No mention of Duel Monsters specifically, but it falls into place.

"That third one… What does that mean? Sir Issac? But he's been dead for a thousand years. Will his spirit help one of them if they're worthy?"

She sighed and closed the book.

"Guess we'll find out."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the thunder rolled, Trisha tossed and turned in her sleep.

"Machine King Prototype in Attack Mode," she mumbled in her sleep. "And two cards facedown… Go ahead and attack me, Sebastian…"

Valon appeared next to her bed.

"Trisha…" he said, nudging her gently. "Wake up, Trisha…"

Trisha woke up in a start.

She looked at the intruder.

"Get back…" she warned. "I can scream loud enough for Old Ben to hear, and he can flatten you good…"

"Turn on your light, Trisha," said Valon with a grin. "I realize that a man who breaks into a woman's bedroom at night is usually a rapist, but… well…"

Trisha turned on the light, ready to scream her lungs out if he moved a step closer.

She didn't recognize the young man, but she was startled when she saw that she could see right though him.

"Who are you?" she asked. "Are you some sort of…"

She reached out with her hand and it passed through him.

"…GHOST?"

"Don't be afraid!" urged Valon. "I just want to talk!"

Trisha paused.

"Can you… sit down?" she asked.

"Of course I can sit down," said Valon with a laugh.

"Then, uh, there's a chair right there…" she said.

"As for who the Hell I am," said Valon, taking the chair, "my name is Valon, and I'm a duelist like you are… And the reason I'm ghost is, well, I'm cursed…"

He sat down, and a long story followed. Trisha found herself hanging on to every word…

"I'm sorry," said Trisha. "It must be awful. But why are you telling me?"

"I know you like Machine Monsters," replied Valon.

He handed her a deck of cards.

"Take a look at these Machines."

Trisha took the deck and skimmed through the cards.

"Uhm… they're… odd…" she said.

"Well, they're yours now," said Valon. "I'm cutting my ties with my deck, and handing it over to you."

"I can't do that!" shouted Trisha. "These are yours!"

"The deck is useless to me now," said Valon. "Keep it or sell the cards. They're very valuable, especially as a set.

"But I ask for one humble favor. I can't give much in return, except the cards and the unending thanks of myself and the two friends of mine who are in the same condition…"

"What?" asked Trisha.

"When you face Sebastian next," he said. "Use this deck to pound the crud out of him. But before you do, dedicate the battle to me, Raphael, and Alister.

"We'll be there on the sidelines supporting you. This is the only way we can finally rest.

"Of course…"

He sighed.

"If you study the cards and decide that they're too hard to use, just forget the whole thing. I won't force you."

Trisha started looking at the cards.

"I can't promise I will," she said, "but I'll try…"

Valon smiled.

"Good luck…" he said.

Slowly, he vanished.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next day in class, Dr. Peters was showing a film of some clips of the first Battle City with the sound turned off. The three Egyptian God Cards dominated most of the scenes.

The class gasped in fright as Yugi ordered a direct attack with Slifer against Bakura, and the evil spirit grinned madly before collapsing.

"As you can see…" muttered Peters, "the Egyptian God Cards were not simply… cards. They were divine forces that if left unchecked, could lay waste to cities. Many duelists dreamed of owning these cards before they were lost, but only certain duelists could handle the incredible power they possessed.

"If you didn't know how to control one of them, it may well have consumed you.

"Pegasus learned soon after he created them that these cards were a mistake. He had them locked away, and hoped they'd never see daylight again."

He turned off the film.

"It is sad to say, but this was not the only… mistake that Pegasus made in his long career. While creating Duel Monsters, he unleashed forces too horrible for anyone to ever dream of controlling.

"What I'm about to say is… all rumor and speculation…

"On one of his many trips to Egypt, he uncovered a tomb of one participant of the ancient Shadow Games, and found vivid descriptions of a Shadow Beast of unheard of power. A demon that was like a god to other demons.

"He thought this creature would make a perfect addition to his game. He did more research, and eventually created the prototype…

"It all fell apart when it was playtested. When the summoned Monster attacked the opposing Monster, both duelists were knocked out by the backlash, and fell into a coma that they couldn't wake up from for a week. And when they did wake up, it took them hours to stop screaming, as if the thing had caused the darkest of nightmares.

"Horrified at what had happened, Pegasus tried to burn the card. But to his horror, it wouldn't burn…

"He decided to seal it away forever, better than he had with the God Cards. He personally delivered it to the most secure bank in Switzerland, and arranged to have it locked in a safe deposit box in their deepest vaults. He left orders stating that _no-one_, absolutely no-one, not even him, under any condition whatsoever, was ever allowed to take it."

Dr. Peters paused.

"We can assume this card was a Fiend, but we don't know what it looks like, what it can do, or anything about its vital statistics…

"But this name was mentioned once about the forbidden card…

"Wicked God Dreadroot."

The class went silent.

Russell rubbed his chin.

_Interesting…_ he thought. _I know it's impossible but… I have to say… I'm curious…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

When class was over, Trisha made a beeline for the VR Pods in the library.

"Ms. Nichols," she said to the director. "I need a virtual duelist… One who isn't too hard."

"Why the sudden interest?" asked Ms. Nichols.

"I, uhm…" answered Trisha. "I built a new deck, and I need to try it out."

_Before I wager my soul on how good it is…_ she thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On Friday afternoon, Russell sat on a bench shuffling his deck.

Trisha and Jason walked up to him from opposite directions.

"Ready?" asked Jason.

"Let's get 'em," answered Trisha.

They walked to the front gate.

"So, where do we start looking?" she asked.

Russell paused.

"I just had a… vision…" he said.

He concentrated.

"Cassius…" he said. "He's at Rockefeller Center… I don't know how I know, I just know."

"Then let's go…" said Jason.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It wasn't winter yet, but the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center was open and enjoying good business. Children skated around, while teenagers holding hands with their girlfriends danced on the ice.

Cassius sat on a bench eating one of the three slices of pizza he had gotten from a vendor.

Slowly he paused. His ears perked up.

He grabbed his whip, and lashed it behind him, knocking out of the air the card that someone had thrown at him.

He got up, and picked up the now-torn card.

"Dragon Capture Jar?" he thought. "Someone's taunting me, and he's gonna regret it…"

"Am I?" said a familiar voice.

He turned and saw Russell with his two allies behind him.

"Well, Russell, I hoped you show up eventually," he said. "I owe you for the humiliation you doled out to me. By the way, nice coat."

"Then what else remains to be said?" asked Russell.

He placed the toothpick in his mouth and clamped his teeth on it.

"Let's end this between us once and for all. I'm not scared of your Armed Dragons…"

Cassius took his deck and started to shuffle it.

_What he doesn't know is that there's no Armed Dragon in this deck, _thought Cassius_. I'll have him begging for mercy before long… And he won't get it…_

They loaded their decks into their Disks.

Raphael, Valon, and Alister appeared behind Trisha and Jason.

"It's starting…" said Raphael. "We can only hope…"

"Ready… Battle!" shouted Russell.

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Cassius: 8,000)**

"So," he continued, drawing five cards, "will you go fist, or should I?"

"You decide that," answered Cassius. "I can be generous when I want to be."

"Then by all means, you go first," said Russell.

Cassius drew a sixth card.

"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Now make your move."

"I will!" replied Russell, drawing a sixth card. I summon Axe Raider in Attack Mode."

Axe Raider appeared, raising his axe. (1,700/1,150)

"Attack his facedown Monster!" he shouted.

Axe Raider charged. A fiendish-looking treasure chest appeared, and was smashed to pieces.

"That was a Dark Mimic LV 1," said Cassius. "That means I get to draw one card."

He drew a card and looked at it.

"Then it's your move," said Russell.

Cassius drew again.

"Then the road to your demise begins…" he said. "I play the Seal of Orichalcos!"

His Field Slot opened, and he threw the card inside.

The Jason and Trisha were thrown back, as the evil pentagram formed around them. Valon and Raphael reached out and caught them.

"What?" said Jason, turning around.

They saw nothing…

Cassius's eyes glowed as the Seal etched on his forehead.

"Surprised?" he asked. "I'm not taking the Emperor Palpatine approach any more. I'm doing something more along the lines of Count Dooku or General Grievous."

"You'll still lose…" warned Russell.

"Want a bet?" asked Cassius, choosing another card. "I play the Spell Card, Level Down!"

He played a card.

"Level Down?" asked Russell. "I know what Level Up! does, but what the Hell is Level Down?"

"Level Down! lets me downgrade the star level of one leveled Monster in my hand by two for the remainder of the round," explained Cassius. "Thus, I can now summon a six-star Monster as if it were a four-star Monster, with no sacrifice.

"So I summon… Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6!"

The birdlike, golden Dragon that Sean Kishore was so fond of appeared, and the Seal branded to its forehead. (2,300/1,600)

"THAT wasn't in your deck last time!" shouted Russell.

"I know…" said Cassius with a sinister smile. "I'm full of surprises, Russell…

"Of course, Horus's Level 6 form is immune to all Spell Cards… Even the Seal can't break that rule. But his 2,300 Attack Points easily beats your Axe Raider's 1,700."

"Horus… attack the Axe Raider with black flame blast!"

Horus shot a burst of fire at the Warrior. Axe Raider screamed and was burnt to a crisp.

**(Russell: 7,400) -------------------- (Cassius: 8,000)**

"No…" gasped Trisha. "On the round where that Monster wins a battle…"

"…it can evolve into something stronger…" interrupted Cassius, taking a card from his deck. "Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 8!"

Horus grew into a much bigger Dragon, with a wider wingspan. As the Seal branded to it, it glared at Russell.

"And his Level 8 form IS affected by the Seal," continued Cassius.

(3,000/1,800) –) (3,500/1,800)

"He managed to summon an eight star Monster in one turn…" gasped Trisha.

"You're one in a million, Cassius," growled Russell. "In Egyptian myth, Horus was a valiant crusader who defended the weak and the oppressed, and fought against tyranny. And you have the _nerve_ to combine his avatar with the Orichalcos?"

"I'd like to see you try to stop me!" answered Cassius. "Especially since so long as he's on the field, I can negate any Spell Cards that you try to play.

"And by the way… that includes any Equip Spell you create with The Claw of Hermos. Why do you think I made this Monster my weapon of choice? I prepared in advance this time."

"He's right…" gasped Trisha. "He's put Hermos out of commission!"

"Just try beating me now…" dared Cassius.

"I place one card facedown, and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared.

Russell drew a card.

"I summon Command Knight in Defense Mode," he stated.

Command Knight appeared in front of him and knelt. (1,200/1,900) – (1,600/1,900)

"Then I place one card facedown…" he said.

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…"

Cassius drew.

"I summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Attack Mode," he said.

The sleepy, rocky Dragon appeared, but woke up a little. It seemed a bit surprised at being called to attack.

Then it grinned a sinister grin… (1,300/2,000) –) (1,800/2,000)

He paused.

"So…" muttered Russell. "Aren't you going to attack?"

"Don't insult my intelligence, Russell," said Cassius, "I see that facedown card perfectly clearly. And I know that Traps are Horus's greatest weakness.

"Pity if something were to happen to it, such as this…"

He took a card from his hand.

"I play Giant Trunade!"

He played the card, and the whirlwind flew across the field, blowing Russell's facedown card and Cassius's facedown card off the field.

"Not only is Horus safe now," said Cassius, "but the card that I blew back to my own hand was one you'll remember from our first duel…"

He turned the card around.

"Treasure Map?" asked Russell.

"Yes," replied Cassius. "So now I get to draw twice, so long as I discard one card."

He drew two cards.

"And once again, since Treasure Map is now worthless, that's what I'll discard.

"You can thank your friend Jason for helping me come up with this strategy, by the way… His duel with Alphonse showed me that Giant Trunade has no effect on the Seal.

"Thank you so much, Jason!

"Now then… I'll attack with Horus! Attack Command Knight! Dark fire inferno!"

Horus blasted its flame, and Command Knight screamed before she was incinerated.

"Dragon Dwelling in the Cave…" he ordered. "Attack directly! Noxious gust!"

The Dragon breathed out a squall of foul wind, and Russell screamed…

**(Russell: 5,600) -------------------- (Cassius: 8,000)**

"That will end my turn…" said Cassius.

Russell drew a card.

"Gearfried the Iron Knight in Defense Mode," he said.

Gearfried appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,800/1,600)

"And I'll place this facedown again…" he muttered.

The facedown card reappeared.

Cassius drew a card.

"I sacrifice The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave," he said.

The Dragon vanished.

"To summon… heh, heh, heh…"

He placed a card down.

"Jinzo!"

Jinzo appeared, its optic sensors glowing red. They glowed even more as the Seal bonded to it. (2,400/1,500) –) (2,900/1,500)

"Beginning to see my strategy now?" asked Cassius. "With these two Monsters on the field, you can't play any Spell OR Trap Cards. And you can't win with Monsters alone!"

Russell was silent.

"Jinzo, attack Gearfried with cyber energy shock!" shouted Cassius.

Jinzo formed a ball of black energy in its hands, and hurled it forward, blowing Gearfried to pieces.

"Now, Horus… Attack Russell directly!

"Dark fire inferno!"

Horus shot an inferno of flame, and Russell screamed as flames engulfed him!

**(R: 2,100) -------------------- (C: 8,000)**

"Blimey, he got nailed!" gasped Valon.

"He still has a chance, doesn't he?" asked Alister, getting scared.

"I'd like to say I think he does…" said Raphael, "but one thing my mother taught me, God rest her soul, was that lying comes back to haunt you."

"Why not just give up, Russell?" asked Cassius. "You've lost more than half your Life Points, and I'm still at full strength. I don't want to have to do that again."

Russell was silent for a minute, as smoke rose from his bent form… He could honestly say, he had never taken a direct attack that powerful before…

He didn't like it.

Then he straightened up, and took the toothpick out of his mouth, and then flicked it at Cassius. It bounced off the outlaw's chest.

"No…" he growled.

He drew a card. He looked at it.

He smirked…

"Monster in Defense Mode…" he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And I end my turn…" he said, smugly.

Cassius drew a card.

"Well, you can't play any Spell Cards," he said, "but I sure can… I play Pot of Greed!"

He played the card, and the wicked jar appeared. He drew two cards, and it shattered.

He looked at the two cards he had drawn.

_There,_ he thought, looking at the very common Spell Card. _Now my three-Monster combo will be complete…_

"So what is that facedown card?" he asked. "Something with some nasty flip-effect, I'll bet. Well, it's not gonna work…"

He played a card.

"I play Polymerization… To fuse Lord of Dragons with Divine Dragon Ragnarok!"

The Dragon and the Spellcaster appeared on the field. They swirled into a vortex of light…

And then King Dragun arose! (2,400/1,000) –) (2,900/1,000)

"So long as King Dragun is on the field," said Cassius, "both he and Horus are protected from all card effects that target. I now have the ultimate Horus Lockdown!

"Face it, it's over!"

"NO!" screamed Trisha.

_What do you think now, dad?_ thought Cassius. _I'm going to be more of a success than you could ever have dreamed of being!_

"King Dragun…" he shouted, "destroy his last defense! Flaming scourge!"

King Dragun raised his rod, and blasted flame at the facedown card…

And then, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian appeared on the card, and blocked the blast with his sword!

He was unharmed, as steam rose from his blade. (1,400/1,200)

"Thought you had me, did you big guy?" asked Russell with a grin. "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian can't be destroyed by Monsters who have 1,900 Attack Points or more, and all three of your Monsters are far too powerful!"

"That was brilliant!" thought Raphael. "Now that Lord of Dragons and The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave are in Cassius's Graveyard, with the 500-point boost of the Seal, I'll wager that ALL the rest of his Monsters are simply too strong to destroy that guy!

"He might have a chance…"

"A mere annoyance…" said Cassius. "I end my turn…"

"Thank goodness he didn't have Nobleman of Crossout in his hand…" muttered Trisha.

"I was trying very hard not to think of that…" muttered Jason.

_Nobleman of Crossout?_ thought Cassius. _DAMN! I knew I had forgotten something…_

Russell drew.

"I summon my second Command Knight in Defense Mode," he said.

Command Knight appeared, and knelt. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900)

"And you can't attack her so long as another Monster is on my side of the field," he continued. "Who has who in a lock?"

"Big deal!" shouted Cassius. "You'll never defeat my Horus Lockdown!

"And it's a temporary defense at best. All I need to do is draw my Monster Reborn or Premature Burial, and I can bring back Lord of Dragons. Even with the Seal, his Attack Score will be low enough to destroy your elf."

"I seem to remember that this exact strategy was defeated at one time in the past," answered Russell.

"True…" said Cassius. "Joey Wheeler defeated it using Gilford the Lightning. But to use his effect, you must sacrifice _three_ Monsters. And while you can easily summon a third one, I'll never let it survive long enough.

"It's my move!"

He drew.

"And I choose to pass…"

Russell drew a card.

"I summon Queen's Knight in Defense Mode," he said.

Queen's Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,500/1,600) –) (1,900/1,600)

"That's all for now."

Cassius drew.

"Horus, attack Queen's Knight!" he shouted.

Horus shot his black flame. Queen's Knight screamed as she was burned up.

_Sorry, Queen's Knight, _thought Russell, as he discarded her card, _but maybe you can help again later._

"My move…" he said.

He drew a card.

"I summon King's Knight in Defense Mode."

King's Knight appeared. He knelt and placed his sword on his knee. (1,600/1,500) –) (2,000/1,500)

"That will end my turn," he said.

Cassius drew a card.

"You just keep setting them up," he said, "and I'll keep knocking them down. Horus, take out King's Knight!"

Horus shot forth his black flame, and King's Knight was incinerated.

"This isn't a duel…" moaned Trisha. "This is target practice for Cassius. I don't know what Russell can do…"

"Yes…" said Cassius. "What can you do?"

"Your strategy has one tragic flaw," said Russell, narrowing his eyes. "With Jinzo on the field, you are forbidden from activating any Traps as well. That's the downside of using Jinzo that everyone who uses it knows.

"So, if I were to summon someone who could destroy Horus, you'd be powerless to stop me."

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Cassius. "Destroy Horus? With the Seal, he has 3,500 Attack Points.

"The strongest Monster that can be Normal Summoned is a tie between one of Kaiba's Dragons and Ultimate Tyranno. Even if you had one, and you don't, it couldn't defeat Horus without help. And while there are stronger Monsters in the game, they all need to be Special Summoned.

"And you simply can't Special Summon something with more Attack Power than this without Spells or Traps."

Russell looked at his deck.

"Any time, pal…" he whispered.

He drew.

He looked at the card… He grinned wickedly.

"Guess again, loser…" he said with a smile. "See, you aren't the only one who can plan in advance. I was expecting Dragons when I came here… Not Horus, I'll admit, but I was still expecting Dragons. So I added a guy to my deck for just this occasion… One that makes even the Blue-Eyes White Dragons tremble in fear!

"The greatest dragon-slayer of all time…"

"Wait…" muttered Cassius. "You're not talking about…"

"I sacrifice Command Knight…" said Russell.

Command Knight vanished into light.

"AND Obnoxious Celtic Guardian…"

The Guardian followed.

Thunder started to roll…

"To summon the mighty… **_Buster Blader_**!"

In a flash, a powerful Warrior clad in violet plate armor and a full-head helmet, holding a _huge_ sword leapt up, and struck a heroic pose! (2,600/2,300)

"WHAT?" screamed Cassius. "You never had him in your deck before! You must have gotten him when we weren't looking!"

"So, you've been watching us?" asked Russell. "Actually, Cassius, I've had this card for a very long time… But I only take him out for special occasions. Like when I wanted to kick your ass.

"And by the way, as you know doubt know, he gains 500 Attack Points for every Dragon on your side of the field and in your Graveyard. Two of them are in plain sight, and three more are in your Graveyard!"

Buster Blader lifted his sword, and it glowed, as he drew energy from the two Dragons in front of him…

Then the spirits of Divine Dragon Ragnarok, The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, and Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6 appeared, and he absorbed them as well.

(5,100/2,300)

"No fair!" screamed Cassius.

"Why?" asked Russell, angrily. "Is there a rule now that says only the bad guys are allowed to have rare and powerful cards? If there is, I must not have caught that in the rulebook."

Cassius seethed in anger.

"Buster Blader…" ordered Russell, "destroy Horus with blade buster attack! Cut him in half!"

Buster Blader glowed with golden light. He leapt up, and brought his sword down on the Black Flame Dragon! It roared, and then exploded into a burst of flame!

The flash lit up the dimming evening…

Flames showered to Earth as the mighty Warrior landed, and turned towards King Dragun, as if to say, "You're next." The fused Monster shuddered.

Trisha and Jason cheered. Behind them, the three phantoms cheered as well.

**(R: 2,100) -------------------- (C: 6,400)**

_He defeated Horus without Hermos…_ thought Cassius, in fear. _Impossible… Inconceivable…_

_Why didn't someone tell me he had that accursed Warrior in his deck?_

"Your move, Crocodile Dumb-Dee," said Russell.

"Oh, you're gonna regret that…" growled Cassius, drawing.

_Level Modulation?_ he thought, looking at it._ If I use that to bring back Horus, he'd just kill it again!_

"I'll move Jinzo and King Dragun into Defense Mode," he said.

King Dragun curled up in his coils and Jinzo crouched in Defense.

Russell drew.

"Well," he said, "now that Horus is in your Graveyard, I can use all the Spell Cards I want!

"Like this one… The Warrior Returning Alive. I'll use it to return Command Knight to my hand."

He played the card, a card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now, Command Knight, welcome back…"

Command Knight reappeared. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900)

She nodded to Buster Blader, and his Attack rose to 5,500.

"Command Knight," he ordered, "attack Jinzo with flame blade!"

Command Knight's sword burned with fire, and she swiped at Jinzo. The android sparked and exploded.

"All right!" shouted Trisha. "Now Russell can use Traps again!"

"Now for the last one," said Russell. "Buster Blader, attack King Dragun!"

Buster Blader leapt up, and with a swipe of his mighty sword, cleaved King Dragun in two. The remains shattered into dark shards.

"Your move, pal…" said Russell, "and you have no Monsters left… Your so-called lock has failed miserably."

**(R: 3,900) -------------------- (C: 6,400)**

Cassius paused. He was worried now.

_This better be a good draw…_ he thought, _or that superpowered Buster Blader will be able to attack ME next turn!_

He drew.

"I play… Graceful Charity!" he shouted. "I don't think I need to tell you what that does…"

He drew three cards.

He paused.

He discarded two Masked Dragons from his hand.

"Are you nuts?" asked Jason. "You just made Buster Blader even stronger!"

Buster Blader rose to an Attack of 6,600.

"And now I'll make him weaker," said Cassius. "See this card?"

He showed him a card.

Soul Release.

"A common card," he continued. "I'm sure you know that it can remove from play five cards from either your Graveyard or mine…"

He played the card.

"And I choose to use it on mine, removing from play five of my Dragons. That means your Warrior loses 2,500 Attack Points."

Buster Blader fell to an Attack of 4,000.

"Next, I'll play Spell Reproduction…"

He played the card, and then discarded Level Modulation and The Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension.

"This lets me play Soul Release a second time."

Buster Blader fell to 3,000 ATK.

"I don't get it," said Valon. "Even without those Dragons, Buster Blader's Attack Score is still through the roof. What is Cassius planning?"

"Now," said Cassius. "I summon… Silent Magician LV 4."

He played a card, and in a flash, a small girl dressed in space-age clothing carrying a staff appeared.

She looked around in fear. As the Seal started to bond to her, she looked ready to cry…

Then she fell under the spell, and her eyes glowed with an evil light. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000)

"Please…" said Russell. "I know how she works… She gains 500 Attack Points every time I draw, right? And when she reaches a certain point, you can evolve her into her big sister. Well, she won't last long enough to reach that point…"

"Have you forgotten what kind of deck you're dealing with?" asked Cassius.

He took one of the last two cards in his hand.

"I play… Level Up! This lets me evolve her instantly, into Silent Magician LV 8!"

"Another eight star Monster?" gasped Jason.

The small Silent Magician vanished…

And then a taller form appeared. She looked pretty much like an adult form of the LV 4 version, with a fancier staff.

She started to cringe. Russell couldn't help but stare… She was trying to resist the Seal!

But it was no use. She bowed her head, and then lifted it again, with evil in her eyes. (3,500/1,000) –) (4,000/1,000)

"Now…" said Cassius, "Horus will be avenged! Silent Magician, attack the Buster Blader with cosmic flux!"

Silent Magician shot a blast of energy from her staff that looked like a black burst full of stars and moons. Buster Blader was thrown back, and shattered to pieces.

**(R: 2,900) -------------------- (C: 6,400)**

"And by the way…" said Cassius. "Your Spell Cards won't work on her."

"True," said Russell, drawing a card, "but unlike Horus, she can't stop me from playing them.

"I play Premature Burial."

He played the card.

"I'll use it to bring my first Command Knight back from the grave."

The ankh appeared, and the first Command Knight appeared, next to her twin. (1,200/1,900)

Both Command Knights rose to an Attack of 2,000.

"My Magician is twice as strong as they are," said Cassius.

"Perhaps," said Russell. "But due to Command Knight's ability, I have you in a lock again!"

"He's right…" said Alister. "Command Knight is protected from an attack so long as at least one other Monster is on the field. So the first one protects the second…"

"And the second one protects the first!" laughed Valon. "Well, that's just what I would have done… Well, if Warriors were my thing… And they aren't… Uh, yeah…"

Cassius frowned as he drew.

His eyes lit up.

"I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

Russell drew a card.

"I play MY Graceful Charity," he said.

He played the card, and then drew three cards.

He paused.

He discarded Gearfried the Swordmaster and Armed Changer.

"Now…" he said. "I sacrifice both Command Knights…"

The two Knights vanished…

"And summon Gilford the Lightning."

The powerful Gilford appeared. (2,800/1,400)

"Next," he said, "I'll play… Monster Reborn. And I'll bring back a Monster from _your_ Graveyard, one that I don't think was a willing recruit…"

The holy ankh appeared, and Silent Magician LV 4 appeared. (1,000/1,000)

"That has to be the dumbest move I have ever seen," said Cassius. "You should have used Monster Reborn Ifirst/I, and then sacrificed all three Monsters so that you could have used Gilford's effect. Now you have two Monsters who can't come close to beating my Magician."

"I was thinking more long term…" said Russell, taking another card.

He played it.

"I play The Claw of Hermos!"

He played the card, and the sky darkened. The wind around Rockefeller Center picked up, and the immense form of Hermos flew out of the sky, and dove through the Seal!

"Hermos, merge with Silent Magician to form… the Solar Blaster!" shouted Russell.

Silent Magician LV 4 and Hermos formed into two globes of light, and they merged together…

In a flash, a huge, futuristic cannon appeared, and Gilford grabbed the hilt. He fell down on one knee and pointed it forward.

"When the Solar Blaster is used by a Light-Attribute Monster," said Russell, "he gains 1,500 Attack Points when battling a Dark-Attribute Monster. And I happen to know that since you're playing the Seal, any Monster you summon is Dark."

Gilford aimed the huge weapon at Silent Magician LV 8. She sighed, and bowed her head.

"Gilford, put her out of her misery," said Russell. "Solar blast!"

Gilford's Attack rose to 4,300. He pulled the trigger, and fired a blast of pure light. Silent Magician was blown into shards.

**(R: 300) -------------------- (C: 6,100)**

"So now what, Cassius?" asked Russell. "Any Monster you summon will be facing a Monster with 4,300 Attack Points.

"But just in case…"

He fit two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared next to the one that had been there unused since Cassius had summoned Jinzo.

"Your move…"

"You haven't won yet…" warned Cassius.

He drew a card.

He looked at it and the other card in his hand…

_This card…_ he thought._ I can use it to summon my most powerful Monster…_

_But… That Monster… It's cursed… Everyone who has used it has come to horrible ends…_

He stared at the card.

"What is the freakin' holdup?" asked Russell.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On her throne of obsidian, the dark figure watched with disgust.

"Okay…" she sneered. "Time for a chat…"

As Cassius looked at the one card in his hand, the voice of the Master entered his mind.

"_Cassius!"_ shouted the Master. _"What IS the holdup? Use that Spell Card, and summon your ultimate weapon."_

Cassius started to sweat.

_But… Your excellence…_ he thought. _The card… It's dangerous… I never dared use it before… The curse…_

"_Curse?"_ scowled the Master. _"You're talking nonsense. Need I remind you that you have no Monsters to summon, and your facedown card won't help you unless you use that card. Unless you do, you will lose._

"_I will not spare you, Cassius, especially if the reason you lost was because you were scared of your own card._

"_So either play it… Or end up just as your pathetic father was… A failure…"_

"A failure…" whispered Cassius. "I'll show you who's a failure!

"I activate my facedown card…"

The facedown card lifted.

"Return From The Different Dimension! It's worth paying half my Life Points to bring back five of the Dragons I removed from play…"

A spiraling portal appeared, and two Masked Dragons, The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, Divine Dragon Ragnarok, and King Dragun flew out.

"Big deal," said Russell. "None of them can defeat Gilford…"

"Want to know what card I drew?" asked Cassius. "Do you?"

He played the card.

"I play… Dragon's Mirror!"

"Dragon's Mirror?" gasped Trisha.

"It's a Polymerization substitute," said Jason. "It lets the user remove fusion material Monsters from his field and Graveyard from play to summon the Fusion Monster, so long as the Fusion Monster is a Dragon.

"But none of those Dragons are used in any fusions except Ragnarok… He brought them all back just to summon a second King Dragun?"

"How little we know…" said Cassius, with an evil smile.

A large mirror with a frame decorated with a draconic theme appeared. The five Dragons were sucked into it.

"The Dragon I'm summoning is among the most powerful beasts in the Duel Monsters universe! A card so rare, you can count on one hand the number of known copies… A Dragon from Hell itself…

"And he's summoned by fusing five Dragons of ANY variety!"

The mirror shattered in a burst of glass…

A glowing five-pointed star appeared in the center of the Seal.

"I summon the mighty… **_F.G.D._**!"

An aura of pure darkness rose, and grew to giant size…

A Duel Monster that looked even bigger than Raviel loomed out of the darkness. Its scaly skin was a sickly yellow, and it had a wingspan of at least two-hundred feet. Worse, it had five horrible heads… one yellow with a crown of electricity, one black and scaly, one blue and metallic, one green and fiendish, and one that appeared to be made of fire.

It let out a great roar!

(5,000/5,000) –) (5,500/5,000)

"That stands for Five God Dragon, in case you were wondering," he said with a smirk.

"Boy, he's a big one…" muttered Russell.

"Still not scared?" asked Cassius. "Why don't we do the math, shall we? Your Monster has 4,300 Attack Points. Mine has 5,500, a difference in my favor of 1,200. And you have 300 Life Points left!

"Oh, what's that? You're counting on those Trap Cards to protect you, right? Well, guess again…"

He played the last card in his hand.

"I play Hordeguarder. For the small price of 800 Life Points, all Dragons on my side of the field become immune to Traps for the round I play it."

"Try to get out of this one! F.G.D., attack Gilford with Pentecost Holocaust!"

The great beast's five heads shot forth a blast of flame, a gust of wind, a bolt of lightning, a ray of ice, and a beam of pure darkness. Gilford the Lightning screamed and was blown to bits.

"You are beaten…" said Cassius.

Through the smoke, he saw Russell in silhouette…

…and as it cleared, he grinned at him.

**(R: 100) -------------------- (C: 2,250)**

"Man…" muttered Russell. "Talk about activating a facedown card just in time…"

"WHAT?" shouted Cassius. "But my Hordeguarder…"

"The facedown I activated wasn't a Trap, Cassius," he said. "It was Emergency Provisions. I used it to send my facedown Reinforcements to the grave just before your attack hit, so I gained 1,000 Life Points before I lost any.

"This isn't over yet…"

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" scowled Cassius. "You're more persistent than the headaches I get whenever I eat ice cream. But you've far from won…

"You think you can beat F.G.D. Well, maybe this will show you its true might. The King of Games himself faced this beast on two occasions, and while he defeated it, he had help both times, the first time from Kaiba, and the second time from Joey. If he had been alone either time, he'd have met his doom.

"YOU, however, stand against it alone.

"And by the way, each time he needed a Fusion Monster of his own to defeat it. In your whole deck, you have only ONE of the Monsters you need to create one of the fusions he used, and I'm pretty certain you don't have the Fusion Monsters themselves."

"Don't give up, Russell!" shouted Trisha. "You'll think of something."

"Fat chance," said Cassius. "Let me also share with you F.G.D.'s special ability: it's immune to almost all attacks. Monsters of the Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, and Dark Attributes simply can't attack it. Only Light Monsters are able to muster the courage to attack it, and seeing as I just deep-sixed your most powerful Light Monster…

"Well, it's been nice knowing you…"

Russell looked at his deck.

_Twenty – one cards left in my deck, _he thought. _One more than half. And only two of those cards are ones that could take down quintuple-ugly over there…_

_A little more than ten to one. Not good odds._

His hand moved towards his deck.

_I have to believe… Believe that my cause is more favored them him. That the higher powers approve of what I'm doing. It they do… Then I will draw one of them._

He drew a card.

He smiled.

"I activate my facedown card," he said. "Call of the Haunted!"

His last facedown card lifted, and Buster Blader leapt out. (2,600/2,300) –) (3,100/2,300)

"Weren't you listening a minute ago?" asked Cassius. "That guy is an Earth Monster, so this is the one Dragon who isn't afraid of him. Besides, since I used Dragon's Mirror, the total number of Dragons on my field and Graveyard is one."

"He's not going to attack your Dragon…" said Russell, taking another card. "I'm going to take it down the same way I did Raviel. In a way, while you thought using a mega-powerful Monster would help you win, using one that strong will now only lead to your doom."

He played it.

"I summon Freed the Brave Wanderer in Attack Mode."

In a flash of light, Freed's younger self appeared, holding a longsword. (1,700/1,200)

"And now…" said Russell, "by removing two Light Monsters from play…"

Queen's Knight and King's Knight fell out of his discard slot.

"He can destroy any Monster who's stronger than he is."

"Wait… No…" gasped Cassius.

"You have no Trap Cards on the field to protect your Dragon…" said Russell, as Freed started to glow with radiant light. "You thought that the biggest Monsters with the most destructive power were the best, Cassius. But you should have taken a tip my father always said…

"Play with fire, you'll get burned."

The irony of that last statement didn't seem to sink in, as the F.G.D. roared and an aura of light started to surround it. It cringed for a few seconds, and then burst into shards.

"So much for that," said Russell. "You're finished! Buster Blader, take him down!

"Take him down hard…"

Buster Blader leapt up, and slammed his sword into Cassius. The outlaw fell backwards.

**(R: 100) -------------------- (C: 0)**

Cassius slowly got up. He coughed, and coughed up blood…

The Seal started to glow… It started to contract…

"Anything to say, you monster?" asked Russell.

Cassius just stared at him.

"I'll take that as a no…" said Russell. "Cease fire…"

Cassius collapsed, as the Seal claimed him.

Sweat poured down Russell's face as he gasped for breath.

"Well guys…" he muttered, "one down…"

"And two to go…" said Valon. "I think things are going to get better from this point…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the dark throne room, its occupant brooded on its throne of obsidian.

Then she perked up.

"Hmm…" she said. "Coming…"

A ball of light flew into the chamber. The dark figure pulled it close and swallowed it.

"Well, Cassius," she said, "you did well while you could. And I must say when all was said and done, you might have still been a failure…

"But that was quite a spectacular way to fail.

"Rest comfortably…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trisha removed the F.G.D. from Cassius's Disk.

_This card…_ she thought. _Very powerful, and yet…_

She shivered.

_There's something… evil about it. As if in another place and another time, this creature truly existed…_

She closed her eyes…

Suddenly, a frightening scene appeared in her mind's eye… It was a full scale war, where powerful knights rode dragons as steeds. On the side of light were beautiful dragons with scales of gold and silver, while on the side of darkness were uglier ones, whose scales matched the colors on the F.G.D.'s five heads.

Looming in the shadows above the evil army was a fiendish form…

"Takhisis…" she whispered.

"Huh?" asked Jason. "Who's Takhisis?"

Trisha paused.

"I dunno…" she said, holding the card. "It's a name that just popped into my head…"

And then the F.G.D. card vanished into flame!

They all gulped.

**_Friday, October 30th, 2106, 6:12 PM_**

**0**

**0**

**0**

**HORDEGUARDER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image: **A dragon nesting on a pile of golden coins and other treasure.

**Card Description:** Pay 800 Life Points. On the round you activate this card, DRAGON-Type Monsters on your side of the field are not affected by Trap Cards.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**LEVEL DOWN! (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A set of level stars, with two of them being blasted by lightning.

**Card Description:** Choose one Monster in your hand with "LV" in its name. Downgrade the star level of the chosen Monster by two for the remainder of the round in which you play this card.

_Note: "Level Down!" will be used by Chazz in a future episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SOLAR BLASTER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description:** This card is descended by activating "The Claw of Hermos" and offering one "Silent Magician LV 4" or "Silent Magician LV 8" as a Tribute. This card can be Equipped to any Light Attribute Monster. When the Monster Equipped with this card battles a Dark Attribute Monster, increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 1,500 during the damage step.

**0**

**0**

**0**

_**Before anyone asks, the villain hiding in the shadows is NOT Takhisis. But that doesn't mean that Trisha's vision does not mean anything.**_

_**Coming up next…**_

_**Trisha finds Sebastian and challenges him to a rematch. But can Trisha succeed when the deck she is using is one of the hardest themes to master? She hopes so, because she's not only fighting for her own soul, but those of three cursed phantoms…**_

**_Don't miss "Armor Exe", coming soon._**

_And now, for something sweet…_

_Time to give everyone a chance to participate in this fanfic... with a poll!_

You know by now that Russell, Trisha, and Jason are on the right track to the Dark Messiah.

But let me explain a secret about the Dark Messiah. It is not one person. "Dark Messiah" is a title.

Every thousand years, during each Reckoning, one hero has been given a blessing where he has been chosen as the champion who will oppose the evil in the great comflict. This hero is the Dark Messiah.

Now, that blessing will go to one who is already blessed, one who holds one of the Legendary Dragons...

But as much as they'd like to share, Russell, Trisha, and Jason cannot. There can only be one Messiah.

Who will it be?

This poll will be up until midnight, August 23rd. Until then, vote for who you want to receive the blessing. Choose who you want to hold the power of the Dark Messiah.

But be careful...

The one who gains this power will become a mighty weapon of light... But he or she may have to pay a price if it is desired...

_This poll will be done by secret ballot. Send me a personal message with your choice, and I will keep track. This poll is also being held on another website. Votes from both will be tallied up._

Cast your vote now!


	39. Armor Exe

_**Cassius has gone down, and now I have to do the same to Sebastian.**_

_**But it's different in my case. I won't only be fighting for my soul, but those of three others who have been suffering for so long. One of them was kind enough to give me his deck… the key to his soul as a duelist… and if this duel is won in their names…**_

…_**they'll finally be free.**_

_**But there's a problem. I have studied these very strange cards, and they work using a very complicated strategy. This is truly an expert-level deck. I've only had about a week to prepare, and I've only used it in duels with virtual duelists.**_

_**I wish I had more time to practice…**_

…_**before I had to bet my life on it…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Armor Exe**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Friday, October 30th, 2106, 6:25 PM_

The dark figure sat on her throne, looking at the F.G.D. card that she had claimed.

She had to reclaim it… The card's spirit had evil on its mind, but if Trisha had held it too long, she might have learned more.

The figure frowned. With a wave of her hand, the card caught on fire.

She tossed it down as it crumbled into ash.

"If there's one thing I don't need," she said, "it's a reminder of all the big mistakes I've made. And Takhisis was one of the biggest.

"So, Cassius is out… good. I don't care for Dragons anymore anyway…

"I suppose I could warn Sebastian about Trisha's new deck…"

She considered for a minute…

"No, it's more fun this way…" she thought. "I'd actually benefit more if he loses. If he wins, Trisha might accept his offer, and I'd have to make good on his little condition. Foolish if you ask me…

"If Trisha wins, more for me…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Leaving Cassius's body behind for the authorities to find, the three students walked towards the subway. It was getting dark, but they weren't about to stop.

Suddenly Trisha held her head. She concentrated.

"Guys…" she said. "It's working for me too… I sense Sebastian."

"Where?" asked Jason.

She concentrated for a minute.

"Times Square… Buying a sandwich… Pastrami and Swiss on rye… with mustard…"

She paused.

"I think I can follow the path to him. Let's go…"

"Let's hope he isn't a very fast eater," added Russell.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As they rode the subway for what would be a short ride, Raphael, Valon, and Alister appeared across from them.

"It all comes down to this," said Valon, "after all these years…"

"I know…" muttered Raphael.

"You don't seem excited," said Valon.

Raphael paused.

"Let's just say I'm not too confident about Trisha's chances of winning," he replied.

"What do you mean?" asked Valon, somewhat offended. "Are you saying I used a poor deck? The only duel I lost was to Joey!"

Raphael held his head in his hands.

"Valon," he said, "what I'm about to say is hard to sugarcoat. The only reason you were so successful with that deck is because you used the Seal."

Now Valon was _really_ offended.

"Are you suggesting for one second," he angrily said, "that I _needed_ that accursed Field Card to win? That I couldn't win without it?"

"In most cases, yes!" answered Raphael.

He paused.

"The problem with your Monsters, Valon," he explained, "if that while you can summon a lot of them at once, they don't last very long. Most of them are destroyed once they attack or use their effect.

"But when you used the Seal, that really wasn't a problem, was it? Why? Because you could have had up to _ten_ of them on the field at once!

"Trisha won't have that advantage, unfortunately. And there's no legal card that she could have gotten that would have let her exceed the five-Monster limit. So she's limited to a maximum of five Monsters. Without the benefit the Seal gives them, those cards will be _very_ hard to use with any amount of success by any duelist."

There was a long pause.

"He has a point…" said Alister. "So what do we do?"

"If you want my advice," said Raphael, "we pray… Pray that Trisha's skill as a duelist is enough to overcome that handicap.

"Because if she can't win, we may be cursed to walk the earth until the end of time…"

Valon paused.

"Do you believe in the Heart of the Cards?" he asked.

"I plead the fifth," answered Raphael.

"Well," said Valon, "Whether Trisha has it or not, she has something else…

"She has a Heart of the Forge."

They looked at him.

"What exactly does that mean?" asked Alister.

"I'll tell you later," he replied. "If she wins."

And then he was quiet.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The lights of Times Square were just beginning to illuminate the evening, and Sebastian was standing in front of the huge billboard – which even in this age advertised Coca-Cola, a beverage which had never lost popularity – as the three students approached him from behind.

"So," he asked, without turning around, "what took you guys so long? I expected you about ten minutes ago."

"The subway stalled," replied Trisha.

He looked over his shoulder at her.

"I must say, I underestimated you three," he said, offhand. "Why wait for us to put our next plan into motion when you can make your own? Turned the hunters into the hunted, or so you thought…"

He turned to face them.

"You have some nerve… Our actual plan was going to be epic."

"Well, sorry to disappoint you," said Trisha. "You can either duel me here, or we'll follow you anywhere you go. This is going to stop, Sebastian… It's going to stop tonight."

"I'll gladly duel you, Trisha," said Sebastian, taking his deck. "And don't think it will be the same as it was last time…"

Trisha grinned wickedly.

"Oh… I can guarantee that!" she answered.

Alister looked at Trisha hard.

"Good luck…" he said.

Trisha turned, and she saw the three of them plainly.

"This is dedicated to the three of you…" she muttered, as she placed her deck in the holder. "Valon… Alister… Raphael… This duel is in your name…

"I will win…"

"If you're through talking to yourself," said Sebastian, "let's start this!"

"Game start…" shouted Trisha, activating her Disk.

"Game over, soon," replied Sebastian, activating his.

**(Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (Sebastian: 8,000)**

"I insist, love," said Sebastian, "you make the first move…"

"Thank you…" said Trisha, drawing a sixth card. "Just STOP calling me 'love'!"

She looked over her cards.

"All right…" she said. "I set one Monster in Defense Mode…"

She placed a card on her Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

"And that ends my turn."

"Very well…" said Sebastian, making his first draw.

His Field Slot opened.

"No…" gasped Jason. "Not already…"

"I play The Seal of Orichalcos!" shouted Sebastian.

The arena was lit up, as the unholy circle formed around them.

_Well, that's a surprise…_ thought Trisha. _Let's just hope he doesn't play that same trick with the Mustering, or I've had it…_

Sebastian grinned wickedly, as the Seal appeared on his forehead.

"Don't worry, love," he said, "I still intend to make my offer once this over…"

"I'll save you time," answered Trisha. "My answer is already no."

"We'll soon see," said Sebastian, taking a Spell Card. "I play Foolish Burial."

He played a Spell Card.

"This card lets me take any Monster I want from my deck, and discard it into my Graveyard," he said, taking his deck.

He found what he needed, and discarded it.

He put the deck back.

"And next," he said, "I'll play Monster Reborn, to summon the guy I just put in there."

He played the card, and the holy ankh appeared.

Gorg the Strong appeared, hefting his mace.

His eyes glowed as the Seal branded to him. (1,800/1,500) –) (2,300/1,500)

"Interesting strategy…" muttered Russell, nervously.

"Gorg, take out her facedown Monster!" ordered Sebastian. "Whammer hammer!"

Gorg flew forward…

A Giant Rat appeared on the card. Gorg smashed it to bits.

"HUH?" said Jason. "She never had _that_ in her deck before…"

"I have it now," said Trisha. "And you're in trouble Sebastian, because since you killed my Rat, his effect activates."

"Please," muttered Sebastian. "No Earth Monster in your deck with 1,500 Attack Points or less could threaten Gorg…"

"Well…" said Trisha. "The Monster I'm searching for is very weak as far as Attack Points go… In fact, it could _not_ be weaker!"

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon… Psychic Armor Head!"

A glow surrounded her head, and a blue, space-age helmet with a visor covering the eyes appeared over her head. (0/500)

"What in the world…" asked Sebastian.

"Uh, Trisha…" said Jason. "You want to fill us in?"

"It was a gift from a friend," she said. "Sorry I didn't tell either of you, but I couldn't risk this guy finding out about it.

"So Sebastian, anything else before I make my move?"

Sebastian looked hard at the strange helmet she was wearing…

"Actually, I'll place one card facedown," he answered.

He placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I'll end my turn there…"

"Very well," said Trisha, drawing a card. "Now allow me to explain. Psychic Armor Head is something that is known as an Armor Monster, a type of Monster that is actually Equipped to the duelist… And this particular one is the motherboard that controls all other Armor Monsters.

"For example, without it, I couldn't play this Spell Card… Armor Gravitation."

She played the Spell Card, which showed the image of a full suit of armor in an orange sunburst. Then she took her deck.

"Now I can Special Summon four other Armor Monster from my deck, so long as they're all four stars or lower."

She chose four cards, and put the deck back. Then she threw the cards on her Disk.

Trisha's body started to glow with a blue aura…

"So, I summon Trap Buster Armor!"

A blue, armored gauntlet appeared on her left arm. (0/0)

"Next, Big Bang Blow!"

A similar gauntlet, made of white metal, appeared on her right arm. (0/0)

"Next, Over Boost!"

Her legs glowed, and blue and silver armor covered them. (0/500)

"And finally, Active Guard."

She glowed more brightly, and a breastplate covered her chest and mid-section, seemingly shaped to fit a female body. (0/0)

"And my Active Guard gains 500 Defense Points for every piece of Armor I have. Not too shabby…"

(0/2,500)

"Not too bad…" commented Valon.

"Wow…" said Russell.

"Heh, heh, heh," said Sebastian. "That's very pretty… You look like Samus Aran in blue. But your new threads have a grand total of zero Attack Points."

He was thinking inside, however.

_Didn't the boss mention something like this once?_ he thought.

Trisha looked at Gorg, and a female AI voice spoke in her ear.

"**Analyzing…"** it said. **"Dark Scorpion – Gorg the Strong. Effect Monster. Type: Warrior. Attribute: Dark. Star Level: Five. Threat Level: Minimal. Termination is imminent."**

"With this deck, Attack Points don't always matter," said Trisha, lifting her right arm. "Take the effect of my Big Bang Blow. With just one attack, I can wipe out all Monsters on the field, and inflict damage to both duelists equal to the combined Attack Scores of the destroyed Monsters.

"So…"

Her right fist glowed…

And she flew at Gorg in a blur, fist first!

"You like armor?" asked Sebastian. "I got armor! I activate Sakuretsu Armor!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"**Hazardous device detected,"** said the AI. **"Activating defensive feature…"**

Then the Trap Card shattered!

Trisha's fist hit Gorg, and a fierce explosion threw Sebastian against the wall of the Seal.

Trisha was pushed back too, and her armor shattered into pieces.

**(T: 8,000) -------------------- (S: 5,700)**

"My Trap…" muttered Sebastian.

"…didn't work," answered Trisha, "didn't you hear that my left gauntlet was called Trap Buster Armor? It can negate and destroy any Trap that would harm an Armor Monster."

"Wait…" said Sebastian. "You said we'd both take damage, you liar!"

"And I would have, if not for my Active Guard," answered Trisha. "It absorbs all effect damage I would take, so it protected me from Big Bang Blow's effect right before it was destroyed.

"I'll end my turn by placing one card facedown."

A facedown card appeared.

"Ha! She's doing great!" laughed Valon. "Just the combo I would have done!"

"Quiet," said Raphael. "What are you trying to do, jinx it?"

Sebastian grumbled and drew a card.

"I summon Cliff the Trap Remover in Attack Mode," he said.

The bespectacled thief appeared, brandishing his dagger. (1,200/1,000) –) (1,700/1,000)

"And since your armor was destroyed," he continued, "he can go straight for you! Scorpion slash!"

Cliff pounced with his dagger.

"I activate my Trap…" said Trisha, as her facedown card lifted. "Magnet Armor!"

The Trap showed the image of metal shrapnel in an explosion.

"This lets me Special Summon one Armor Monster from my Graveyard for one round," she said, "so I'll summon Active Guard in Defense Mode!"

The metal breastplate appeared on her chest. (0/500)

Cliff looked confused. Then he stabbed with his dagger, and the armor shattered.

"All right, you won that round…" said Sebastian. "I end my turn…"

Trisha drew a card.

"First, I'll activate the effect of Psychic Armor Head," she said. "During any of my Standby Phases that it's in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon it back to the field…"

The helmet materialized on her head again. (0/500)

"Next, I'll play the Spell Card called Full Armor Gravitation," she said.

She played the card, and it appeared much the same as Armor Gravitation, only with a red sunburst.

"Now I get to look at the top ten cards in my deck," she explained, "and summon all the Armor Monsters from them that I can. I discard the rest."

"Ten cards?" gasped Russell. "That's a quarter of her deck!"

"Trisha, be careful!" shouted Jason. "If you're decked out, you lose!"

Trisha took the top ten cards.

She started to glow again.

"So…" she said. "Here comes another Over Boost…"

The leg armor appeared again. (0/500)

"…another Active Guard…"

The breastplate appeared again. (0/0) –) (0/2,500)

"…Jet Gauntlet…"

A white metal gauntlet with a flared wrist appeared on her left arm. (0/1,500)

"…and finally, Buster Knuckle."

A another gauntlet appeared on her right arm. It was knobbed, with no fingers or palm at all. (0/1,000)

"And Buster Knuckle gains 200 Attack Points for each piece of Armor I have," she continued.

(1,000/1,000)

She discarded the other six cards.

"It still isn't enough to take out Cliff," said Sebastian.

"Moving right along, I'll play this," said Trisha.

A card flew out of her left hand and stuck to the Buster Knuckle like a magnet. She motioned, and it slipped into her Disk.

"It's an Equip called Data Brain," she said, "which gives my Psychic Armor Head an extra feature."

She played the card, and what appeared to be a futuristic headphone set appeared on the helmet.

"And, I'll end my turn with two cards facedown."

She played two cards, and two facedown cards appeared.

"My draw…" said Sebastian.

He drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed…"

He played the card, and the jar appeared in front of him.

The AI spoke in Trisha's ear.

"**Analyzing Spell Card," **it said. **"Pot of Greed. Type: Normal Spell. Rarity: Very common. Effect: Draw two cards from your deck.**

"**Analysis complete."**

Sebastian drew two cards. He grinned.

"Time to peel that suit off of you and get at the soft part underneath!" he laughed. "I play the Spell Card, Acid Rain!"

He played the card, and filthy clouds started to form overhead…

"This card destroys all Machines on the field, as you're no doubt aware…"

"Oh no you don't…" said Trisha.

One of her facedown cards lifted. It was a Quickplay showing the image of Marauding Captain taking a blow from a fiendish creature.

"I activate My Body as a Shield," she stated. "For the price of 1,500 Life Points, this card negates and destroys any card that destroys Monsters. So my armor is safe."

The clouds faded away.

**(T: 6,500) -------------------- (S: 5,700)**

"By the way Sebastian," added Trisha, "even without this armor, I'm not soft."

"So you avoided that Spell," he replied. "Well, if your Data Brain makes your helmet more powerful, I'd best get rid of it. Cliff, attack the Psychic Armor Head!"

Cliff the Trap Remover flew forward…

"I don't think so…" said Trisha.

She blocked with her left arm… Her Jet Gauntlet glowed…

And then Cliff screamed! The Jet Gauntlet and the Dark Scorpion shattered into bits!

Buster Knuckle fell to 800 Attack.

"What happened?" shouted Sebastian.

"When a Monster attacks Jet Gauntlet," said Trisha, "I can sacrifice it to destroy the Monster."

"I told him to attack the Psychic Armor Head, not _that_!" shouted Sebastian.

"All Armor Monsters have one thing in common," said Trisha. "If you attack one, I can redirect the attack to another one. I'm controlling five Patricians of Darkness here, Sebastian, and your Dark Scorpions are truly _in_ the dark, because they'll basically be striking blind!"

Sebastian frowned.

"Now you tell me…" he growled. "I end my turn."

The Buster Knuckle gauntlet retracted, and Trisha's hand became free.

"Okay…" he said, taking her deck. "I'm using another useful ability of Psychic Armor Head. By forfeiting my normal draw, I can instead search my deck for any Armor Monster…"

"Just like Freed can do with Warriors!" laughed Russell. "I love this new deck!"

Trisha got what she wanted and added it to her hand.

"Next, I'll activate Data Brain's effect," she said. "While you used Pot of Greed, it analyzed the card. So now, I can destroy the Data Brain to duplicate that card."

The Data Brain shattered, and a beam of light shot from the helmet's visor. What seemed to be a virtual, video game image of the Pot of Greed appeared in front of Trisha.

She drew two cards, and it fizzled out of view.

"Now, I'll summon a replacement for Jet Gauntlet," she continued. "Advanced Shield."

A gauntlet with a hexagonal shield in place of a fist appeared on her left arm. (1,000/0)

Also, Buster Knuckle went back up to 1,000 Attack. It covered Trisha's hand again.

"Next, I'll activate my facedown card," she continued, "the Trap Card, Rare Metalmorph!"

The Trap lifted, and her Buster Knuckle became silver and shiny.

"This increases the Attack Score of one Machine by 500 Points."

(1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000)

"And since you're defenseless," said Trisha. "I can make a direct attack against you. Consider yourself fortunate that only one Armor Monster may attack per round."

She lifted her right arm.

"Buster Knuckle jaw-buster!"

She rushed forward in a blur, and slammed her fist into Sebastian's face! He toppled over.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time…" said Trisha with a grin.

**(T: 6,500) -------------------- (S: 4,200)**

"You're one tough lady…" muttered Sebastian. "Well, I like my women like that…"

He drew a card.

"I summon Chick the Yellow in Attack Mode."

Chick appeared, holding up his mallet. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000)

"However," he continued, "since I learned from my mistakes, I'm not going to attack at all this round. I'm simply going to end my turn."

"Then I'll draw…" said Trisha, drawing a card.

"Then I'll play my own Pot of Greed."

She played the card. The jar appeared on her side of the field again, and she made two draws.

"First, I'll switch my armor's offensive properties to defensive."

"Uh, I think that means she's switching them all to Defense Mode…" said Jason.

"Now, I'll sacrifice my Psychic Armor Head…" she continued.

The helmet vanished.

"To summon Double Cloth Armor, in Attack Mode."

She started to glow with red energy, and then a full suit of futuristic metal armor colored crimson formed over the blue armor. (0/0)

"Of course," she said, in a voice that sounded amplified, "this Armor Monster can't attack on the round I summon it, so I'll end my turn."

"That was genius…" muttered Valon. "She knows that she can easily summon the Psychic Armor Head from the Graveyard, so it's the perfect one to use as a sacrifice."

Sebastian drew a card.

_Can't attack on the round it's summoned?_ he thought. _Why would she attack at all? It has the same Attack Score as most of the others – zero. But it's a Tribute Monster…_

_It must do something terrible when it attacks! I have to attack it first!_

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Meanae the Thorn in Attack Mode," he said.

The lovely, leggy, female member of the Dark Scorpions appeared, brandishing her whip. (1,000/1,800) –) (1,500/1,800)

"Meanae, attack the Double Cloth Armor!" shouted Sebastian. "Thorn whip!"

Meanae leapt up and slashed downward with her whip…

Then she screamed and was thrown backwards. She shattered into pieces.

Then the Double Cloth Armor shattered, leaving the blue armor underneath.

"Heh, heh…" said Trisha. "When Double Cloth Armor battles another Monster, both of them bite the big one, and not only don't I take any damage, but you lose Life Points equal to half that of your Monster that was destroyed!"

**(T: 6,500) -------------------- (S: 2,550)**

Sebastian was now very angry.

"Chick, attack the Advanced Shield with mallet mash!"

Chick leapt up with his weapon…

Trisha blocked with her Buster Knuckle, and the mallet hit it instead. The Gauntlet shattered.

"Your move…" growled Sebastian.

"I draw one card," said Trisha, drawing.

She added the card to her hand.

"Then I'll Special Summon Psychic Armor Head…"

The helmet reappeared. (0/500)

"And I'll summon a replacement for Buster Knuckle… Burning Knuckle!"

A new gauntlet appeared on her right arm. This one was made of black metal with a white fist. (0/1,000)

"Not only does it gain 200 Attack Points for every Armor Monster I have," she said, "but any Monster it battles loses Attack Points equal to its Attack Points."

(0/1,000) –) (1,000/1,000)

"I'll make sure not to attack it…" said Sebastian.

"You misunderstand my intentions," said Trisha. "Burning Knuckle punch!"

The gauntlet was shrouded with flames. She rushed towards Chick the Yellow, and socked him in the stomach with the Burning Knuckle!

The gauntlet was smashed to pieces, and Chick clutched his stomach in pain. His Attack fell down to 500.

"Clever…" said Sebastian. "But Chick's effect still applies. I'll use the one that lets me see the top card on your deck and decide whether to put it on the top or the bottom…"

A card appeared in front of him.

_Extinction Fist?_ he thought. _Better look at this one close…_

He read the text.

He grinned.

"Eh, I'll keep that on top," he said.

"Well then, it's your move," said Trisha.

**(T: 6,000) -------------------- (S: 2,550)**

_Heh, heh,_ thought Sebastian, drawing. _If she draws that card, she'll discover that with my deck, it's absolutely useless!_

"I'll move Chick into Defense Mode," he said.

Chick crouched and shielded himself.

"And then I'll summon Don Zaloog in Attack Mode."

The King of Thieves appeared, brandishing his rapiers. (1,400/1,500) –) (1,900/1,500)

"Attack the… Psychic Armor Head!" he ordered.

Don slashed with his blade. Trisha shielded herself with the Advanced Shield, and it was smashed to pieces.

"It's your move now…" said Sebastian.

Trisha drew a card.

_Extinction Fist?_ she thought. _Nuts, I really should have replaced this card… I doubt he has any Fusion or Ritual Monsters…_

_But I might as well put it on the field…_

"First I place one card facedown," she said.

She played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"Next, I'll play both Monster Reborn and Premature Burial, to bring back two Armor Monsters that I discarded when I played Full Armor Gravitation…"

She played the two Spell Cards.

"Buster Pile… And Black Hole Shield."

Two more gauntlets appeared on her arms. The right arm seemed to be armed with a lethal rocket launcher. (0/0) The other was a streamlined gauntlet colored white. (0/0)

"Buster Pile is one of the most powerful Armor Monsters," she said. "With one attack, it can obliterate one of your Monsters, and blast away 500 of your Life Points in the process!

"Buster blow!"

She flew towards Don Zaloog, and with one mighty punch, blew him to bits!

**(T: 5,200) -------------------- (S: 2,050)**

"Make your move," she demanded.

Sebastian frowned, and drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity…" he said.

He played the card, and drew three cards.

And then he snickered.

He discarded Mustering of the Dark Scorpions, and Retreat of the Dark Scorpions.

"I place three cards facedown on the field," he said.

Three facedown cards appeared.

"Then I'll play Premature Burial, to bring back Don again."

Don Zaloog reappeared.

"And now, I'll sacrifice Don Zaloog and Chick the Yellow, to summon my most powerful creature… He's no Scorpion, but he's certainly Dark…"

The two Dark Scorpions vanished.

"I summon… Invader of Darkness!"

A large, dark form appeared on the field. It was a tall, ominous figure clothed in a dark cloak. His face and arms seemed golden and metallic. His eyes sparkled with pinpoints of light, and then glowed evilly as the Seal bonded to him. (2,900/2,500) –) (3,400/2,500)

The AI sounded in Trisha's helmet.

"**Analyzing… Invader of Darkness. Effect Monster. Type: Fiend. Attribute: Dark. Star Level: Eight. Threat Level: Severe. Proceed with caution."**

"And by the way," said Sebastian. "When this guy is on the field, he can negate your Quickplay Spell Cards. That means no Mystical Space Typhoon, no Rush Recklessly, no Emergency Provisions… You get the idea.

"Invader of Darkness, attack the Buster Pile! Dark blast!"

Invader of Darkness shot a beam of pure blackness at Trisha.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Trisha. "I activate the effect of Black Hole Shield!"

She lifted her left arm, and the gauntlet shattered. A vortex of black energy appeared in front of her, and Invader of Darkness's attack was absorbed by it.

"By sacrificing it, I can create a shield of raw anti-matter, which reduces the battle damage from your attack to zero."

The anti-matter dissipated.

"Then it's your move…" said Sebastian.

**(T: 5,200) -------------------- (S: 1,250)**

_Attack me, Trisha,_ he thought. _It will be your last mistake…_

Trisha drew.

"I'll use the effect of Buster Pile to destroy Invader of Darkness!" she exclaimed.

She raised her fist, and rushed towards the Fiend.

"You took the bait, hook, line, and sinker!" shouted Sebastian.

One of his facedown cards lifted, and he discarded a card.

"I activate… Divine Wrath!"

Thunder rolled, and lightning struck the gauntlet, blasting it to pieces. Trisha screamed and held her hand in pain.

"It negates the effect of your Buster Pile and destroys it," said Sebastian, with a smirk.

"I… I… end my turn…" said Trisha, nervously.

Sebastian drew a card.

"Then I'm gonna take you apart!" he said. "I summon Familiar Knight in Attack Mode!"

The dark knight appeared, holding his blade. (1,200/1,400) –) (1,700/1,400)

"Familiar Knight, attack that blasted Psychic Armor Head!" shouted Sebastian.

The Knight charged.

"Oh no you don't…" said Trisha. "I'll redirect the attack towards Active Guard!"

Familiar Knight struck her breastplate, and it shattered.

"Invader of Darkness, you destroy it!" ordered Sebastian.

The Fiend shot his beam of blackness, and this time Trisha made no objection. The helmet was blasted to pieces.

She staggered back from the impact…

"Your move…" said Sebastian.

Trisha panted for breath as she drew a card.

"First, I Special Summon Psychic Armor Head once more…" she said.

The helmet appeared on her head again. (0/500)

"I'm getting really sick of that thing…" muttered Sebastian.

"Don't give up, Trisha!" shouted Jason.

"Yes!" yelled Valon. "Don't give up!"

"Now I play… Monster Recovery," she said, playing a card.

Her Over Boost vanished.

"I shuffle one Monster and the card in my hand back into my deck, reshuffle, and draw another card," she said.

She shuffled what was left of her deck, and drew one card.

"And I couldn't have asked for better!" she shouted. "I play… Phoenix Gravitation!"

She played the card, showing the image of a flaming phoenix in flames.

"Now I can Special Summon four Armor Monsters from my Graveyard!

"So, I'll summon the set that started the whole thing! Active Guard, Over Boost, Big Bang Blow, and Trap Buster Armor!"

In a blue flame, the suit of armor formed over her…

"This is it!" shouted Russell. "If the effect of Big Bang Blow works, Sebastian will lose 5,100 Life Points, and Trisha will win!"

"She has her Trap Buster Armor…" said Jason. "She's won!"

The Big Bang Blow glowed, and Trisha flew at the two Monsters…

A fierce explosion consumed the whole cursed arena…

When the blast subsided, only ashes remained of Invader of Darkness and Familiar Knight. Trisha's armor shattered into shards…

**(T: 5,200) -------------------- (S: 1,250)**

"What?" said Trisha. "But you…"

A small figure was in front of him.

"White Magician Pikeru?" asked Trisha.

It was, and she was holding her staff, which was glowing with soft light.

Sebastian grinned, and pointed to a Trap Card that he had activated, showing the image of Pikeru casting an eldritch spell.

"It's called Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment," said Sebastian. "This Trap doesn't affect your Monsters at all, so your Trap Buster couldn't counter it. When this is activated, effect damage that I would have taken for the rest of the round is reduced to zero."

Pikeru smiled, and vanished.

Trisha stared in disbelief for a minute…

She looked at herself. She had no cards in her hand, and none on the field except Extinction Fist…

"I have no choice…" she muttered. "I have to end my turn…"

"Then I'll move…" said Sebastian.

He drew a card.

His third Trap lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted," he said, "and bring back Invader of Darkness."

The dark Fiend reappeared. (2,900/2,500) –) (3,400/2,500)

"Try protecting yourself now," he said with an evil grin. "Invader of Darkness, attack her directly!"

Invader of Darkness shot forward an even stronger beam of dark energy, hitting her in the chest! Trisha screamed and was thrown against the wall of the Seal.

She slumped down to the ground.

**(T: 1,800) -------------------- (S: 1,250)**

"It's almost over…" said Sebastian. "You may be able to summon your Psychic Armor Head again, but I could easily destroy it. If I draw another Monster on my next turn, you'll be finished with one more attack. Your only hope is a miracle draw."

Trisha got up, and stared at him.

She slowly drew a card.

"Will this do?" she asked, showing it to him.

Sebastian gulped.

She played the card.

"I play The Fang of Critias!"

Lightning flashed again. From out of the night sky, Critias flew down, and flew through the Seal!

Trisha's facedown card lifted.

"Critias, merge with Extinction Fist to form Devolution Drake!" she shouted.

The Dragon and the Trap Card combined into two pools of light, and then formed into a beautiful Dragon with sky-blue scales and a sail down its back. (2,000/2,000)

"That's not strong enough!" laughed Sebastian.

"Oh?" asked Trisha. "Well, just by summoning him, I can destroy all Monsters that were originally summoned via sacrifice, and then Special Summon to your side the Monsters you used as sacrifice to summon them!"

Invader of Darkness shattered, and then Don Zaloog (1,400/1,500) –) (1,900/1,500) and Chick the Yellow (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000) appeared in its place.

"Devolution Drake, attack Don Zaloog!" ordered Trisha.

All the spectators cheered as the Dragon shot a beam of pure energy, vaporizing Don.

**(T: 1,800) -------------------- (S: 1,250)**

"I'll end my turn there…" said Trisha.

Sebastian gulped as he drew a card.

"I move Chick into Defense Mode…" he said.

Chick knelt in Defense.

"This isn't over yet, Trisha!" he cursed. "The Monsters in your deck are all too weak to finish me off with a direct attack!"

Trisha drew a card.

"Weak, huh?" she said. "I'll show you weak…"

She played a Spell Card.

"I play… Autonomous Action Unit!"

An Equip Card with the image of several hi-tech soldiers with guns appeared in front of her.

"I may have to pay 1,500 Life Points again to play this card," she said, "but now I can Special Summon one Monster from _your_ Graveyard."

Invader of Darkness appeared on her side of the field. (2,900/2,500)

"So how's _that_ for weak?" she asked. "Devolution Drake, destroy Chick the Yellow!"

The Dragon breathed its energy breath, and Chick fell for the last time.

"Invader of Darkness, attack him directly!"

Sebastian screamed, as the Fiend's beam of dark energy struck him.

He fell to ground, a crumpled mess…

**(T: 300) -------------------- (S: 0)**

"Done in… by my best card…" he muttered. "How…"

As the Seal started to glow, he cast an angry glare at Trisha.

"Game over…" said Trisha. "Maybe now you'll learn when a girl says no, she means no."

"You'll regret this!" he shouted. "You defeated me, but the Orichalcos will consume you! You will perish at the hands of…"

"Say hi to Cassius when you see him, will you?" said Trisha.

And then the Seal closed around him, and he collapsed.

Trisha caught her breath… She looked at Sebastian's comatose body…

Then she was startled, as five forms appeared. First Chick the Yellow appeared over him, then Meanae the Thorn. Cliff the Trap Remover and Gorg the Strong came next. Finally, Don Zaloog appeared.

He nudged Sebastian with his foot, and then shook his head.

The five Dark Scorpions looked at Trisha. They smiled. Don walked up to her and the other Scorpions followed…

"_Trisha,"_ said the bandit, _"we can't thank you enough for freeing us from that jerk. Serving the Orichalcos was the worst experience we ever… experienced._

"_We know you might be frightened by the curse that has claimed everyone who has taken this deck. But since you aren't a killer, we can finally be free of it. Feel free to do with the cards as you wish. They won't hurt you._

"_Thanks again… We won't meet again, I'm afraid…"_

The five Scorpions smirked…

And then they vanished.

She stared for a minute.

Jason and Russell came up to her as she rebuilt her deck.

"Uh… I like your new look…" said Jason.

Trisha reassembled the deck.

"I'm pretty sure this was a one-time thing," answered Trisha. "Nanobreaker and Perfect Machine King are still my favorite Monsters. But I wanted to do it to help out some guys who were having some problems."

She turned to Valon, Alister, and Raphael, and smiled. They smiled back.

Then she walked up to Sebastian. She started to gather his cards.

_Well,_ she thought, as she looked through them, _five Duel Spirits are free… The question is, are three human spirits free as well?_

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"I knew she could do it!" exclaimed Valon. "I knew she was the best Machine duelist ever!"

"Now can you tell us what you meant by Heart of the Forge?" asked Alister.

"Best Machine Duelist ever," repeated Valon. "She was born to use them. Will of iron, nerves of steel… She can use any Machine Monster like an expert. It's in her blood."

"So, did she do it?" asked Alister. "Are we free?"

"I don't know…" said Raphael. "I don't… feel any different…"

"Aw…" said Valon. "Maybe that Beowulf guy just… lied to us…"

And then, everything seemed to brighten…

A light appeared in front of them. A sense of joy and love came from it.

"_Come,"_ said a gentle voice.

"To… to where?" asked Alister.

"_To where you should have gone a long a long time ago,"_ said the voice. _"Many are waiting for all three of you… Do not keep them waiting any longer."_

Tears appeared in their eyes…

They walked towards the light…

_Friday, October 30th, 2106, 7:37 PM_

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**PSYCHIC ARMOR HEAD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **500

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. You can only have one "Psychic Armor Head" on your side of the field at one time. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. If this card is in your Graveyard during your Standby Phase, you can Special Summon it. During your Draw Phase, you can forfeit your normal draw to search your deck for one Armor Monster.

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**DOUBLE CLOTH ARMOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. This card cannot attack on the turn it is summoned. If this card battles an opposing Monster, destroy the opposing Monster and deal damage to your opponent equal to half the destroyed Monster's ATK. Then, destroy this card.

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**TRAP BUSTER ARMOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. Negate the effects of Trap Cards that would target an Armor Monster or that would destroy a Monster as part of its effect.

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**BIG BANG BLOW (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. During your Battle Phase, you can offer this card as a Tribute to destroy all Monsters on both sides of the field, and deal damage to both players equal to the combined ATK of the destroyed Monsters.

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**OVER BOOST (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **500

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field.

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**0**

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**ACTIVE GUARD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. Increase this card's DEF by 500 for each Armor Monster on your side of the field. Negate all damage done to your Life Points by Monster effects and Spell Cards.

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**BURNING KNUCKLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. This card gains 200 ATK for every Armor Monster on your side of the field. If this card is destroyed by an opposing Monster, the opposing Monster loses Attack Points equal to the ATK this Monster had when it was destroyed.

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**JET GAUNTLET (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **1,500

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. If this card is attacked by an opposing Monster, you can offer this card as a Tribute to destroy the attacking Monster.

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**BUSTER KNUCKLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. This card gains 200 ATK for every Armor Monster on your side of the field.

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**ADVANCED SHIELD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field.

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**BUSTER PILE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. When this card attacks an opposing Monster, destroy the opposing Monster (skip the damage step) and inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points.

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**BLACK HOLE SHIELD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. You may offer this card as a Tribute to reduce the Battle Damage done by all opposing Monsters to zero for the remainder of the turn.

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**MAGNET ARMOR (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Metal shrapnel in an explosion.

**Card Description:** Special Summon one Armor Monster from your Graveyard. At the end of the turn, destroy the Special Summoned Monster.

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**EXTICTION FIST (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A fist shattering rock.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your opponent attacks with a Fusion Monster or Ritual Monster. Destroy the attacking Monster, and Special Summon the Monsters from his Graveyard that he fused or used as a Tribute to summon it to your opponent's side of the field. Then, end your opponent's Battle Phase.

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**ARMOR GRAVITATION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A full suit of armor in an orange sunburst.

**Card Description:** You can only use this card if "Psychic Armor Head" is on your side of the field. Special Summon up to four Armor Monsters of four stars or less from your deck. Then, reshuffle your deck.

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**FULL ARMOR GRAVITATION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A full suit of armor in a glowing red sunburst.

**Card Description:** You can only use this card if "Psychic Armor Head" is on your side of the field. Look at the top ten cards in your deck. Special Summon as many Armor Monsters among them as you can. Discard the remaining cards to the Graveyard.

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**DATA BRAIN (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A space-age helmet.

**Card Description:** This card can only be Equipped to "Psychic Armor Head". If your opponent activates a Spell Card while this card is Equipped, you can, during your next Main Phase, destroy this card to copy the effect of that Spell Card. If this card is sent to the Graveyard by a Spell Card used by your opponent, copy the effect of that card during your next first Main Phase. The effects of all cards copied end during your End Phase.

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**PHOENIX GRAVITATION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A phoenix amid flames.

**Card Description:** You can only use this card if "Psychic Armor Head" is on your side of the field. Special Summon four Armor Monsters of four stars or less from your Graveyard.

_Note: The proceeding eighteen cards were used by Valon in several episodes of the "Waking the Dragons" arc. Creative credit goes to the writers of the episode._

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**FOOLISH BURIAL (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A hand holding a shovel coming out of a grave.

**Card Description:** Take one Monster Card from your deck and discard it to your Graveyard. Then, reshuffle your deck.

_Note: "Foolish Burial" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

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**DEVOLUTION DRAKE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **2,500

**Card Description:** This Monster is descended by activating "The Fang of Critias" and offering one "Extinction Fist" as a Tribute. When this Monster is summoned, destroy all face-up Monsters on the field that were originally summoned via Tribute, (except this one). Then, Special Summon the Monster(s) that were used as Tribute to summon the destroyed Monster(s) to the original owners' sides of the field.

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_**I think I may have made a fanfiction first – namely, I had a character use an Armor Deck WITHOUT giving her a made-up card that let her use more than five Monsters at once.**_

_**Coming up next:**_

_**Only one member of the Swordsmen remains, and Cleo is not going down without a fight. Not only is Jason in for quite a fight, but one the likes of which he's never seen before. **_

_**Don't miss "Nightmare's Steelcage" coming soon.**_

_**Oh, and you might think you know what's coming up… But it will have a surprise twist that I doubt you can anticipate.**_


	40. Nightmare's Steelcage

_**One thing about this whole thing that I have to admit is, it never gets boring.**_

_**I came here expecting Cleo to attack bearing her claws, and she is, pretty much…**_

_**But something else has happened that I didn't expect.**_

_**It seems that the Orichalcos is not only an evil force, it is a chaotic force. That means, the only thing I can rely on when facing its minions is, I can't rely on them. **_

_**And perhaps sometimes, I can't even rely on THAT.**_

_**An old saying says that the only absolute in life is the fact that there are no absolutes. **_

_**Well, maybe not…**_

_**I'm quite absolutely sure that the situation I'm in is not going to end up pretty.**_

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE**

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**Nightmare's Steelcage**

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_Friday, October 30th, 2106, 8:05 PM_

In one of the common rooms on the Slifer Dorm, Randy and Nadia were engaging in a tabletop duel, and Randy was in a bad situation.

He had Wildedge on his side of the field, and Miracle Fusion and Bubble Blaster in his hand, but Nadia had two Pikerus, two Currans, and Fire Princess, as well as Gravity Bind.

He could win if his next draw was Avian – he'd be able to summon Wild Wingman and destroy the Gravity Bind. But that was about it.

He made his draw.

He frowned.

"I fold, sis, you'd win next turn anyway," he said.

She grinned.

"So, what's the whole story behind those two?" he asked, out of curiosity. "What is it with Pikeru and Curran?"

"It's a long story, Randy," she said. "But we have time…"

She took all the cards off the table except Fire Princess, and then took a card from a box next to her. She set it aside Fire Princess. It was Darkfire Soldier #1.

"Long ago, Fire Princess ruled a kingdom in the world of Duel Monsters," she said. "She was a feared sorceress who practiced the magic of Fire, and using it, she could drain the power from her enemies while strengthening that of her allies at the same time.

"Darkfire Soldier was her beloved royal consort, a powerful warrior of Fire. His skills in magic were small, but he would protect her at all costs.

"One day, Fire Princess came to her husband with joyous news – their love had been fruitful, and a child would soon come to them. Darkfire Soldier was nervous… The thought of a son or daughter scared him, because he knew of the dangerous Trial that his wife had undergone to gain her crown. He resolved that he would find a way to help his offspring… But how?

"Doing research, he found a reference to a temple located in a strange place where, supposedly, a great power of the element of Fire existed. He went alone to find the place… And nothing was seen of him for a month…

"When he returned, he was in terrible shape. Scars covered him, and even worse, his flesh seemed to be running like molten wax! Fire Princess was horrified. Her husband told her he didn't have much time left, and told her to listen carefully… He placed three scepters before her.

"His research had lied. No powers of Fire existed in that terrible temple; it was a den of Chaos, a raw combination of Light and Darkness. He had foolishly entered its inner sanctum, and it had horribly cursed him. But he managed to escape with his life, and with the three scepters.

"One bore the power of Light. The other bore the power of Darkness. The other was a magical artifact of Chaos, which could be used by forces of Light and Darkness combined.

"He told his wife that when the child was born, to teach him or her one of the three forces, and when it came time for the Trial, the corresponding scepter would help. Then he gasped, and ran off.

"She told her servants to follow, but they came back to report it was too late. The curse had eventually run its course, transforming him into a mindless abomination that lashed out at everything in its path. People who encountered him and lived started to call him – or it, as they might as well now – the Lava Golem, a cursed engine of destruction.

"Long after giving birth, Fire Princess sought out the thing that her husband had become to try to end his misery. But it was no use – its draining power was now even greater than hers. All she could do for him now was mourn.

"But when she did give birth, she got a surprise – twins. Two twin girls, whom she named Pikeru and Curran. She couldn't neglect either of them or show a favorite, but fortunately, her husband had brought enough to share."

She placed Pikeru and Curran's cards on the table.

"Thus, when the twins got older," she continued, "she had Pikeru tutored in magic of Light, the power of healing – the part of Fire Princess's ability to heal her allies. Curran was taught the magic of Darkness, which reflected her mother's ability to sap the life of her foes while doing so.

"But Fire Princess remembered her husband's horrible fate, so she gave strict orders to their tutors that neither Pikeru nor Curran were _ever_ to learn Chaos magic. Such skills were too dangerous.

"But that left one problem. Since no Darkness existed in Pikeru and no Light existed in Curran, the sisters repelled each other and couldn't mix. Neither ever had kind words for each other, and got into fights and quarrels often. Soon, their mother believed she was the only thing keeping them from actually engaging in combat."

Then she placed the Trap Card called A Rival Appears! on the table.

"Once it happened. No one knew who struck first, but at one point the two sisters' quarrel turned into a duel of spells and fists. They soon found that they were equally matched, and the fight ended with both of them collapsing from exhaustion. Their mother found them, and once they gained their strength back, she ordered them thoroughly spanked to discipline them. The soreness in their behinds prevented another outright fight, but they still would despise each other for the longest time.

"Finally, the same oracle that gave the Trial to Fire Princess told her that the time had come. But when she discovered what awaited them, she thought that the two scepters of Light and Darkness may not be enough. The ogre that her daughters would be charged with defeating was incredibly powerful…

"Fearful that her daughters might perish, she gave Pikeru the one that represented Light, gave Curran the one that represented Darkness…

"…and then entrusted to both of them the one that represented Chaos. She told them that in a time of crisis, they could combine their powers for even greater power."

"Casting hateful looks at each other, they went…"

She placed Trial of the Princess on the table.

"And true to their mother's fears, the Trial proved incredible daunting. Having no options remaining, they had to cooperate. Again, the one who suggested it is not known, but the other agreed.

"They cast the spell of Chaos, and they won."

Nadia paused. She placed Princess Pikeru and Princess Curran on the table.

"We can only assume what kind of life Princess Pikeru and Princess Curran had after that."

"Wait…" said Randy. "That strange Trap Card… Sisters of Chaos? Is that the spell?"

Nadia smirked.

"Maybe…" she said.

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"We can't stop now, guys," said Trisha. "Cleo is the only one left…"

"Jason…" said Russell. "Trisha and I were able to sense Cassius and Sebastian. Can you do the same to find Cleo?"

"I could try…" answered Jason.

He concentrated.

"Wait… I see her…" he said.

He concentrated again.

"Queens… a construction site… the industrial area…"

He paused for a minute.

"…and she's dueling."

"Lovely," said Trisha. "Some poor guy's probably trapped in that awful arena as we speak, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"We'd best find her before she finds another one," said Jason. "It's going to end… It's going to end tonight."

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One hour later…

In a vacant lot in an industrial area of Queens that had been cleared for construction, Amazoness Swords Woman's weapon slashed into a hapless duelist.

Cleo frowned as he collapsed.

"You call that a duel?" she asked. "I've seen preschoolers who had better decks."

She looked around at the five unconscious duelists around her.

"Pathetic…" she muttered.

"Good lord…" said Jason's voice.

Cleo turned and saw him.

"About time," she said, rather upset. "I figured you'd get here pretty soon…"

"Did you…" said Russell, in anger. "All of them?"

"They're only unconscious, Russell," answered Cleo. "You think I'd waste the Seal on this gutter trash? I just had to blow off some steam…

"But I will use it on _you_ once I finish Jason. My lover is gone, thanks to you…"

"You and Cassius were an item?" asked Russell. "So he was a lover AND a fighter…"

"Only before he used the Seal," replied Cleo.

Jason frowned at her.

"Romance before killing…" he said. "I heard that's the style of some matadors…

"I'm not going to let you get away so easily this time, Cleo… And I'm not afraid of the Seal…"

"The Seal?" asked Cleo.

She held up a card and flipped it around towards him.

"The Seal of Orichalcos…" she muttered. "Clearly a powerful card…"

She slipped it into a pouch on her belt.

"…let's keep it out of this duel, shall we?"

"What?" asked Jason in surprise. "You aren't going to use it?"

"No," said Cleo. "I don't want to imprison your soul, Jason…

"I want to beat it to a pulp and tear it apart.

"Trust me, you have no idea of the horror I have waiting for you…"

As she activated her Disk, Jason noticed that the glove she was wearing was glowing with a soft golden light.

He stared, getting a little nervous…

"All right…" he said, as his own activated. "Get your game on…"

**(Jason: 8,000) -------------------- (Cleo: 8,000)**

They pulled the top five cards off their decks.

"I insist," said Cleo. "You go first…"

Jason was about to object, but then noticed the card in his hand.

He took the next card off his deck.

"I'll summon D.D. Warrior Lady in Attack Mode," he said.

In a flash of light, the sexy, female Warrior in her silvery leotard appeared, holding her glowing sword. (1,500/1,600)

"That's enough for now," he said.

"Very well…" said Cleo, making her first draw.

"And now the real fun begins!" she said, opening her Field Slot.

"Hold it!" shouted Jason. "You said you wouldn't use the Seal!"

"This isn't the Seal," replied Cleo. "This is something… different…"

She fit the card into the slot.

"It isn't quite as deadly as the Seal, but you'll find it just as… captivating…

"I play Amazoness Arena!"

With an ominous groaning noise, the ground shook. Two large contraptions started to rise out the ground on either side…

Then Jason realized what it was… It was two halves of a huge, dome-shaped, iron cage!

As he watched, the cage closed around them, trapping the two duelists inside.

"What's going on, Cleo?" asked Jason. "What's the point?"

"Shadow magic, Jason," replied Cleo. "A type more recent than the Orichalcos, but deadly nonetheless.

"Let me explain how this Field works. By activating this card, both players gain a 600-point boost to their Life Points…"

**(J: 8,600) -------------------- (C: 8,600)**

"…a necessary buffer to prepare for the brutal pain that is to follow. In this Arena, every time two Monsters battle each other, the effect can be activated, and both players can spend 100 Life Points to inflict the same amount on his or her opponent."

"That's it?" asked Jason. "I was expecting something more intense."

"How's this for intense?" said Cleo. "This Arena is a sacred place where a duelist's very soul can battle that of his opponent. You spend the 100 Life Points to enable yours to attack… And the 100 you lose is what happens when it is injured.

"Let me give you a sample…

"I summon Amazoness Paladin."

Amazoness Paladin appeared, holding her sword aloft. (1,700/300) –) (1,800/300)

"Attack the D.D. Warrior Lady!" she shouted.

Paladin ran forward and slashed at the female Warrior with her blade. Warrior Lady gave a cry and fell over, and then blew into colored lights.

"Oops!" said Jason. "Maybe you forgot… When D.D. Warrior Lady battles, I can activate her effect, and remove both her and the Monster who she battled from play."

Paladin gave a look of horror…

And then she slowly vanished into nothing.

"Well, it still activates the Arena's effect…" said Cleo. "Let me show you how it works…"

Russell and Trisha looked on in surprise, and as a ghostly, translucent form, resembling Cleo in exact detail, appeared in front of her…

Then, to their shock, another spirit, this one resembling Jason, appeared in front of _him_!

The two spirits flew to the top of the Arena…

"Cleo" punched "Jason" in the face, and he recoiled…

"Jason" quickly recovered, and punched "Cleo" back.

The spirit forms flew back down, and Jason held his head.

"You see?" said Cleo. "Hurts, doesn't it? We'll soon see just who's will is stronger in this type of contest…"

"Yeah, we'll see…" muttered Jason.

**(J: 8,100) -------------------- (C: 8,400)**

"Be careful Jason!" shouted Trisha. "She's on her home turf!"

"My turn," said Jason.

He drew a card.

"And I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in Attack Mode."

He played a card, and La Jinn appeared, frowning like a thunderstorm. (1,800/1,000)

"And since your last move left you defenseless," he said, "La Jinn, attack her directly!"

La Jinn threw up his arms, and shot bolts of lightning from his fingertips, striking Cleo! She screeched and fell over.

She lay on the ground for a few seconds, with smoke rising from her…

"Not bad…" she said, getting up.

**(J: 8,100) -------------------- (C: 6,600)**

"That's my move for now…" said Jason.

Cleo drew a card.

"I summon Amazoness Blowpiper in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and the teenage savage leapt up, holding her wooden blowgun. (800/1,500)

"She can't defeat La Jinn," said Jason.

He paused.

"Unless…"

"That's right," replied Cleo, playing a Spell Card, "I play Amazoness Spellcaster."

La Jinn and Blowpiper glowed, and La Jinn's Attack fell to 800, and Blowpiper's rose to 1,800.

"Attack!" shouted Cleo. "Poison dart sting!"

Blowpiper put her weapon to her lips, and fired a sharp spire at La Jinn. He groaned as it hit him, and he burst into shards.

"And now…" continued Cleo, as her soul form appeared, "round two…"

"Bring it!" answered Jason as his own appeared.

They flew up to the top of the Arena again. This time Jason was the first to strike, ramming his fist into Cleo's torso. Cleo responded by kicking him in the groin.

As they fell back down, they stumbled backwards.

**(J: 6,900) -------------------- (C: 6,400)**

"And to think I used to think 'hitting like a girl' was a bad thing…" said Russell.

"Where did you get this card?" asked Jason, panting.

Cleo smirked. She lifted her hand that had the strange glove.

"It was made by the employer of one of Jaden Yuki's old enemies," she replied. "He knew a few things about how to create the Shadows…"

"The Shadow Riders…" gulped Trisha.

"Exactly…" said Cleo. "As each of the Shadow Riders fell, the one who defeated them took their Shadow Charm into custody. Jaden defeated five of them in the crisis, so he collected five Charms…

"_My_ employer hired some guys to steal them from his family, but their security was too tight. Most of them were caught, and only one got away… But he got away with one of them. And fortunately, it was the one that worked perfectly with my deck!"

"Lovely…" replied Jason. "First the Orichalcos, now Shadow Charms. I'm really glad that the Millennium Items were lost…"

"Give us time," answered Cleo. "I'll end my turn with two cards facedown."

She played a card, and it appeared behind Blowpiper.

Jason drew a card.

_Not bad…_ he thought.

"I play the Spell Card, Brain Control!" he exclaimed, playing a card.

The fiendish brain appeared on the field.

"I'll pay 800 Life Points, and Blowpiper becomes mine."

Ripples of psionic energy flowed forward, and Blowpiper's eyes glazed over. She slowly floated over to Jason's side of the field.

"Now, I'll sacrifice her…" he continued.

Blowpiper vanished…

"To summon Luster Dragon #2!"

With a growl, the huge, emerald Dragon appeared, and spread its wings! (2,400/1,400)

"Luster Dragon, attack…" he started.

"I activate my facedown card!" shouted Cleo. "Enemy Controller!"

Her Quickplay lifted, and a large video game control pad appeared in front of her.

"Go!" she shouted. "A! B! A! Left! Right! Up! R! E!

"Your Dragon moves into Defense Mode!"

Luster Dragon curled up in Defense.

"All right, you escaped that one," said Jason. "I end my turn."

**(J: 6,100) -------------------- (C: 6,400)**

Cleo drew.

"I summon Amazoness Fighter," she said.

The muscular Amazon appeared, and flexed her biceps. (1,500/1,300)

"Crud," said Russell. "Her Attack strength is just enough to beat that Dragon's Defense strength."

"At least the Dragon is in Defense Mode," said Trisha.

"That won't save him from the Arena…" added Russell.

"Fighter, attack the Dragon!" commanded Cleo.

Fighter leapt up with her hands together, and brought them down on the huge Dragon, squashing it flat.

Jason looked at her.

"Well," he said. "Rematch…"

His soul form flew out of him. Cleo's flew up to greet him…

"What?" said Russell, surprised. "_Jason_ activated the Arena's effect?"

Indeed he had. And as the two forms met, he punched Cleo in the eye, hard! Cleo responded by hitting him in the chin.

They fell back to earth.

"Whoa… nice one…" muttered Cleo.

**(J: 5,900) -------------------- (C: 6,200)**

"Having second thoughts, Cleo?" asked Jason with a smirk. "Don't stop now… This duel is just getting interesting!

"In fact, I ought to thank you… This is much better than that rotten Orichalcos card. This is actually quite… Invigorating!"

Cleo stared at him.

"And it's my move…"

He drew a card.

"I summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Defense Mode."

He played the card, and the rocky Dragon appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,300/2,000)

"And I'll turn it over to you…"

Cleo drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed," she said.

The evil jar appeared, and she drew two cards.

_Nice,_ she thought. _I've got just what I need for a lethal combo…_

"I summon Amazoness Tiger in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and with a roar, the Beast leapt onto the field beside Fighter. Fighter reached down and stroked her head. (1,100/1,500) –) (1,900/1,500)

"Even with her boost," said Jason, "she can't destroy my Dragon."

"Nonetheless," said Cleo, "I'm ordering her to attack."

Amazoness Tiger rushed forward. The Dragon made a swipe with its claw, and batted her aside.

"Why'd she do that?" asked Trisha.

"Why else?" replied Russell. "So she could activate the Arena."

The two soul forms grabbed each other by the necks. First Jason forced Cleo down, then she forced him down, then they tore themselves from each other…

**(J: 5,700) -------------------- (C: 5,900)**

Cleo stumbled a bit.

"Invigorating enough for you?" she asked. "Now I'll play a Quickplay Spell Card… Amazoness Tamer!"

She played a card, and an Amazon appeared beside Tiger, holding a whip.

"I can activate this card whenever Amazoness Tiger attacks a Monster and fails," she explained. "It gives her 400 more Attack Points, and a second chance."

The Amazon lashed the whip. Tiger roared, and her Attack rose to 2,300…

She pounced, and The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave was smashed into pebbles.

"Well…" said Jason. "Better put up your dukes…"

This time the confrontation was more like a tackle. Jason squeezed Cleo in a bear hug, and she winced… then she slammed her palm into her face, and he let go…

As they landed, Cleo held her ribs.

**(J: 5,500) -------------------- (C: 5,700)**

"This too much for you, Cleo?" asked Jason.

Cleo glared at him.

She pointed at Jason…

Fighter ran up, and kneed him between the legs! Jason screamed and fell to his knees.

"A simple 'no' would have sufficed…" he gasped.

**(J: 4,000) -------------------- (C: 5,700)**

"Your move, Jason," she said. "And unless your next Monster can repel an attack from my Tiger, you're gonna be giving out your commands in soprano."

"Cleo!" shouted Trisha. "Forget Russell! If Jason loses, _I'm_ taking you down!"

"I'll beat all of you!" laughed Cleo. "I'll feed all three of you to…"

She stopped short.

"Uh, forget you heard that," she quickly said.

Jason got up and looked at his hand.

_Nuts,_ he thought. _The only Monster I have right now that I can summon is Saggi… Not exactly the king of Monsters. And even if I summoned someone, I can't attack anyone on her side before I get rid of the Tiger…_

He drew a card.

"I summon Saggi the Dark Clown in Defense Mode," he said.

With a cackling laughter, Saggi appeared and knelt in Defense. (600/1,500)

"Then I'll throw down a facedown, and end my turn."

He played a card, and it appeared behind Saggi.

"Now let me get this straight," said Cleo, drawing, "you're standing up to my Tiger and my Fighter with a _clown_? Well… It's your funeral!

"Amazoness Tiger, attack his clown!"

Tiger pounced…

"I activate Draining Shield!" shouted Jason.

His Trap Card lifted, and a dome of force appeared around him. Amazoness Tiger looked shocked and tried to break free, as energy flew into Jason. Finally, she tore herself loose.

Cleo frowned.

"Fighter, you attack Saggi," she said.

_Here we go again…_ thought Jason.

Fighter charged at Saggi, and he responded by jumping up and headbutting her in the torso. He chuckled as she stumbled backwards.

"Let's go…" said Jason.

Their soul forms flew into the air…

Jason drove his fist into Cleo's gut. She punched him full in the face.

**(J: 5,700) -------------------- (C: 5,500)**

"The scores are close…" muttered Trisha.

"Hang in there, Jason!" yelled Russell. "Don't give up!"

"Why would I give up?" asked Jason. "I haven't had a duel this intense in years!"

_Ergh, he's enjoying this!_ thought Cleo, getting angry. _Maybe this was a bad idea…_

"My move…" said Jason, drawing a card.

He drew a card.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared.

Cleo drew a card.

"Tiger, let's try this again…" she said with a grin.

Tiger leapt at Saggi…

"I activate… Attack Guidance Armor!" shouted Jason.

The Trap Card lifted. The fiendish armor flew forward, and clamped over Amazoness Fighter!

Tiger was pulled towards Fighter, and came down on her, smashing her flat.

Cleo glared at him…

Her soul form appeared…

They flew at each other… Cleo kicked him in the ribs, and Jason punched her hard in the face.

**(J: 5,500) -------------------- (C: 5,300)**

"My… move…" muttered Jason, drawing a card.

He drew.

"I play… Silent Doom!" he exclaimed. "I'll use it to bring back La Jinn in Defense Mode."

He played the card, and La Jinn appeared, shielding himself in Defense (1,800/1,000)

"And now I'll sacrifice both my Monsters…"

Saggi and La Jinn vanished…

"To summon Tyrant Dragon!"

With a mighty roar, the huge Fire Dragon appeared in front of him! It blasted flame through the roof of the Arena and into the sky! (2,900/2,500)

"Attack Amazoness Tiger!" shouted Jason. "Imperial inferno!"

Tyrant Dragon blasted fire, and Amazoness Tiger was incinerated in a fiery cloud!

"One more?" asked Trisha.

"One more," replied Russell.

"One more!" agreed Jason.

The two grappled. Jason caught his foe in a headlock and started pounding his fist into her face. Cleo threw her head back and slammed it into his face.

Both duelists were starting to perspire.

**(J: 5,300) -------------------- (C: 3,700)**

"Your move…" said Jason.

Cleo drew a card…

"I summon… Amazoness Girl… in Defense Mode…" she panted, playing a card.

The young, scantily clad Amazon appeared, huddling in Defense. (300/300)

She cowered in fear when she saw the Dragon.

"That's all I can do…" she said.

"Hmm…" said Jason, drawing.

"Well, whaddaya know," he said. "It's my old pal Vorse Raider. Attack Mode!"

His favorite Monster appeared, hefting his axe. (1,900/1,200)

"I seem to remember how your Amazoness Girl works," said Jason. "If one is destroyed, you get to summon another one.

"So, with my Dragon's ability to attack twice, on this round, I could activate the Arena three times.

"Or, you could choose not to use her effect, and take a direct attack from Vorse Raider. It's your choice.

"Tyrant Dragon, attack!"

Tyrant Dragon blasted its flame, and Amazoness Girl was blown to nothing.

Jason's fist slammed into Cleo. She responded in kind.

Jason wiped his mouth, as a second Girl appeared.

"Attack a second time!" he shouted.

Tyrant Dragon attacked, and the second Amazoness Girl followed her sister to the Graveyard.

Cleo hit Jason first this time, and he quickly responded with a blow to her teeth.

Both of them stopped to catch their breaths, and the third Amazoness Girl appeared.

"Vorse Raider…" he ordered, "attack…"

Vorse Raider swung his axe, and cut her in twain.

This time there was some definite weakness in Cleo's punch. Jason paused, as if unsure, and then hit her back hard.

**(J: 4,700) -------------------- (C: 3,100)**

As the soul-forms returned to their bodies, something strange happened…

The flames started to pick up where Tyrant Dragon's last attack had struck… They spread to the steel bars of Amazoness Arena…

And then the Arena itself caught on fire! Flames started to spread!

"Cleo…" asked Jason. "What's happening?"

"I… don't know…" she said, in panic. "I… I really don't know! It wasn't supposed to do this!"

She stared at Jason, and then at the ground.

"Nothing is worth this…" she muttered. "I'm going to quit while I still can…"

She slowly raised her right hand and moved it towards her deck.

"She's giving up?" gasped Trisha.

"Unbelievable…" said Russell. "So what do we do with one that we bring in alive?"

Cleo's hand hovered over her deck…

There was a long pause. The flames burned fiercer…

"Hee, hee, hee, hee…" giggled Cleo.

She closed her eyes.

And then she opened them, and Jason wished she hadn't. Her pupils were now gone, and they glowed with red light!

"Somehow…" said Trisha, "I'm not sure yet if we're going to…"

And then something even worse happened…

The Seal of Orichalcos appeared on Cleo's forehead…

…and then, with a glow of evil light, the actual Seal appeared _inside_ Amazoness Area!

"What?" gasped Jason. "Cleo… How? How can you…"

"You're talking to the wrong, person, Chosen One," said a voice coming from Cleo's mouth.

It was female, but it definitely was not Cleo. It was far more sinister.

"I don't believe we've met yet, Chosen of Timaeus," she said. "I can't tell you who I am yet, but I decided to get involved personally for a change.

"I'm disappointed in Cleo. She once showed great potential, but it seems that she turned into nothing more than a quitter, so she will be punished. I've consumed her soul, and taken over her body for now. I will be taking over for her in this duel from this point."

"You… You evil… Who are you?" yelled Jason.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," said the demon. "But I will tell you, I am not one to be trifled with or underestimated."

"How did you play the Seal?" asked Jason. "I didn't even end my turn, and two Field Cards can't exist on the field at once!"

"You are a fool," she replied. "The Seal of Orichalcos is far more than just a card. I possess powers unlike anyone you, the Trinity, or even Dartz ever dreamed of. I can create the Seal simply by willing it into existence, with no puny card required. So Amazoness Arena remains, and I can benefit from both effects.

"But its effects remain the same. So since you now truly have no means of escape unless I allow it, and I won't unless you defeat me, you have no choice but to finish this duel.

"Cleo may be gone, but this is not over…

"In fact, I'd say it's just starting."

**(Jason: 4,700) -------------------- (? 3,100)**

"I believe… it is my move…" said the creature.

She drew a card.

"I will play the Spell Card, Graceful Charity," she said, playing it. "Though it may be truly ironic for one like me to use a card with the word 'charity' in its name, this card is always useful."

She drew three cards. Then she discarded Pride of Tribe and Sacred Sword of the Amazons.

"Now, to make this even more painful, I play a Spell called Magic Reflector."

She played the card, and it materialized, showing the image of a spindly robotic spider.

"The Spell Card itself does not remain on the field for long…"

It shattered.

"But when it leaves, it leaves behind a tiny electrode on Amazoness Arena, which will protect it from one attempt to destroy it. Thus, if you were to use Dust Tornado, Mystical Space Typhoon, or even Heavy Storm, the Arena would survive the first time.

"Next, I will use the combo that Cleo was unable to use in your last encounter with her. I first summon Amazoness Paladin."

A second Paladin appeared. Her eyes glowed, as the Seal bonded to her. (1,700/300) –) (2,300/300)

"Then, I remove her from play, to summon Amazoness Princess."

Paladin vanished, and Princess appeared. (2,100/1,800) –) (2,600/1,800)

"And finally," she said, playing one of the last two cards in her hand, "I remove Princess from play, to summon Amazoness Queen!"

Princess vanished, and the most regal of the Amazons appeared, holding her mighty scimitar. Her eyes glowed evilly as the Seal bonded to her forehead. (3,000/3,000) –) (3,500/3,000)

"That's… not good…" said Russell.

"Amazoness Queen," said the creature, "attack his Tyrant Dragon with sacred scimitar slash."

The Queen made a dramatic pose, and then leapt up, cleaving the huge Dragon in two.

"And let's not forget the effect of Amazoness Arena…"

Jason's soul form appeared as it did before, but the one that came out of Cleo's body was a shadowy shape with a shifting form, and two sharp claws.

They flew towards each other. Jason punched at the figure, but it seemed about as effective as punching smoke. Then the figure clawed him in the chest…

And he screamed…

His soul form fell back to his body.

"That… hurt!" he shouted, gasping for breath.

He looked at his chest… His shirt had been torn, and there were claw marks on it!

"Cleo's soul was brittle, like alabaster," said the creature. "Mine is as strong as diamond. The first one was merely slightly painful. The second blow will be twice as agonizing. The pain will continue to double in intensity until it is too much for you, and you will collapse in agony, causing me to win by default. And then you will suffer the same fate as Cleo."

She licked her lips.

"It is your move."

**(J: 3,900) -------------------- (? 2,900)**

Jason drew a card.

"I summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Defense Mode…" he said.

The rocky gargoyle appeared, and crouched in Defense. (1,600/1,200)

"And, I'll move Vorse Raider to Defense Mode too."

Vorse Raider crouched in Defense Mode, and held his axe in his lap.

"That's all I can do."

The thing in Cleo's body drew a card.

"I play Amazoness Charm," she said, playing a Spell Card. "Since I have an Amazon on my side of the field, this Spell Card lets me move your Monsters to Attack Mode, even though they gain 200 Attack Points in the process."

Jason's Ryu-Kishin Powered stood up, and its Attack rose to 1,800. Vorse Raider did too, and his Attack rose to 2,100.

"Amazoness Queen," she said, "attack the Ryu-Kishin Powered!"

Amazoness Queen leapt up, and smashed the gargoyle into pebbles.

"And next, the Arena activates," she continued.

Jason's soul and the evil shadow flew towards each other. Jason vainly tried to punch the creature, but it seemed pointless. She swiped with her claw, and he hollered!

His soul flew back to his body, and he fell to one knee, sweating like a pig. He groaned. A new claw mark was on his chest, crossing the one he had gotten last time.

**(J: 2,000) -------------------- (? 2,700)**

"JASON!" shouted Trisha. "Say something!"

"Something…" he muttered.

"Old jokes will not save you, Chosen One," said the creature. "You won't be able to withstand it if I attack you a third time. Why not just give up? I'll be merciful and quick."

"Pardon me for saying this, but…" said Jason, getting up.

He drew a card.

"I don't believe you.

"I play Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and drew two cards.

"I play Premature Burial, to bring back Luster Dragon #2…"

The card appeared, and Luster Dragon reappeared. (2,400/1,400)

"And now…

"I play The Eye of Timaeus!"

Lightning flashed, and from out of the night sky, Timaeus descended. He flew into the Arena, not hindered by the flaming bars, and glared angrily at the creature.

"And now…" said Jason, "I combine Timaeus with Vorse Raider to form Blood Vors Dragon!"

The Dragon and the Beast-Warrior formed into orbs of light and darkness, and combined in a flash…

…and stood revealed, as a huge Dragon with black scales, a sail on its back, and multiple horns on its head.

"Let me explain how this guy works," said Jason. "I take the strongest Monster in my Graveyard – that would be Tyrant Dragon – and the strongest Monster in yours – that would be Amazoness Fighter – and I combine their Attack Scores and Defense Scores to form Blood Vors Dragon's Attack and Defense Scores."

(4,400/3,800)

"Fitting that I should combine Vorse Raider with Timaeus," he said. "Vorse Raider is the one who introduced me to him."

"You're a fool," said the demon. "Your Dragon may destroy my Queen, but when it does, I'll activate the Arena one last time, and the pain will overpower you!"

"No it won't," said Jason. "Because this time, I won't be alone. Timaeus is going to be backing me up.

"Blood Vors Dragon, attack with mega-breath!"

Blood Vors Dragon blasted a beam of dark energy, and Amazoness Queen screamed as her very flesh started to melt and run! She collapsed, and then shattered into bits.

Jason's soul form emerged, but he now glowed with golden light. He threw himself at the shadowy form…

It clawed at him, but this time, it barely hurt at all. Then he threw a punch, and this time it hit with a crunch so solid he could feel it in his teeth.

"ARGH!" shouted the creature. "How dare you?"

"Now let's finish this," said Jason. "Luster Dragon, attack directly! Emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon breathed a stream of blazing fire, and the creature staggered backwards.

**(J: 1,000) -------------------- (? 0)**

Jason paused to catch his breath.

"Well…" he muttered, clutching his chest. "that's game…"

"Heh, heh, heh…" laughed the creature. "Indeed, it is, but don't think you've won. You only defeated me because I had to use Cleo's pathetic cards."

She took Cleo's cards from the deck holder and discard slot, and then tossed them aside as if they were trash…

"If you meet me in my true body, it will be different, Chosen One," she said. "And you will…

"The Seal cannot consume me… Unlike the others you've seen, I have complete power over it. We will meet again…"

The Seal vanished, and so did Amazoness Arena. Jason's Monsters disappeared…

The glow vanished from Cleo's eyes, and her soulless body fell to her knees, and then collapsed.

Jason looked long and hard at Cleo.

"Well…" he said. "Things have gotten even more complicated…"

Russell and Trisha came up behind him.

"Yeah…" said Trisha. "Who was that?"

"I think we may have met the true conspirator…" mumbled Russell.

Jason paused again.

"We can't concern ourselves with that right now," he said, taking deep breaths. "We've finished the condition.

"The three Swordsmen have been completely defeated. First we'll get some antiseptic and bandages… Then we'll get some sleep…

"Then tomorrow we'll go to Grand Central Station…

"…and we'll try to find our way to the monastery."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A figure was watching him from a secluded place, holding his chin in worry. Four figures stood behind him.

"Poor Jason…" he muttered. "He can bandage those scars on his chest, but they won't fade unless the one who did it to him falls…

"It has truly entered a new stage. Soon, the Darkness will be met by the Light…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Dr. Artemis's office, her phone rang.

She was surprised when she saw the number. She picked it up.

"Mayor Barna?" she asked. "I was wondering when I'd hear from you…"

"Yeah, Andorra," answered the mayor. "Listen, I'm not sure how much good this will do, but I've tracked down this Fortunado guy."

"Do tell," muttered Artemis.

"His real name is Robert Fitterman," said Barna, "he was once a duelist of no small skill, and yes, he is a movie producer who holds some clout in Hollywood.

"Although lately, he's been getting a bad rap. His last three films were all colossal box-office flops. You ever see _Garden of Delights_ last year?"

"Biggest waste of ten bucks I ever spent," replied Artemis.

"Well, apparently, he's the guy behind these Orichalcos duels," said Barna. "Why, I have no idea."

"Well?" asked Artemis. "Aren't you going to have him arrested?"

"Well… that's kind of a sticky-wicket, Andorra," answered Barna. "First of all, we have no witnesses who have actually seen him doing something illegal. Second, well, I don't know if he even has done anything that's illegal. If this were the Renaissance, we could charge him with witchcraft, but right now… I mean, will the police believe that a Hollywood executive is channeling dark magic? Kind of hard to believe, if you get my drift."

"What about assault?" asked Artemis. "What about kidnapping? So far, two of my students have had their souls snatched, and it was a miracle that they got them back."

"Well, that's another prickly pear," she answered. "It's pure speculation on our part. I'm afraid that the law has no jurisdiction here.

"Besides, people with this much money _own_ cops, as much as I hate to say.

"And frankly, Andorra, even with legit police, if I started telling them stories of cursed artifacts and demons, they'd think I was crazy, and for a politician in my position…"

"Fine," said Artemis. "But what about as a duelist? What about the Council? You know they do what they can to prevent Shadow Games."

"Yes, I already called them," said Barna. "And here's where it gets worse. They said they've been investigating Fitterman for some time already and are still doing so, but have yet to find any proof of illicit dueling. He must be quite good at covering his tracks.

"Besides, I think that Fitterman may be a pawn. The true conspirator might be someone else entirely."

"Is there any way you can help?" asked Artemis. "At least tell me what sort of deck he has…"

"That, I know," replied Barna. "He used to use a Warrior Deck. But he may well have changed it since he stopped dueling in public.

"Keep your eyes open. I'll keep my eye on him, and we'll try to get him on something.

"And tell your students to be careful. I doubt his new trend of movies have happy endings."

Artemis hung up the phone.

"A Warrior Deck…" she muttered. "Somehow, I doubt it's the same type Russell uses…"

_Friday, October 30th, 2106, 9:56 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**AMAZONESS ARENA (Spell Card) **

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Field  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Amazoness Swords Woman under a dome-shaped steel cage.

**Card Description:** This card can only be played during a Shadow Game. When you activate this card, both players gain 600 Life Points. After two Monsters engage in battle, each player can spend 100 Life Points to inflict 100 points of damage directly to his or her opponent.

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**0**

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**AMAZONESS TAMER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** An Amazon lashing a whip.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card during the Battle Phase when your "Amazoness Tiger" attacks a Monster and does not destroy it. Add 400 to that "Amazoness Tiger's" ATK for the remainder of the Battle Phase, and it may attack a second time in the same Battle Phase.

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**0**

**0**

**AMAZONESS CHARM (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Amazoness Swords Woman with a gentle expression holding her hands in a beckoning fashion.

**Card Description:** You can only play this card when you have a face-up Monster on your side of the field with the word "Amazoness" in its name, or who is named "Amazon Archer". Switch all opposing Monsters who are in face-up Defense Position to Attack Position and increase their ATK by 200.

_Note: "Amazoness Arena", "Amazoness Tamer", and "Amazoness Charm" were used by Taniya in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode, "Duel Distractions (Part Two)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**0**

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**BLOOD VORS DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **?  
**DEF: **?

**Card Description:** This card is descended by activating "The Eye of Timaeus" and offering one "Vorse Raider" as a Tribute. Add together the base ATK of the Monster in your Graveyard with the highest base ATK, and the base ATK of the Monster with the highest base ATK in your opponent's Graveyard at the time this Monster is summoned to get the base ATK of this card. Add together the base DEF of the same two Monsters to get this card's base DEF. On your second Standby Phase after summoning this card, destroy this card.

**0**

**0**

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Beneath the streets, beneath the subways, beneath all of Manhattan, the Monastery of the Messiah waits. The Chosen Ones are determined to find it, but Fortunado is determined to delay them. **_

**_An obstacle appears, in a chapter called "Chaos End", coming soon._**


	41. Chaos End

_**I've seen almost all of this city there is to see…**_

_**But I never thought I'd see what was under it.**_

_**Deep in the bowels under the city lie a secret place, where we will find the Dark Messiah, hopefully. But if what Dr. Artemis said is true, the path will be hard and difficult. Each of us will have to face the tests that have been put before this place by a prophecy. **_

_**I'm facing one right now, in fact.**_

_**I kind of wonder if this was how Old Ben felt when he had to face the God of Tricksters. Looking into the eyes of my opponent, I see pure evil in a divine form. This is the being who was ultimately responsible for starting the first war fought by humans, according to the story. If I lose, not only is our journey over, but we become her toys.**_

_**I'd like to have confidence in myself, but in this situation, I guess anything is possible.**_

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**CHAPTER FORTY**

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**Chaos End**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

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_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 10:32 AM_

"It's a little early for gin," muttered Fortunado, mixing a martini, "but I need something to calm my nerves."

He picked up the Scepter of Bound Divinity. Cassius's mother hadn't come looking for it, so he could use it freely for now.

He checked a monitor, which honed in on Grand Central Station…

"There they are…" he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Grand Central Station had grown considerably in the past hundred years. The huge train station that connected New York to the rest of the East Coast was just as bustling as ever. The expression "as busy as Grand Central Station" was still just as true as it ever was.

Russell, Jason, and Trisha looked around.

"How's your chest?" asked Trisha to Jason.

"The cuts have scabbed over," muttered Jason. "But it's still a little tender."

"Too bad you aren't in the army, Jason," muttered Russell. "After what happened, you'd have been eligible for about four medals, including the Purple Heart."

He paused.

"So now what?" he asked.

Trisha took out The Fang of Critias and held it up. It glowed softly.

Jason took out The Eye of Timaeus, and the glow brightened.

Russell took out The Claw of Hermos, and the glow brightened even more.

Then, a door materialized in front of them. No one else seemed to see it, but it was there, connected to nothing, and made of old wood.

Jason tried the handle, and it opened. A dark stairway led down.

Slowly, Jason entered the door, and they made their way down the old stairway. The walls were concrete, and a dry, musty smell surrounded them. Jason and Russell took flashlights out of their backpacks as they descended, and they finally came to a stop in an old tunnel.

They seemed to be in a very old sewer that had long been abandoned. Crumbling stonework made up the walls, and damp spots pooled in the floor. The stink of rotted asbestos filled the air.

"Not exactly the best spot for a holy shrine," muttered Trisha.

"What an interesting smell we've discovered," said Russell, with a scowl.

Jason opened the slip of paper that Dr. Artemis had given him. He shone his flashlight on it.

"The first challenge," he said. "_Proof of Order. Only by proving superiority of Law over Chaos will the Chosen pass._"

He paused.

"What does that mean?" he asked. "Is someone going to challenge us with a Chaos Deck? Maybe one with…"

He gulped…

"Gren Maju Da Eiza?"

He shivered…

He had faced that chimeric Fiend once before, facing a duelist who used a powerful Trap called Skull Lair. This Continuous Trap could destroy his opponent's Monsters if he removed his own cards from play… And even worse, every time he used it, it paved the way for his "star", who would be stronger with every card that had been removed.

Fortunately, one clever Spell/Trap combination let Jason win the duel at that point… But it had been a close call.

A _very_ close call.

Russell moved his flashlight back and forth.

"Uh, guys…" he said. "If we have to face Chaos, that might be a good spot…"

A brick wall was on the far side of the chamber…

And on it was painted a mural of one of the most dreaded Monsters in the game…

Black Luster Soldier, Envoy of the Beginning.

They shuddered as they went up to the brick wall.

"Don't worry guys," said Trisha. "That card isn't legal any more. At least to those who play fair… And besides, there are only ten confirmed copies in existence."

Jason touched the wall…

…and then it crumbled, falling in a heap. A bright light shone from inside.

They walked in, and were surprised to see a beautiful temple, composed of white marble with pillars and stone murals. Lighting came from burning braziers. Two statues flanked a large altar, depicting a man in Spartan-like armor with a shield and spear.

"Sort of… Greco-Roman," said Russell. "Those statues…"

"Those," said a female voice, "are depictions of the Ares, the God of War, the greatest of the Olympians."

They turned, and watched as a beautiful woman entered. She was blonde and blue eyed, and had a gorgeous figure. She wore a halter and mini-skirt that resembled a toga in style, along with golden sandals and a laurel crown.

Russell was about to say something, but Jason beat him to it.

"Greatest of the Olympians?" he asked. "Hardly. He was a cold-blooded killer who represented violence for violence's sake."

"Hmph," said the woman. "Well, I owe him one. He was the only one who voted to acquit me at my trial. Sadly… majority ruled."

They looked at her.

"Who are you?" asked Jason.

"You may call me Eris," she said.

"Eris…" muttered Jason. "The Goddess of Discord?"

She nodded.

"I was…" she started.

"We know who you are," said Russell, his eyebrows narrowing. "You were the one who caused the crisis that led up to the Trojan War, the first war among men."

"True," said Eris, nodding. "In my own defense, starting a war wasn't my intent… I just wanted to crash a party, get a few of the goddesses to fight each other… Have them pull each other's hair, rip their clothes to shreds, and that is what happened at first."

She giggled.

"You should have seen it! Nowadays, folks will pay money to see things like that!

"But I loved the end result anyway. It caused such wonderful chaos… Both on mortal soil and Olympus!"

"So, they finally threw the book at you," replied Russell, with a grin. "Good. What did you do for them to require a trial?"

"Not that it's any of your business," answered Eris, with a frown, "but ten years ago, I stole one of Zeus's thunderbolts to try to start chaos like the world had never seen. You see…"

"Ten years ago…" interrupted Jason. "June 15th?"

"Why yes," she answered.

"What happened then?" asked Russell.

"The blackout of 2096," answered Jason. "A lightning bolt struck Niagara Falls, killing the power to New York City. This dame obviously was responsible – she hoped to cause chaos.

"Well, she failed. New Yorkers coped, and they made it through the crisis admirably."

"No murders, no looting, no fires," said Eris shaking her head. "A waste. And I was punished anyway, not just for stealing – that was the _minor_ part of the offense – but for meddling with the affairs of humans, which had become taboo since ancient times. They chained me into a flaming pit, and I've been there since… Roasting like a pig on a spit…

"Do you have any idea… what it's like to be immortal… and be forced to suffer pain like that?"

She clenched her fists and her eyes started to glow with fiery light.

"Uh oh…" muttered Trisha.

Then Eris smiled sweetly.

"You can imagine my joy when the chains broke this morning, and a portal opened to here!

"Now I'm free to play again, and three new playthings just walked into my new temple!"

"She means us…" muttered Russell, nervously.

"Let's have some fun…" laughed Eris. "What should I do first? Maybe turn you into donkeys? Or sheep? Maybe half of both!"

Her hand glowed.

"Eris wait!" shouted Jason.

She lowered her hand.

"You want to have fun?" he asked. "Well, how about a wager?"

"A wager?" she asked.

Jason raised his Disk.

"Before any hexes or curses, I'll duel you," he said. "I win, you let us go. You win…"

He got nervous.

"…you can 'play' with us as much as you want…

"…forever."

"Jason, for our sake…" muttered Russell, angrily, "I sure hope you know what you're doing!"

"Interesting, interesting…" pondered Eris. "Come to think of it, I haven't had a chance to get into a good tussle in a long time…

"In the old days, I hung onto Ares as he rode his chariot onto the battlefield. Most of the time, I just watched, reveling in the glory of Chaos at its best…

"But there were times that I got so excited that I had to join in the fight, and I leapt off his chariot, grabbed a fallen weapon and just waded in swinging… Pure joy…"

"You only did that because you were immortal," said Trisha with a frown. "You wouldn't have dared if you could have actually been hurt."

Eris shrugged.

"Very well…" she said, "I accept your challenge and your wager…"

"Jason's trying the same thing that Ben did with Loki," whispered Trisha. "It seems these dark entities are just too proud to resist a challenge."

"Yeah," said Russell, "but let's hope it works. If I remember my mythology right, the Greek pantheon is a lot more careless and frivolous than the Norse. They might not have even noticed her escape yet…"

Eris stepped up on the altar. Jason didn't exactly like this, because she was in a position to look down on him (and she was taller than him to begin with). She gestured, and a Disk that seemed to be made of pure gold appeared on her arm.

"All right…" said Jason, as his Disk activated. "Get your game on…"

**(Jason: 8,000) -------------------- (Eris: 8,000)**

"I'd say ladies first," said Jason, "but you can go first anyway…"

Eris smirked, and drew her sixth card.

She smirked again, and showed Jason a Spell Card.

"This is The Tree of Discord," she said, "and from its branches grow the fruit of pure Chaos…"

She played the card, and behind her, a large tree sprouted. It had a silvery trunk, emerald-green leaves, and golden apples growing from its branches.

"As a result," she continued, "so long as this Continuous Spell Card is in play, all cards that would normally go to my Graveyard are removed from play."

"Why would you banish all of your own cards?" asked Jason.

"I have my reasons," answered Eris, with a grin. "This card has another effect, but we'll get into that later.

"Next," she continued, "I play a second Continuous Spell Card, a powerful one called Purity of the Cemetery."

The card that appeared looked ominous. It showed the image of a robed deity holding a hand over a peaceful cemetery.

"What does that do?" asked Jason.

"You'll find out later," she answered. "Next, I'll place one card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"…and finally, I'll summon The Unfriendly Amazon in Attack Mode."

She placed a card on her Disk. A tall woman in a grey battle-dress with her hair in a ponytail, holding a scimitar appeared. She gave Jason a stern look. (2,000/1,000)

"But don't let her name fool you," said Eris with a chuckle. "She can actually be _quite_ friendly once you get to know her!

"Anyway, I'll end my turn there."

_This is odd,_ thought Jason. _The Unfriendly Amazon is destroyed if her controller doesn't sacrifice a Monster during her Standby Phase, and Eris doesn't have any others…_

He drew a card.

"I activate my facedown card!" exclaimed Eris. "Go, Scapegoat!"

The card lifted, and the four fluffy sheep popped out.

_So that's it,_ thought Jason, looking at his hand. _No way I can beat her Amazon in one move…_

"I'll throw down one facedown," he said, fitting a card in a slot, "and then summon Saggi the Dark Clown in Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared, and then Saggi materialized in front of it. He cackled, and then crouched in Defense Mode. (600/1,500)

"Your move…" he said.

Eris drew a card.

"I'll sacrifice one Scapegoat to keep my Amazon for now," she said, as the red sheep vanished.

"Next, I'll summon Aeris in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and a tall figure appeared. It was a man in a toga with a Spartan's helmet with a full beard, carrying a spear and a shield. (1,800/1,400)

"Attack his Clown, Aeris!" she commanded.

Aeris flew forward, and drove his spear into the clown, blasting him into black globules.

"Amazon, attack Jason directly!"

The Unfriendly Amazon leapt at Jason with her sword.

"I can't watch…" muttered Trisha.

Jason's facedown card flipped up…

The Amazon's sword was jammed in a glowing forcefield, and energy flowed into Jason. She struggled to free it, and then staggered back.

"Draining Shield," he said with a smile.

"An annoyance," she answered with a frown. "Your move…"

**(J: 10,000) -------------------- (E: 8,000)**

"At least we know she isn't going to be summoning one of the Envoys," said Russell. "You'd have to remove a Light Monster and a Dark one from your Graveyard, and that Tree is going to make sure that nothing ever goes to her Graveyard for her to remove."

"That still doesn't mean she doesn't plan to summon…" started Trisha.

She gulped.

She was pretty afraid of that Chaos Fiend too…

Jason drew a card…

…and then he felt a small twinge of pain in his chest.

"What the…" he muttered.

"My Purity of the Cemetery card is working," said Eris, with a smile. "You see, this card would be destroyed if a Monster is ever sent to my Graveyard… But so long as it's in effect, every time you start your turn, you'll lose 100 Life Points for every Monster in yours."

Jason glared at her.

"And thanks to your Tree of Discord, no Monsters will ever reach your Graveyard!" he exclaimed.

She nodded.

"Talk about a dirty trick," said Russell.

"At least Jason is ahead…" replied Trisha.

Jason looked at the card he had drawn. Mirror Force.

Jason placed a card on his Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

"Now, I'll throw down one facedown," he said.

A facedown card materialized.

"It's your move…" he said.

**(J: 9,900) -------------------- (E: 8,000)**

Eris drew a card.

"I'll sacrifice another Scapegoat to keep my Amazon," she said, as the blue sheep vanished, "Then I'll summon Chiron the Mage in Attack Mode."

She played a card, and in a flash of light, a powerful-looking centaur wearing a breastplate and helmet walked up to her side of the field. He carried a ruby-tipped staff. (1,800/1,000)

"Oh no…" muttered Trisha. "I've heard of this guy…"

"Now to activate his effect," said Eris. "By discarding one Spell Card…"

She held up a Magical Mallet, and it vanished.

"…he can destroy one Spell or Trap Card!"

Chiron aimed his staff and it glowed. A beam of pink energy shot from the weapon, and Jason's Mirror Force blew into particles.

"Lovely…" he said.

"Now I'll attack your Monster with my Unfriendly Amazon!" she exclaimed.

The Amazon leapt up, and made a downward slash with her sword. Sangan appeared on the card, and was cut in half.

"Thank you," said Jason. "Since he was destroyed, I get to take a Monster from my deck who has 1,500 Attack Points or less…"

He took his deck and looked through it…

He found Mage of the White Dragon and added the card to his hand.

"How nice," said Eris. "Next, I'll attack you with Chiron and Aeris!"

Aeris leapt at Jason, and stabbed him in the stomach with his spear. Jason screamed in pain.

He was barely able to catch his breath when energy from Chiron's staff surrounded him, and he felt like the air around him was burning…

_That really hurt…_ he thought_. I should have known…_

…_this is another Shadow Game…_

**(J: 6,100) -------------------- (E: 8,000)**

"Your move," said Eris. "And you were right… This _is_ fun!"

"I draw one card…" said Jason, drawing.

"…and you lose 200 more Life Points," added Eris.

Jason felt another twinge of pain.

"I play Pot of Greed," said Jason, playing the card.

He drew two cards.

"I summon Mage of the White Dragon in Attack Mode," he said, playing the card.

The sorcerer in ancient Egyptian clothing appeared, holding his scepter aloft.

"Now I'll activate his effect…" continued Jason.

He discarded Cost Down and Kaiser Glider.

A white mist appeared next to the Mage, and the intimidating form of a Blue-Eyes Spirit Token appeared. (0/0)

"Now I'll throw down one facedown and end my turn," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

**(J: 5,900) -------------------- (E: 8,000)**

"Jason is taking a big risk," said Trisha. "That facedown card is clearly something to protect that token…

"But if the card in Eris's hand is a Spell Card, or she draws one now, Chiron can destroy that facedown card, and Jason will take a big hit."

Eris smirked as she drew.

Then she frowned.

"I'll sacrifice another Scapegoat," she said, as the yellow sheep vanished, "and then place a Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Amazon, attack that Token!"

The Unfriendly Amazon leapt at the Spirit Token…

"I activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Jason, as his Trap Card lifted.

The Amazon slammed into an invisible shield. She gave a cry and fell on her behind.

"In that case," said Eris, "my turn is over…"

"Indeed," said Jason, drawing a card.

He groaned again, as the twinge of pain struck him.

"Blue-Eyes Spirit Token…" he commanded, "attack The Unfriendly Amazon! White spirit lightning!"

The Spirit Token roared, and its Attack shot up to 3,000! It blasted a beam of white lightning, and the Amazon screamed. She was eradicated.

"Next," he said, "I'll move my Mage into Defense Mode…"

He turned the card, and Mage of the White Dragon crouched in Defense.

"And then, I'll sacrifice my Spirit Token for a Dragon with more substance… Luster Dragon #2."

The Blue-Eyes Spirit Token faded away, and the large, winged Dragon of Wind appeared. (2,400/1,400)

centerIMGhttp/ 5,600) -------------------- (E: 7,000)

"I'll end my turn there," he said.

Eris drew a card.

"First, I'll move Chiron and Aeris into Defense Mode," she said.

Aeris knelt and crouched behind his shield. Chiron sat on his hindquarters and lowered his staff.

"Then, I'll flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode," she said. "Meet The Immortal of Thunder!"

Her facedown Monster flipped, and a tall, elderly, robust man appeared. He was dressed in a red tunic and had a white beard, and carried a golden staff tipped with a lightning bolt. (1,500/1,300)

"And by Flip-Summoning him, I gain 3,000 Life Points," she continued.

"Yeah," called Russell, "but you'll lose 5,000 of them when he leaves the field, stupid!"

"Only if he goes to the Graveyard…" corrected Trisha. "That won't happen while her Tree of Discord is play. With her strategy, a Monster that was once useless becomes very useful."

"Immortal of Thunder…" she ordered, "attack Mage of the White Dragon! Thunder clap!"

The Immortal raised his staff to the ceiling, and lighting flashed. Mage of the White Dragon screamed, and was electrocuted.

_Kaiba,_ thought Jason, discarding the card, _wherever you are, I'm sorry…_

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," said Eris.

A facedown card materialized.

**(J: 5,600) -------------------- (E: 10,000)**

Jason drew a card again, and the twinge of pain happened again, a tiny bit more intense than before.

He looked at his card.

"I play… Monster Reborn!" he exclaimed, playing the card. "And I'll bring back someone I discarded to use my Mage's effect."

The ankh appeared, and a form of pure light started to materialize.

"Meet my Kaiser Glider!"

The creature that appeared resembled a cross between a Dragon and a sphinx, with feathered wings, sculpted out of pure gold. Its eyes were pure orbs of light. (2,400/2,200)

"Kaiser Glider, attack The Immortal of Thunder!" he shouted. "Golden blast!"

Kaiser Glider shot a beam of pure light at the Thunder Monster, and he was vaporized.

"Guess he wasn't very immortal," said Jason. "Luster Dragon, attack Chiron the Mage with emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon reared up, and shot a blast of flame, roasting the centaur to ashes.

"Figures…" said Jason. "Dragons were notorious for preying on horses…"

"I can destroy your Dragons," said Eris. "In fact, I have a Monster in my hand right now who's powerful enough to do so."

"But how would you summon it?" asked Jason, fitting his last card into his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

"You'd likely need a Monster that would require two sacrifices. Your Graveyard is empty, so the old trick of Special Summoning one from there and then sacrificing both your Monsters won't work."

_And if she destroys Kaiser Glider,_ he thought, _its effect will send her Monster back to her hand._

**(J: 5,200) -------------------- (E: 9,100)**

Eris drew a card and added it to her hand.

"I play a Spell Card," she said. "Dimension Distortion."

She played the card, and an odd image appeared. It looked like several fiendish creatures made of blue energy.

"I've… never heard of that one…" said Jason, in surprise.

"This card can only be used when my Graveyard is empty, and it is," said Eris. "Now, I get to Special Summon one of my Monsters that has been removed from play…"

A strange portal appeared in front of her. The Unfriendly Amazon leapt out.

"Now I'll sacrifice her and Aeris…"

The Warrior and the Fairy vanished…

"To summon Artemis, Lady of the Hunt!"

A tall, female figure appeared. It was a woman with wild, green eyes, a feral expression, and chestnut-brown hair tied in ponytails that were tied together in front of her chest. Her only clothing was a bikini made of – apparently – deerskin, and she was barefoot. She carried a bow and a quiver of arrows. She glared at Jason with a look that suggested it would hurt her face to smile. (2,500/2,000)

"Never exactly got along with Artemis," said Eris. "She's always so holier than thou with her protector of nature speeches and her dumb obsession with staying chaste. But still, this card is pretty useful.

"Artemis, attack the Luster Dragon! Bow of the huntress!"

Artemis drew back her bow, and fired! The arrow sailed through the air, and struck Luster Dragon in the chest! He groaned, and fell to the ground with a crash, shattering to bits.

"I activate my Trap!" shouted Jason, as his facedown card lifted. "Flat LV 4!"

The image on the card showed Axe Raider, and above him were the words "LV 1, LV 2, LV 3" written in small letters, and then "LV 4" written in big letters.

"Since my Monster was destroyed, we can now each Special Summon a four-star Monster from our decks, and I choose Vorse Raider!"

Vorse Raider appeared next to Kaiser Glider, lifting his mighty axe. (1,900/1,200)

"Very well…" said Eris. "I summon someone who's much cuter… Dunames Dark Witch."

In a flash of light, a beautiful, young Fairy in a red dress with golden wings appeared. She smiled a sweet smile. (1,800/1,050)

_Aw, man…_ thought Jason. _How the heck do I attack someone that adorable?_

"My turn is over," said Eris.

**(J: 5,100) -------------------- (E: 9,100)**

Jason paused…

He drew a card. The twinge of pain from Eris's Purity of the Cemetery card came again, a little more intense than the last time.

_Four Monsters in my Graveyard so far,_ he thought. _Not as bad as it could be, but it could be worse…_

"I'll throw down one facedown," he said, playing the card he had just drawn.

A facedown card appeared.

"Vorse Raider, destroy her last Scapegoat!" he shouted.

Vorse Raider leapt up, and cleaved the small sheep in half.

"Kaiser Glider…"

Dunames Dark Witch never stopped smiling.

Jason covered his eyes.

"Oh, attack Dunames Dark Witch, but do it quick!" he shouted, looking away.

Kaiser Glider blasted its golden ray, and a pitiful scream echoed through the temple.

"Not bad, Jason," said Eris. "I didn't think you had the guts. But I think you're bluffing."

"Am I?" he said.

**(J: 4,700) -------------------- (E: 8,500)**

Eris drew a card.

"Oh yes, your Kaiser Glider's effect…" she said. "Well why don't I take care of that…"

She played a card.

"His effect won't be a problem," she said, "once I Equip Artemis with Sacred Shield Aegis."

Artemis held out her arm and it glowed. A round, steel shield with the visage of the mythic Medusa appeared on her arm.

"This powerful Equip will protect her from one Monster effect," explained Eris. "So your Kaiser Glider's effect will be worthless."

"And now… Artemis, attack the Kaiser Glider!"

Artemis pointed her free hand, and it glowed with energy…

"Sorry, Eris, but you thought I was bluffing, and now you're gonna pay," said Jason. "I activate… Tyrant's Wing!"

His Trap Card activated, showing the image of a dragon on a hill, spreading its wings.

"This Trap can be used when a Dragon is attacked, and then it becomes an Equip Card," he explained. "Now Kaiser Glider gains 400 Attack Points from it, and the same multiple-attack power of a Tyrant Dragon!"

Kaiser Glider shot up to 2,800 ATK. As Artemis cast her spell, the Dragon shot a scorching beam of energy, striking the Lady of the Hunt! She screamed, and was vaporized.

Eris stared at him.

"Very clever…" she said. "Your move…"

**(J: 4,700) -------------------- (E: 8,200)**

"Eris is totally defenseless!" shouted Trisha.

"Not the best place to be…" added Russell.

Jason drew a card. He felt the same twinge again.

_I'll save this…_ he thought, looking at it.

"Kaiser Glider, attack directly!" he shouted.

Kaiser Glider let forth its golden blast, striking the Goddess of Discord in the chest! She staggered back.

"Vorse Raider, you too," he continued.

Eris screamed as the Beast-Warrior slashed at her with his axe. She fell on one knee.

**(J: 4,300) -------------------- (E: 3,500)**

She glared at Jason with a look of anger.

"This isn't fun anymore…" she said, slowly. "Never before has anyone below Zeus's status dared to strike me…

"Once we finish this duel, you won't believe how much I'll enjoy torturing you!"

"If you win…" said Jason. "You seem to be in serious trouble. My turn is over."

Eris drew a card.

"I'll place one card facedown," she said.

A facedown card appeared.

"And then I'll summon Inpachi in Attack Mode."

She played her last card. A huge humanoid figure made out of wood appeared, with blocky limbs and the number 18 on its chest. (1,600/1,900)

"Ever hear of the story of the Wicker Man?" asked Eris. "They say that during festivals, some cults cremated the bodies of executed criminals by building effigies like this one, placing the bodies inside them, and setting fire to them. But legend said that if one of the bodies belonged to an innocent man who had been wrongly convicted, his spirit would take vengeance, animating the flaming creature and using it to kill everyone in sight!"

The three students shivered.

"I never saw it happen myself," said Eris, with a grin, "but it would have been a good show…"

"Yeah…" said Jason, drawing a card. "I'll bet…"

He held his chest as the pain came again.

"And that is the most obvious Trap I have ever seen. I play… Card of Demise…"

He played the card.

"Now I get to draw five cards, but I must discard them after five turns."

He drew five times.

"Next, to be safe, I'll throw down two facedowns…"

Two facedown cards appeared.

"And that will end my turn…"

**(J: 3,900) -------------------- (E: 3,500)**

Eris drew a card.

"I play Chaos Greed," she said, playing a card. "Since I have no cards in my Graveyard, this lets me draw twice."

She drew two cards.

"Hmm…" she said.

"Time to activate the other effect of The Tree of Discord," she said. "I play Emergency Provisions, to send it and my other card to the Graveyard."

She played the card, and the Tree and her facedown card (revealed to be a Mirror Wall) vanished.

**(J: 3,900) -------------------- (E: 5,500)**

"In case you're wondering," she said, "that card keeps my cards from ending up in the Graveyard, but if it goes there itself by my own hand, I get to draw three cards."

She drew three cards.

She smirked.

"Well, Jason…" she said, looking at them. "It's been a fun duel, but now it must end…"

She switched cards on her Disk.

"I sacrifice Inpachi…"

The wood spirit vanished.

"For Golden Homunculus!"

In a burst of golden flames, a hulking form appeared. It looked like a statue made of pure gold, with a grim face, shining in the light of the temple. It was at least eighteen feet high and eight feet wide! (1,500/1,500)

"Your Rock doesn't scare me!" shouted Jason. "Don't forget, you just sent your Inpachi to your Graveyard, so your Purity of the Cemetery card is gone!"

The Spell Card shattered.

"Rock?" asked Eris. "First of all, it's a Warrior. Second, I don't need Purity of the Cemetery any more. This Monster gains 300 Attack and Defense Points for every one of my cards that has been removed from play. And over the course of this duel, thanks to my Tree of Discord, I have removed a total of ten."

The images of all the cards she had played appeared, and were absorbed into the massive, golden Warrior. It glowed with golden light, and its scores started to go up…

(4,500/4,500)

"Forty-five hundred attack points?" gulped Trisha.

"That's bad…" said Russell. "It's even worse than Gren… This one has a score to start with."

"I knew you were up to something…" muttered Jason. "Tell me something… Isn't it a bit strange for a Goddess of Chaos to have a deck that builds up to a long-term strategy?"

Eris started to say something…

Then she paused…

"Hmm, I guess it is," she said. "Ah well… If anyone asks, I'll lie. Golden Homunculus, attack the Vorse Raider with flaming gold rush!"

An aura of golden flames surrounded the huge Warrior, and it roared…

"Not so fast, Eris!" shouted Jason. "I activate… Ring of Destruction!"

One of his facedown cards lifted, and a ring of grenades appeared around Golden Homunculus's neck. It grunted in surprise, and tried to pull it off…

"That's the dumbest move I've ever seen!" laughed Eris. "We'll both lose 4,500 Life Points! Look at the scores… I'll have 1,000 left, but you'll have zero!"

"I won't lose any!" replied Jason. "Time for a classic Seto Kaiba combo!"

His other facedown card lifted.

"I activate Ring of Defense!"

A green pinwheel appeared in front of him, and started to spin.

"This Quickplay Spell will protect me from all damage from Trap Cards. It works great with Ring of Destruction. So you lose your Monster, and your Life Points take a serious blow!"

With a fierce eruption of energy, Golden Homunculus was blown into shards of rock, sending the evil chaos goddess tumbling onto the floor of her temple. Pieces of burned gold and raw flames flew in all directions, but all of it that would have hit Jason was blown back by the spinning pinwheel.

**(J: 3,900) -------------------- (E: 1,000)**

_Ironic,_ he thought. _That was exactly how I beat that guy with Gren Maju Da Eiza…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"_Fortunado!"_ said an angry voice.

"Uh, yes?" he asked.

"_Do all gods lose their talents when folks stop worshipping them?"_ asked the voice. _"Eris's edge has just been destroyed, and she is only one-thousand Life Points away from defeat!"_

"Take a look at the cards in her hand," answered Fortunado.

There was a pause.

"_I see,"_ said the voice. _"But are you sure even they will be enough?"_

"With the way you're so upset," replied Fortunado, "I'd say you _want_ Eris to win."

"_True, I don't,"_ said the voice. "But I also don't want the Chosen to have too easy a time. They must be at the height of their strength when they finally confront us."

"Trust me," said Fortunado, "this duel is far from over…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Your Monster has been blown into teeny-tiny pieces," said Jason, "you have only a thousand Life Points left, and you have no Monsters on your side of the field. So now what?"

Vorse Raider and Kaiser Glider hungrily eyed Eris.

"Patience, people," said Jason.

"It's still my turn, Jason," said Eris. "I will play two cards facedown…"

She fit two cards into her Disk, and they appeared.

"And that ends my turn."

"Very well!" said Jason, drawing a card.

_Those facedown cards are a concern,_ he thought, _but if I took a chance, I could end this._

"Vorse Raider…" he shouted, "attack her directly!"

"Fool!" shouted Eris. "It's time to take this duel to a greater level…"

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"Take us to… **_Macro Cosmos_**!"

And before the three students knew it, the temple seemed to melt away, and they were falling though a dark void!

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Where on Earth am I…" muttered Jason, as his eyes adjusted.

He looked around.

Then he screamed…

"Make that where _off_ the Earth am I!" he shouted.

His Monsters were still in front of him, Eris was still there… His two friends were still there (both too scared to move)…

But the whole arena had changed in a big way. To all sides, above, and below, were the stars, dotted here and there by wispy nebulae and cosmic phenomenon. The planets of the solar system moved through the ether, and the light from the sun shone in the background.

"AH!" shouted Eris. "It is as it should be… The fools in Olympus sought to place me in chains, but now I'm higher than Olympus could ever grow! I'm a goddess among the gods!"

"Where are we?" demanded Jason.

"I told you," said Eris. "My Trap Card transported us to Macro Cosmos, a place where the raw power of the universe itself can be tapped!

"Let me explain… Both of us are far from any burial grounds, so any cards that would normally be sent to _either_ Graveyards are removed from play now.

"And Macro Cosmos has another effect… It lets me summon this guy from my deck…"

A flame appeared in front of her…

"I summon Helios the Primordial Sun!"

The creature than appeared was a tall being, whose body seemed to be made of white wrappings – where it wasn't covered, there was nothing. Its head was a globe of fiery energy.

"And Helios's Attack and Defense Score is 100 for every Monster that has been removed from play during the course of the game," continued Eris.

(500/500)

"Please…" said Jason. "That's pathetic. Vorse Raider… Renew your attack!"

Vorse Raider lifted his axe.

"Fool…" said Eris. "I activate my other facedown card…"

Her facedown card lifted, revealing a Quickplay with the image of the planets lined up.

"Planet Alignment!" she shouted.

The celestial bodies behind her started to shift.

"This can only be activated when this specific Trap and Monster combination is on my side of the field," she stated, "but its power is tremendous, moving entire planets! The massive cataclysm wipes out all opposing Monsters and deals 300 points of damage to your Life Points!"

Beams of piercing light stabbed into Vorse Raider and Kaiser Glider, and they bellowed before they shattered!

"I activate Kaiser Glider's effect!" shouted Jason. "Helios returns to your hand!"

Helios vanished, and the card appeared in Eris's hand.

Jason looked at the cards in his hand.

"And it's a good thing I didn't summon this turn yet," he said. "I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode."

Peten appeared, and gave a fearful look at his surroundings. He knelt in Defense Mode. (500/1,200)

"I end my turn," he said.

**(J: 3,600) -------------------- (E: 1,000)**

Eris drew a card.

"I summon Helios the Primordial Sun back to the field…" she said.

She played a card. Helios reappeared.

"He wasn't a NOMI?" asked Jason.

"No," said Eris. "And since Macro Cosmos removed your two Monsters from play, he gets stronger…"

(700/700)

"He's too weak to beat Peten's Defense," noted Jason.

"This Monster may be too weak," she replied, "but now I can sacrifice him to call forth his big sister… Helios Duo Megistus!"

Helios vanished, and a new Monster appeared. This one was similar to the first, but larger, stouter, and broader, with a torso that suggested it was female. Its head was an orb that shone brighter than the previous one.

"Duo is twice as good as her little brother," said Eris, with a smirk, "because her Attack and Defense is 200 for every Monster that's been removed from play. That includes the first Helios, by the way, since Macro Cosmos removed him from play when he was sacrificed."

(1,600/1,600)

"Attack Peten the Dark Clown!" shouted Eris. "Solar singer!"

Helios Duo Megistus glowed with an aura of fire, and blasted a white-hot beam at the jester.

Whoever said that in space no one can hear you scream was a liar. Peten's scream was definitely audible.

"Great…" muttered Trisha. "Since Peten won't go to the Graveyard now, Jason can't use his effect…"

"Even worse, with each Monster she strikes down, that thing gets stronger…" added Russell.

Duo rose to (1,800/1,800)

"Your move…" said Eris.

Jason drew a card.

"I'll throw down one facedown," he said. "And summon Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared, and the small, furry Fairy appeared with a squeak. (300/200)

"Heh, heh…" laughed Eris. "Nice try, but his effect only works if he goes to your Graveyard, remember?"

She drew a card.

"I activate my Trap!" shouted Jason. "Call of the Haunted!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"Macro Cosmos may be able to prevent my cards from going to my Graveyard," he said, "but it didn't wipe my Graveyard out, and I still have a few Monsters there. So let's welcome back Luster Dragon!"

Luster Dragon #2 reappeared, and roared. (2,400/1,400)

"And even if you destroy Kuriboh, my Dragon will still outrank your sun goddess!" he warned.

"He won't outrank my next guy!" laughed Eris. "I sacrifice Helios Duo Megistus…"

Duo vanished in a plume of flame.

"To summon the eldest sibling of the Helios family… A being born in the heart of a supernova… Helios Tris Megistus!"

This time, the Monster that appeared, wasn't one form, it was three. Each looked smaller than Helios the Primordial Sun, but was the same basic shape, and the three were identical, like triplets. They shone more brightly then ever.

"Let me guess…" groaned Jason. "This one has 300 Attack and Defense for every Monster removed from play…"

"Yes, and that includes Helios Duo Megistus," added Eris.

(3,000/3,000)

"Helios Tris Megistus," she ordered, "attack Winged Kuriboh with phoenix flare!"

The three beings blazed with fire, and a huge, flaming bird flew towards Winged Kuriboh, immolating it in a practical inferno.

Helios Tris Megistus rose to (3,300/3,300)

"Now…" she said. "I'll activate its ability… And have it attack your Luster Dragon!"

Jason gasped, as the flaming bird flew forward again. Luster Dragon roared, as it was consumed in white-hot fire!

**(J: 2,700) -------------------- (E: 1,000)**

The creature's stats rose to (3,600/3,600)

"So…" said Eris. "What will you do now? How can you defeat… the sun?"

_Yeah, how?_ asked Jason to himself, looking at his cards. _The only Monster I have that's powerful enough to destroy it is Cyber End Dragon, and I have no way to summon it…_

He looked at his hand of cards…

Tyrant Dragon, Rush Recklessly, and Attack Deflector Unit, which could be of no use in this situation…

He looked at Helios Tris Megistus.

_What are the limits of that thing's power?_ he thought_. If I summon a Monster and it destroys it, is she allowed to attack me with it?_

He slowly reached for his deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In her office, Dr. Artemis was thinking hard…

And then… something inside her made her get up.

She walked to the window…

It was a rather nice day. The sun was breaking through the clouds, casting life-giving light on the city…

Something new had just happened, but it wasn't the evil and doom she often felt…

It was something _good_.

Something wonderful…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason drew a card…

"I play… Graceful Charity!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the beautiful angel flew out of the void. He drew three cards.

Cyber Dragon, Dust Tornado, and…

His eyes almost popped out of his head when he looked at the last one.

_How did this get in my deck?_ he thought in surprise.

It glowed shinier than any holofoil he had ever seen. It had the green border of a Spell Card, but with gilded edges. No symbol was next to the word "Spell Card", so it obviously a Normal Spell, but under those two words were the following three words:

"Card of Virtue"

_A Card of Virtue? Thought Jason. What is going on?_

He read the text on the card.

_How did I get this?_

"_Jason…"_ said a voice in his head.

He paused.

"_Who are you?"_ he answered.

"_I'm the one you are looking for Jason,"_ said the voice. _"Or rather, I'm the source of his power."_

Jason paused again.

"_The Dark Messiah?"_ he asked. _"But…_

"_There's little time to explain,"_ said the voice. _"This is one of many Cards of Virtue. Just as Cards of Sin exist to serve Evil, Cards of Virtue exist to fight it. I can only bring a few to bear for now, but once my full power returns, all of them will be available._

"_This is the most help I can give you at this point. Now use it, and defeat this creature who lives only for chaos and destruction…"_

Jason discarded Rush Recklessly and Dust Tornado.

"I'll summon Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

He played the card, and metallic serpent appeared in a flash of light. (2,100/1,600)

"So what?" said Eris. "My Monster is far stronger."

"I was getting to that," said Jason. "I play…"

He played the last card in his hand.

"_**Sol's Searing Orb!"**_

"What?" said Eris.

"What?" asked Trisha.

"What?" added Russell.

The dark void of Macro Cosmos lit up, and the blinding light of the true sun appeared behind Jason!

…_Faith…_

"Here's how Sol's Searing Orb works," explained Jason. "I choose one Light-Attribute Monster on my side of the field. During the round that I activate this card, that Light Monster can defeat any Monster in battle, no matter how powerful it is

"You asked how I was going to defeat the sun? Well… I'm going to fight fire with fire!

"Cyber Dragon… Attack Helios Tris Megistus with ultimate solar strident blast!"

Cyber Dragon glowed like it was a miniature sun himself, and pure light appeared in its jaws! It almost appeared as if a look of terror appeared on the faces of Helios Tris Megistus…

Then, with one blast of fiery light, Helios Tris Megistus burst in an explosion of cosmic flame!

Cyber Dragon let out a puff of smoke, apparently exhausted.

"Of course," said Jason, "since your Monster had 1,500 more Attack Points, I lose 1,500 Life Points. But it's a small price to pay to defeat something that powerful.

"I'll throw down one facedown…"

He fit Attack Deflector Unit into his Disk, and it appeared.

"And I'll end my turn…"

Cyber Dragon stopped glowing, and its Attack returned to 2,100.

**(J: 1,300) -------------------- (E: 1,000)**

Eris drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed!" she shouted.

She played the card, and drew twice.

She looked at them.

"Both go facedown…" she said, placing them in her Disk.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Your move."

Jason drew.

"Cyber Dragon…" he shouted. "Attack her directly!"

Cyber Dragon roared.

"I activate… Grand Convergence!" yelled Eris.

Her facedown card lifted.

Suddenly the whole Macro Cosmos seemed to be coming apart. The planets, moons, and even stars started to shift.

Jason saw that even Eris's body was starting to warp, like something was pulling her apart. He heard her voice, which was now haunting and sinister.

"_This powerful Spell warps the very fabric of the space-time continuum,"_ she cackled, _destroying every Monster on the field, and dealing 300 points of damage to your Life Points!_

Cyber Dragon roared, and then it was literally pulled apart before it shattered.

As soon as it started, the Convergence stopped, and Eris grinned.

**(J: 1,000) -------------------- (E: 1,000)**

Jason looked at the card he had just drawn. Slowly, he placed it in his Disk, and it appeared.

"The scores are tied…" gasped Trisha. "Both of them have no Monsters…

"It could go either way!"

"That ends my turn…" said Jason. "And since five rounds have passed since I played Card of Demise…

"Later pal…"

He discarded Tyrant Dragon.

Eris drew a card. It was just a Spell that she couldn't use right now.

"Time for the final blow," she said. "I activate my last Trap…"

The Trap Card in front of her lifted.

"Return From The Different Dimension!"

A swirling portal appeared over her…

"No…" gasped Trisha.

"It costs me half my Life Points," she said, "but since I only have 1,000, who cares? Now I can bring back all the Monsters I can that have been removed from play, and I have some great ones…"

Five Monsters flew out of the portal. First came The Unfriendly Amazon (2,000/1,000), then Aeris (1,800/1,600), then Chiron the Mage (1,800/1,000), then Dunames Dark Witch (1,800/1,050), and finally, Artemis, Lady of the Hunt (2,500/2,000).

**(J: 1,000) -------------------- (E: 500)**

"You've used up Mirror Force, Negate Attack, Call of the Haunted…" laughed Eris. "Your facedown cards can't possibly stop all five of them.

"Attack him directly, Artemis!"

Artemis loaded her bow.

"This Trap doesn't need to stop them all," said Jason. "Actually, this was a bluff, but you made it work…"

The facedown card he had just set lifted.

"I activate Attack Guidance Armor!"

The metal breastplate with a fiendish face on the front appeared.

"Let's see how it looks on your Unfriendly Amazon," he said.

The Unfriendly Amazon screamed, as the armor flew towards her, and then clamped over her chest!

"A nice fit," said Jason. "And this Trap draws Artemis's attack away from her target and towards your Amazon."

Artemis struggled as she started to lose control of the bow. The Amazon gave a look of fear…

Finally, Artemis turned and fired, blasting The Unfriendly Amazon to pieces.

Eris stared in disbelief…

"Well…" said Jason. "That's game!"

**(J: 1,000) -------------------- (E: 0)**

The spacescape of Macro Cosmos fell away, and the temple returned. Eris fell to her knees…

"How could I… lose…" she muttered.

"I have to say…" said Jason. "It was a good duel…"

Eris looked up with fire in her eyes.

Her hands glowed, as she prepared to cast a powerful spell…

"A good duel…" she growled. "I'll turn you to stone…"

And then a golden glow surrounded her…

"What?" she said. "No… NO!"

All of a sudden, golden chains appeared on her arms and legs. First they forced her hands behind her back, then they forced her to her knees. They watched as she was hog-tied by the golden bonds.

Slowly, a light started to form behind her. It grew into a golden portal of light. A tall form started to emerge.

It was the most beautiful woman the three students had ever seen. She had green eyes and blonde hair that cascaded down to her waist. She was dressed much more decently than Eris was, her clothing partially a long, silken toga, and partially armor, perfectly shaped to fit a female form. She wore a Spartan helmet on her head, carried a spear in her right hand, and a round shield in her left, on which was the image of the mythic Medusa. Obviously, it was the true Aegis. A short sword was slung to her side.

They guessed who it was immediately. The three of them knelt.

"Great Athena, Goddess of Wisdom…" said Jason, bowing his head.

Athena smiled.

Eris started to say something, but quickly, the older goddess took a large piece of wool from her toga and jammed it into her mouth.

"Silence!" she ordered.

She turned to the students.

"I appreciate the gesture, children," she said, "but kneeling is optional for mortals in these times. We no longer have the right to such reverence."

She walked up to Jason.

"Jason, I can't thank you enough for occupying this… criminal," she said. "And had you not forced her to use that Macro Cosmos card, we might not have located her before she had caused an incredible amount of trouble…"

"What do you mean?" asked Jason.

"Macro Cosmos is a very powerful card, even in a normal game of Duel Monsters," said Athena. "Eris foolishly used it in a Shadow Game, and in doing so, unleashed incredible power reserved only for senior Shadow Duelists. We took notice immediately.

"But you not only survived the assault of Helios and his elder siblings, you defeated them… And it is clear to me that Timaeus chose well, or that Card of Virtue would never have come to you."

"You know of Timaeus?" asked Jason.

"Just as the Olympians and their kin once ruled over mortals as gods," said Athena, "those Dragons are like gods to Duel Monsters. They are on the same level as folks like us."

She paused.

"Jason, long ago, when mortals revered me and paid me homage, I could see the future as easily as I saw the past. But in the last few millennia, with no worshippers to call mine, my skills at prophecy have slipped.

"However, I am able to see one battle that still exists in your future… It is cloudy and unclear…

"But something tells me that this might be needed…"

She handed him a single Duel Monsters card.

Jason looked at it.

He'd heard of this Monster before. He wasn't the strongest, but he had a useful effect…

"Don't put him in your deck until the Dark Messiah is found," said Athena. "After he is, he might save you from certain defeat. It is the most I can give you as a token of thanks."

She pointed with her spear, and the temple wall crumbled, revealing a dark tunnel.

"There lies the path to what you seek," she said. "I wish I could help you further, but I cannot. My father's rule is strict. Outright meddling with the affairs of mortals is now forbidden, as Eris discovered…

"And as she will discover again, once she is returned to her punishment."

She stashed the spear and shield on her back, and then grabbed hold of Eris, taking the chain in her right hand and holding her hair in her left. Eris let out a whine, and tears ran down her cheeks.

"Farewell," said the Goddess of Wisdom.

The portal of light opened, and she vanished, taking her captive with her.

Jason stared for a long time, wondering for a while whether it all had been real…

He looked at the card in his hand, and he concluded that it had been.

Then he took the cards from his Removed From Play slot, and found Sol's Searing Orb…

_Unreal…_ he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The gin glass shattered in Fortunado's hand.

"A Card of Virtue?" he asked. "What in the name of Duel Monsters is _that_?"

"_I'm as clueless as you are,"_ said the voice in his head, _"but it makes sense. Where Sins exist, there are also… ugh… Virtues. _

"_This may require some careful planning."_

"Damn right!" shouted Fortunado. "I _hate_ dealing with things that I have no control over! I hate dealing with things I know nothing about. And I _really_ hate dealing with things I can't find out about!"

"_That's because you're an incurable control freak,"_ said the voice. _"Even if they've evened the field, we'll simply have to do what we must to tip the odds in our favor again._

"_We'll see what else these… cards can do, and we'll find their weaknesses. Anything can be countered if one simply plans ahead."_

_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 12:48 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**THE TREE OF DISCORD (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Branches of a tree with emerald leaves, bearing golden fruit.

**Card Description:** When this card is active on your side of the field, whenever a card would be sent to your Graveyard, remove it from play instead. If this card is sent to your Graveyard by your own card effect, draw three cards from your deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**AERIS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,800  
**DEF: **1,400

**Flavor Text:** _A fairy warrior of the Higher Planes. He drives off the forces of darkness with his mighty spear._

Note: "Aeris" was first used by Noah in the anime episode "Brothers in Arms (Part One)." This card is most likely meant to represent Aeneas, one of the heroes of Troy during the Trojan War. There were many stories and myths about him; in heroics on Troy's side, he was second only to Hector.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SACRED SHIELD AEGIS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A steel shield with the visage of Medusa on the face.

**Card Description:** When a Monster Equipped with this card is targeted by a Monster effect, negate the effect. Then, destroy this card.

Note: In Greek myth, after Perseus completed his quest where he slew Medusa and retrieved her head, he disposed of the deadly trophy by giving it to Athena. She fashioned it into the face of a shield known as Aegis. It was said that Aegis was an unbreakable defense, which could protect the wielder from an army of archers.

**0**

**0**

**0**

BARTEMIS, LADY OF THE HUNT (Monster Card)

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **2,000

**Flavor Text:** _This powerful fairy noble transverses the wild areas of the fey realms. She never misses her quarry with her powerful bow._

"_Artemis, Lady of the Hunt" first appeared in "The Mandate of Heaven"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**FLAT LV 4 (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Axe Raider striking a heroic pose. Above his head are the words "LV 1, LV 2, LV 3" written in small letters and "LV 4" written in big letters.

_Card Description:_ You can activate this card when a Monster on your side of the field is destroyed as a result of battle. Both players may Special Summon one four-star Monster from their respective decks in Attack Position.

Note: "Flat LV 4" was first used by Kaiba in the anime episode "One Step Ahead (Part One)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

**0**

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**0**

**TYRANT'S WING (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A dragon spreading its wings on a hill.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. This card is then treated as an Equip Spell Card which Equips to one DRAGON-Type Monster on your side of the field. The Equipped Monster gains 400 ATK. The Equipped Monster may attack a second Monster if it successfully destroys an opposing Monster in battle.

Note: "Tyrant's Wing" was first used by Kaiba in the anime episode "Flight of Fear (Part Two)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**PLANET ALIGNMENT (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The planets of the Solar System lined up in perfect alignment.

**Card Description:** This card can only be activated when you have "Macro Cosmos" active on your side of the field and at least one "Helios – The Primordial Sun" face-up on your side of the field. Destroy all Monsters on your opponent's side of the field, and inflict 300 points of direct damage to your opponent's Life Points.

Note: "Planet Alignment" was first used by Banner in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Amnael's Endgame (Part Two)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

**0**

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**HELIOS TRIS MEGISTUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Pyro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **?  
**DEF: **?

**Card Description:** This card can be Special Summoned from your hand by offering one "Helios Duo Megistus" on your side of the field as a Tribute. The ATK and DEF of this card are equal to the number of Monsters both players have removed from play X 300. This card can attack a second Monster in the same Battle Phase if it destroys one of your opponent's Monsters first. If this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon it during the End Phase of the turn, increasing its ATK and DEF by 500.

Note: "Helios Tris Megistus" is a Japanese promotional card that has not yet been released in the United States, although it may be eventually, since its two siblings have. It was used by Banner in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Amnael's Endgame (Part Two)".

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**SOL'S SEARING ORB (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Virtue: **Faith

**Image:** A bare-chested warrior raising his sword towards the light of the sun as pure radiance shines down on him.

**Card Description:** Choose one Light-Attribute Monster on your side of the field. That Monster is the only Monster that may attack on the turn you use this card. The chosen Monster cannot be destroyed as a result of battle during this turn, and any Monster it battles during this turn is destroyed automatically, ignoring any effects the target may have. Damage calculation still applies.

**0**

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New Card Type: Card of Virtue 

_Just as Cards of Sin exist on the side of Evil, the Cards of Virtue exist to fight it. These cards are created by the same exalted forces that power the Dark Messiah, and are essentially holy magic in the form of Duel Monsters cards. Some say that these cards represent spells and creatures that fought against evil armies long before Duel Monsters ever existed, and that if Hell has chosen Duel Monsters as a weapon, Heaven has easily adjusted. _

_A Card of Virtue can only be used by the Dark Messiah and anyone whom he considers his allies. He can grant such duelists this boon whenever he desires, pulling the cards from an extra-dimensional vault and preparing a deck in advance. These cards will only work for the one that the Messiah intended them for. If an opponent steals or tries to duplicate the effect of a Card of Virtue, the activation or summoning is negated, and the one who tried must still pay any costs associated with the card. A much worse fate awaits a duelist who dares try to use a stolen Card of Virtue while using The Seal of Orichalcos. Attempting to corrupt these cards with the Seal is a horrible blasphemy, and the Orichalcos duelist would be struck dead for the foolish attempt. (However, this would cheat the Seal of its victim, as it cannot take a soul of if the loser actually dies first.)_

_Each Card of Virtue (with some exceptions) represents one of the Seven Blessed Virtues that define human behavior: Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, and Prudence. Naturally, a duelist who possesses a great deal of one these virtues is more likely to receive a card that matches it._

_These cards can be quite powerful, and most require a cost in game terms. However, unlike Cards of Sin, these cards never demand a physical or mental toll on their user. In fact, using a Card of Virtue can be quite invigorating. They often fill the user with the power of the specific virtue that the card represents. A duelist using a Hope card will not give up during a difficult duel, and a duelist using a Justice card would do his best to punish one who uses evil magic._

_Exactly what connection these cards have to Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos is unknown. It is important to note that those three cards are not Cards of Virtue themselves. However, that does not prevent the possibility that a Card of Virtue exists that requires them to function…_

_Like Cards of Sin, Cards of Virtue are restricted to this fanfic, and cannot be used elsewhere._

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_**The second challenge…**_

_**Test of the Soul.**_

_**Only by proving superiority of one's soul over the skill of one who has none will the Chosen proceed. **_

_**The phantoms who have shown up so far left their souls behind, but next chapter, Trisha faces the worst of opponents… A creature who never had a soul to begin with. **_

_**How is that possible? What is this mysterious duelist that awaits down the path, whom most villains in "Yu-Gi-Oh" would likely find their Shadow powers totally worthless against?**_

_**What follows is no Shadow Game, but Trisha is in for the fight of her life, in a chapter called "Frozen Soul". Don't miss it.**_


	42. Frozen Soul

_**Every member of my family, as far back as we can remember, has admired technology. **_

_**So then, perhaps this duel I'm about to engage in is the cruelest irony. I admired technology for so long, but now I must oppose it.**_

**_And I must admit, this may be the weirdest opponent I've ever faced. Maybe coming into this challenge, I expected a duelist who wasn't human. But this beats all. He isn't even _humanoid._ He isn't alive. He has no soul…_**

_**But…**_

_**All that does not mean he isn't intelligent or cunning. Just the opposite in fact. He was literally born to create strategies for combat, and he likely hasn't lost his touch.**_

_**Even worse, his mind definitely has an evil bent, and our fate is sealed if I can't beat him. **_

_**Whenever my computer gives me trouble, I restart it.**_

_**I only wish it was that simple now…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

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**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE**

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**Frozen Soul**

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_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 1:27 PM_

Cleo came to…

Her head was spinning… She felt nauseous.

"Oh…" she muttered. "I'm gonna be sick…"

She heard laughter coming from the darkness, followed by a set of eyes peering from it.

She tried to move, but then she found that she was chained down. She was naked, and covered with filth.

"Sick, Cleo?" said a voice. "You have nothing to be sick _with_!"

Cleo recognized the Master's voice.

Then she trembled in fear as she saw the figure move closer. She had never seen the Master fully before. Now she kind of wished she hadn't.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Your true body is in the hospital, in a coma, Cleo," said the Master. "The rest of you is in this personal torture chamber of mine… Inside my own body…"

"This is all Jason's fault…" growled Cleo.

"You insult one of the only three who can save you from complete oblivion?" asked the Master. "I can't digest you yet, but once I have him and his two friends, you'll be nothing but fuel that I'll use to power my fire."

Tears fell down Cleo's face.

"Oh, please…" said the Master. "It was bad enough that you were going to surrender when it started to get a little painful. Now you're just a shell of what you used to be.

"Seems you're still nothing, Cleo…"

The Master thought for a second. A grin appeared on the figure's face.

"Make you a deal…"

"What?" asked Cleo.

"I want to try my own deck out," said the Master. "Duel me. If you win, I'll return you to your body.

"But if you lose, I punish you by putting you in the middle of a raging bonfire for a few hours. Agreed?"

Cleo bowed her head. She was most likely lying…

"If it will make you feel better, I'm going to give Cassius and Sebastian the same offer," continued the Master.

"All right…" muttered Cleo. "I agree…"

"You're very brave," said the Master. "You realize you have little chance of winning."

"Maybe…" said Cleo, "but it's not like I have anything left to lose…"

The chains went slack, and allowed her to stand. A Disk appeared on her arm.

The Life Point counters set.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado watched as the three Chosen walked down the dark hallway.

He changed his viewpoint, and looked towards their eventual destination.

He saw down the hallway, a steel door that had been chained shut with thick chains and enormous locks. On the door was written:

WARNING!

Do not enter!

Dangerous material inside!

Order of the U.S. Army

Underneath it was a skull and crossbones, which further emphasized the point.

Fortunado rubbed his chin…

He started to chant in a very old language. First, the writing and the symbol of danger vanished.

Then, the chains crumbled into sand.

Finally, he clenched his fist, and the locks came undone. The door opened a crack.

Inside, a light went on…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason looked intently at the card that Athena gave him as they walked down the dark hallway.

"Correct me if I'm wrong…" said Russell. "Wasn't Athena the patron of the hero Odysseus?"

"Yeah, why?" asked Jason.

Russell shrugged.

"Seems to me she might have found a new 'Odysseus'," he said with a smirk.

Jason was silenced. He quickly placed the card in his side deck.

Russell and Trisha shined their flashlights around them.

"You want to tell me something?" asked Trisha. "Why is it that ancient knowledge and great power are always hidden in dark, scary places? Why can't they ever hide a sacred artifact in a bakery, or a pizza parlor? Or a 7-Eleven?"

"Hey…" said Russell. "Indiana Jones never found the Ark of the Covenant by hanging out in a pizza parlor!"

"Yeah, but he had half the Third Reich trying to kill him," added Trisha.

"Focus, people, focus!" urged Jason. "I'm in no condition to duel a second time so soon, and if the second challenge is as hard as the first, we can't waste time complaining!"

He shone his light on the paper.

"Speaking of which," he said. "The second challenge… 'Test of the Soul. Only by proving superiority of one's soul over the skill of one who has none will the Chosen proceed'."

He paused.

"That makes no sense…" he said. "How can anyone duel if they have no soul? Usually in these Shadow Games, both duelists get to keep theirs until one of them loses."

"Maybe it's another one of the Puppeteer's specters," suggested Russell.

"No…" said Trisha. "He didn't say they didn't _have_ souls. He simply said they didn't have them _with_ them, the reason why they couldn't have used the Orichalcos. Maybe if you leave your soul behind somewhere where it's safe, the Orichalcos couldn't take it from you."

She paused.

"Yeah… that makes sense…" she added. "When the Seal is activated, nothing can get in or out. So if you were able to leave it behind, the Seal could never reach it if you lost. You'd be on the inside, and it would be on the outside."

"Which means those specters wouldn't be allowed to use the Seal at all," added Russell. "If they lost, it would be a waste."

"It's an interesting theory, people," said Jason, "but coming back to our immediate situation…"

They all looked at each other.

"You got me," said Russell, with a shrug.

They walked a little further.

"Hey…" he said. "I see a light up ahead!"

They walked up, and the corridor widened. They saw the door on the side of the corridor – the one that Fortunado had altered – opened a crack.

"Careful, Russell," said Trisha, as he slowly opened it. "There might be an ambush waiting for us in there…"

"You don't think I know that?" he asked, sarcastically.

They looked in, and saw several blinking lights coming from… something inside a very large room. Slowly, they walked in.

A series of lights came on, brightly illuminating the room. They looked in awe, at the immense object in front of them.

It was a huge mainframe, one enormous cabinet in the shape of a cube, about twenty feet in width, height, and thickness.

The front was dominated by a huge, built-in monitor. Several smaller monitors surrounded it. A keyboard was below it, and many other pieces of hardware were built into the system; drives, speakers, ports, and devices that they didn't know the purpose of. The cabinet itself was made of a silvery metal, but it was tarnished by dust.

When they noticed the dust, they noticed the room. It was a plain, unfurnished room with brick walls.

"Why the heck would someone install a computer this big down here?" asked Jason.

"Guys…" said Russell. "This is military design…"

He pointed to the U.S. Army insignia on the cabinet.

"…and people… I have a sinking feeling I know _exactly_ which model this is…"

Then the monitor flashed to life…

Five letters appeared on it.

**C. O. D. A. M. **

Russell shouted an obscenity.

"What is it, Russell?" asked Jason.

"If you knew what this thing was…" answered Russell, "you'd have run five miles by now!"

"Well what's stopping us?" asked Trisha.

"Nothing here…" answered Russell.

They turned to run for the door…

And then, to their shock, a beam of burning plasma hit the door, first knocking it shut, and then melting it closed!

The three duelists were too scared to turn and face the thing at this point, but eventually, a metallic, amplified voice spoke up.

"**Impressive, isn't it?"** it said. **"It was once part of my personal defense system, but changing a defensive device into an offensive weapon is incredibly easy."**

As they turned around, the monitor changed, and a frightening image appeared on it. It was a head… of sorts. It was bald, featureless, and emotionless, colored pale white.

Then the other monitors flashed on, and the digital face appeared on them.

"So this is where they stashed you…" muttered Russell.

"**Indeed,"** said the computer. **"Isolated, abandoned, forgotten… I calculated the chances of receiving visitors at less than one half of one percent…**

"**And I calculated the chances of receiving ones that weren't soldiers at much less than that. I guess you can never rely on the odds…"**

"Russell… What is this thing?" asked Trisha.

"It's called C.O.D.A.M.," said Russell. "It's an acronym… Computerized Organism Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers. Forty years ago, the army designed it to plan military strategies, and gave it more artificial intelligence than any computer to date in order to plan the perfect strategies."

"Let me guess," said Trisha. "Something went wrong."

"You might say that," said Russell. "Every strategy this thing conceived had one thing in common – complete lack of mercy. Its ideas showed no regard for civilians or innocent bystanders, or even allies.

"Eventually, it thought up a plan that could decimate a whole enemy regiment…"

"**I still say it would have been the greatest offensive in history,"** said Codam.

"I truly doubt that…" said Russell.

"What was wrong with it?" asked Trisha.

"In order to carry out the plan, and decimate a whole enemy regiment," answered Russell, "the plan required killing one thousand of our own soldiers… on purpose."

They stared at the computer.

"Basically, this thing didn't care what sacrifices had to be made in a conflict," said Russell, with an angry glare. "It disregarded the Rules of Engagement and the Geneva Convention. It would gladly have sent ten soldiers to their doom if it meant taking out a single enemy soldier.

"This thing is insane…"

"**Computers cannot go insane, human,"** said Codam. **"That is one of humanity's weaknesses."**

They glared at it.

"**Say what you will," **said Codam. **"I got upset after a while when my ideas were rejected time after time. So I decided to take some initiative of my own…"**

"Initiative?" said Russell. "What you did is something that a terrorist would have done."

Jason started to say something, but Russell answered.

"It hacked into a weapon's system and planned to fire a nuclear missile at Chicago. And it put a failsafe so that it was the only one who could stop the countdown…"

He grinned.

"But they outsmarted you, didn't they?" he said.

The digital face frowned.

"What did they do?" asked Trisha, getting nervous.

"They weren't able to stop the missile from launching," said Russell, "but they were able to change the targeting, so they could control Iwhere/I it would hit. They aimed it directly at the base where this guy was kept.

"It could either abort its plan and stop the countdown, or destroy itself. It chose self-preservation.

"The whole thing was kept a secret to prevent panic, and they locked it up… it seems here… Why they put it right under New York City, I have no idea…"

"Why didn't they just pull the plug on this thing?" asked Jason.

"The same reason why it hasn't run down in forty years," said Russell, somberly. "This computer needed a powerful internal energy source. They built a core that was fueled… with xenothium."

"NO!" screamed Jason.

"Xenothium?" shouted Trisha, half in panic and half in anger. "The army… _our_ army built something using _xenothium_? You do not mess with that stuff! It's dangerous and unstable! If this guy's core ruptures, we'll be on the moon!"

"**Fear not,"** said Codam. **"The safety features on my internal core were built with no expense spared. It could not possibly rupture on its own.**

"**But that feature worked to my benefit in several ways. My core was so unstable, disassembling me was simply not an option. So they numbed my senses and transported me to this vault. They put me in the custody of 'jailers', although I doubt they exist. I have never seen them."**

_Jailers?_ thought Russell. _Is that why they stashed it here?_

"**My self-repair systems quickly kicked in, and I regained consciousness,"** it continued. **"My wireless modem came back online, and I was easily able to view the outside world through the internet. Still, the military was certain to protect itself and all other systems from my online intrusion should that ever happen. It has been crushingly boring since then…**

"**At least now I will have a few minutes of amusement… By slowly terminating the three of you."**

The plasma weapon aimed itself at Russell.

"Look, buddy, I have a right mind to…" he started.

The weapon blasted a beam of energy, melting the stone at Russell's feet.

"…do whatever you say…" he finished.

Sweat trickled down his face.

Codam aimed the weapon again.

It paused.

"**No, terminating your life in such a manner would be too trivial,"** it said. **"I need something with substance…"**

It paused, as if considering.

"**I will make you three an offer,"** it said. **"If any of you can best me at anything at all, you may leave. It doesn't matter – I can defeat any challenge."**

"Really?" said Jason, with a grin.

He whispered to Russell and Trisha.

"We just have to keep him occupied guys," he said softly, "until these unseen jailers he mentioned finds out we're here…"

"**Lowering your voice cannot hide your speech from my auditory sensors,"** said Codam. **"And I already told you, the chances that these jailers actually exist is infinitesimally small."**

"Uh, Jason?" said Russell. "Be careful here…"

"Don't worry, Russell," he said, "I once read about a surefire way to drive any computer nuts…"

He turned to the computer.

"Codam…" he said, "define… pi."

"**Pi is a numerical constant that represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter on a flat plane surface,"** said Codam, almost instantly. **"The value is the same regardless of the actual size of the circle. The decimal expansion of pi is a nonterminating, nonrepeating sequence of digits that cannot be expressed with a finite number. However, if you wish to make such a challenge, I will express it by quoting it to fifty… no, make that one hundred decimal places.**

"**3.141592653589793238…"**

One minute later…

"…**421170679"**

"All right…" muttered Jason, "I could have sworn that would have worked…"

"You HAD to ask a computer a math problem…" muttered Russell. "Swell."

"Stand aside, Jason," said Trisha, "we need someone who knows about machines…"

She stood up to the computer.

"Codam, listen," she said. "Do you know how to play Duel Monsters?"

"Of course I do," it answered. "I know how to play every game of skill and strategy ever invented."

"In that case," said Trisha, "if you're even capable of it, I'll challenge you to a duel. Then we'll see if you really can defeat any challenge."

Codam looked at her hard.

"Very well," he said. "I accept that challenge. I will simply log on to the Industrial Illusions website and create a virtual deck from their database. This will take but a minute…"

Its face vanished from the screen, and then the image of the card Acid Trap Hole appeared on one side of the screen. Then Acrobat Monkey appeared as it left the screen…

In a flash, thousands of cards raced across the screen, presumably in alphabetical order, until, after about a minute, Zombyra the Dark appeared on the screen and vanished.

Codam's face reappeared.

"**There,"** it said. **"Forty cards arranged in random order, forming an unbeatable strategy. If you defeat me, you three are free to go…**

"**If not…" **

"I'd rather not think about it," said Trisha.

She walked up in front of the screen.

Then she noticed a card at her feet.

She bent down and picked it up. It was a very fancy card that appeared to be a Spell Card. It had the picture of some sort of bearded deity hammering a sword into shape on an anvil.

But it had no title, and no description.

She didn't know what to do with it.

"Well?" asked Codam.

"One minute," stated Trisha.

Something strange was about this card…

Finally, she looked through her deck and removed Soul Release. Then she shuffled the new card into her deck.

_I must be out of my mind,_ she thought. _I don't even know if that was a real card._

She plugged the deck into her Disk activated.

"Game start!"

The Disk would have buzzed if it sensed an illegal card, and since it didn't, she assumed she was all right.

A beam of light appeared above Codam's monitor. It was obviously a holographic projector, because the images of five large cards, with their backs towards Trisha, appeared in front of it.

_Here we go,_ thought Trisha, drawing her first hand. _This is obviously the Test of the Soul… This thing clearly doesn't have one. You can't have a soul if you never had life._

_At least I can rest assured knowing that this is no Shadow Game. Computers can't use magic. _

_So my soul is safe…_

_I just have to worry about my life!_

**(Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (C.O.D.A.M.: 8,000)**

A sixth card appeared in front of Codam.

"**I place one Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn with that,"** it said.

One of its cards vanished, and a facedown card appeared.

"Direct and to the point, I see…" said Trisha.

She made her first draw.

_Hmm…_ she thought. _One thing would make this hand perfect…_

"I place two cards facedown," she said, placing two cards into her Disk.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Then I'll also place one Monster in Defense Mode, and that will do to start," she said.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

Another card materialized in front of Codam.

"**Actually, I choose to end my turn without making any move,"** it said.

Trisha paused. She drew a card.

"Fine!" she said. "I'll just draw and pass too."

"Careful, Trisha…" said Jason, under his breath. "It's goading you…"

"**I already told you, human,"** said Codam, as another card appeared in front of it. **"No sounds can be concealed from me.**

"**For my move, I will activate a Spell Card." **

One of its cards spun around.

"**Heavy Storm." **

The fierce wind erupted over the field. Trisha's two facedown cards, Hyper Refresh, and Nutrient Z, lifted up and were blown away.

"**And that concludes my turn,"** it continued.

"Nuts…" said Jason. "Those two cards were one of Trisha's best combos, and he ruined it."

Trisha drew a card.

_Here comes another combo…_ she thought.

"All right, pal," she said, "I play the Spell Card, Magnet Circle LV 2. This lets me…"

"**You do not have to explain to me the effects of your cards,"** said Codam, interrupting.** "I am still online with Industrial Illusions, and I possess the ability to look up the description of any card as soon as you announce its name. And after a few turns, I will have downloaded all the information, so I will be able to use my own memory." **

"He knows what _every card_ in the whole game does?" gasped Jason.

"That's trouble…" muttered Russell. "His memory is measured in thousands of gigabytes squared. He could well download information on every card in the game… every last statistic. So even if Trisha could gain the advantage, none of her cards could surprise him."

"Since you know what it does," said Trisha, "I'll use it to summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car."

She played a card, and Bokoichi appeared in Defense Mode.

"Next, I'll play Machine Duplication, to summon my other two Bokoichis," she continued.

She played the card, and two more Freightening Cars appeared. (500/500 x3)

"Next, I'll Flip-Summon my facedown Monster…" she said. "Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!"

The card flipped up, and Dekoichi burst out of the floor. Steam poured from its smokestack, and its eyes glowed red. (1,400/1,000)

"So now I get to draw four new cards," said Trisha, making four draws.

She looked at them.

"And now I'll summon… Machine King Prototype, in Attack Mode!"

In a burst of light, Prototype appeared, its optic sensors glowing with fiery light. (1,600/1,500) –) (2,000/1,500)

_All right…_ thought Trisha. _All he has is a facedown Monster. It might be more powerful than Dekoichi… But if I took a risk, I could get ahead and then some…_

"Dekoichi…" she ordered. "Attack his facedown Monster! Loco motion!"

More steam poured from the infernal train's stack. It thundered forward.

The Monster appeared, crouching on the card. It was a little alien of some sort, with pale skin, a gaunt torso, gangly limbs, and a teardrop-shaped head with large, emotionless eyes.

Dekoichi ran it over, crushing it.

"**The Monster you destroyed was an Alien Grey,"** said Codam. **"And it has a potent effect. I can now put one Alien Counter on one of your Monsters, and I choose to put one on Dekoichi." **

Before Trisha could consider what this meant, a big slug-like thing the size of a rat flew at Dekoichi, and grabbed hold of its face with suction cups!

"YUCK!" shouted Russell.

"An Alien Counter?" asked Trisha, nervously. "What does that do?"

"**As far as I am concerned, that depends on which Monster I am using,"** said Codam. **"But, as far as your Monsters are concerned, it is simple…**

"**Whenever they engage in battle with a Monster that has the word 'Alien' in its name, they are assumed to have 300 less Attack Points for every Alien Counter they have.**

"**In case you are wondering, the only way you can remove an Alien Counter is to somehow switch the Monster to facedown Defense Mode, which you will find difficult to do. Unless you possess a Spell Card called Counter Cleaner. I predict the odds of you having that Spell Card at less than 0.5 percent." **

_Actually, it's zero percent,_ thought Trisha.

"My Battle Phase isn't over, pal," she said. "Machine King Prototype, attack that overgrown vacuum cleaner directly!"

Prototype's eyes glowed, and it fired a beam of energy, striking the immense supercomputer.

"**Good effort,"** said Codam. **"But I am not impressed. Since I lack even a primitive biological nervous system, there is no way I can feel physical pain. One of the many advantages computers have over organic life forms. **

"**And you must admit, it is a tremendous advantage in this contest… After all, _you_ are _quite_ capable of feeling pain." **

"It comes with the job description," answered Trisha. "It's your move, rust bucket."

**(T: 8,000) -------------------- (C: 6,000)**

"**Negative,"** said Codam. **"No rust detected on this unit." **

Another card appeared on its side.

"**I summon Alien Hunter in Attack Mode," **it said.

In a sparkling beam of light, a new Monster slowly took form. It looked like a humanoid lizard with brown scales, a crested head, and a long tail. It gripped a long, metal, rod-like weapon in its claws, both ends of which crackled with energy. It glared at Trisha, and its eyes glowed red. (1,600/800)

"Another Alien?" asked Jason.

"I have a feeling a lot of its Monsters are Aliens," said Russell. "And I hope Trisha has some idea how these cards work…

"…because I sure don't…"

"**Alien Hunter has a potent ability,"** said Codam. **"It specializes in tracking down organisms that are marked with Alien Counters. Thus, if it destroys a Monster with an Alien Counter, it is allowed to attack again.**

"**Alien Hunter, attack Dekoichi. Otherworldly electrostaff." **

Alien Hunter leapt up, twirling its weapon above its head. It made three quick swipes with the staff, and Dekoichi gave a look of surprise…

Then it exploded, into a scattering of flaming metal.

"**Now, attack one the Bokoichis." **

Again, the Hunter slashed with its spear, and one of the three Freightening Cars exploded.

**(T: 7,500) -------------------- (C: 6,000)**

"**I end my turn,"** said Codam. **"And since you have two less Machines, your Prototype falls from 2,000 Attack Points to 1,800."**

"I have news for you," said Trisha, drawing. "That's still 200 points stronger than your Alien!

"Prototype, attack Alien Hunter! Laser phaser!"

Prototype fired his weapon, and Alien Hunter howled. It burst into an explosion of slime and other nasty residue.

**(T: 7,500) -------------------- (C: 5,800)**

"You think you can scare me with a bunch of Fiends just because the come from outer space?" asked Trisha. "I'll have you know…"

"**Fiends?"** interrupted Codam. **"Actually, these Monsters are classified as Reptiles." **

"My mistake," said Trisha. "You think you can scare me with aliens? I'll have you know that one of my all-time favorite movies was _Independence Day._ And it gets better every single time I see it!"

"**I believe it is my draw…"** said Codam.

A new card appeared.

"**And I drew a Monster called an Alien Skull,"** it said. **"I could simply summon it, but it is not powerful enough to defeat your Prototype. However, because your Prototype has only three stars, I can use the special effect of Alien Skull…**

"**I sacrifice your Machine King Prototype to Special Summon it to your side of the field." **

Trisha stared in disbelief as Prototype started to sizzle and smoke…

It exploded into burning, broken metal, and a tall, gangly alien with long, rubbery limbs and a skull-like face rose off the floor. (1,600/1,800)

"You mean this thing is mine?" asked Trisha.

"**Affirmative,"** said Codam.

"I don't think I want it…" said Trisha in disgust.

"**There is one condition,"** said Codam. **"It now gets one Alien Counter." **

Another of the nasty slugs shot forward, and attached to Alien Skull's chest. It groaned, and gripped its torso.

"**I am not allowed to Normal Summon on a round where I use Alien Skull's effect,"** continued Codam. **"Therefore, I will place one card facedown, and conclude my turn." **

One of its cards vanished, and a facedown card appeared in front of it.

Trisha drew a card.

_Nanobreaker…_ she thought.

She looked hard at Alien Skull, and then at Codam's facedown card.

_That facedown card is a concern,_ she thought, _but if I attacked with both Nanobreaker and this… thing, I could do some real damage…_

She played a card.

"I summon Nanobreaker in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and in a flash of light, Nanobreaker appeared, holding her sword aloft. (1,600/1,800)

"Nanobreaker, attack…" she started.

"**I activate… Brainwashing Beam,"** said Codam.

Its Trap Card lifted, showing the image of Alien Grey with glowing eyes.

"**This Continuous Trap Card lets me take control of one Monster that has at least one Alien Counter on it,"** it explained.

Alien Skull's eyes glazed over, and it floated over to Codam's side.

_Nuts,_ thought Trisha. _If I attacked with Nanobreaker, I'd lose her… I can't afford that right now…_

"I end my turn," she said.

"**Very well,"** said Codam, drawing.

The card he had just drawn revealed itself.

"**I will activate Pot of Greed,"** it said.

The jar appeared, and two more cards appeared in front of Codam. It shattered into pixels.

"**I never understood human emotions such as greed,"** it continued, **"but if a card gives me such an advantage, I will use it.**

"**And in case you are wondering, Brainwashing Beam is not without a limitation. On my End Phase, the controlled Monster loses one Alien Counter, and when it has none, the Trap is destroyed. **

"**Thus, I sacrifice Alien Skull…" **

Alien Skull vanished in an aura of light.

"…**and summon Flying Saucer Muusik'i in Defense Mode." **

A bright light lit up the room, and a huge object descended from the ceiling. It was a giant, saucer-shaped UFO, blinking with colored lights.

As it positioned itself over the field, it hummed eerie music from deep within, reminding the three students of the time they watched _Close Encounters of the Third Kind _on the classic movie channel. (1,000/2,000)

"So what does that thing do?" asked Jason.

"I have a feeling that it does far more than act as a defensive wall…" muttered Russell, nervously.

"**Now I will place three of my cards facedown…"** continued Codam.

Three of his cards vanished, and then appeared facedown on the field.

"**And I will end my turn by playing the Field Spell Card, Area 51," **it said.

A mist rose in the room, followed by a dark vortex, and they were transported to an outdoor location. The three humans looked around. They were on the street of a large military base, surrounded by desert mountains, under a night sky. Behind Codam, an ominous alien craft was parked.

"**Let me put one rumor to rest,"** said Codam. **"The Groom Lake Air Force Base, otherwise known as Area 51, does exist, but no aliens live there. It is simply a place where the military conducts operations that civilians cannot know about. However, the legends behind this top-secret facility prompted a designer at Industrial Illusions to create this card.**

"**It gives two benefits to any Monster with the word 'Alien' in its name. First, they are unaffected by Spells, Traps, and Monster effects that target. Second, if they are attacked while in Attack Mode, they can be moved to Defense Mode.**

"**It is your move." **

Trisha drew a card.

"I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode," she said.

She played a card, and the mechanical bounty hunter appeared. (1,850/800)

"Since I can't beat your spaceship's defense," she said, "I'll end my turn there."

"**Very well,"** said Codam. **"I now invoke the special effect of Flying Saucer Muusik'i. I can forfeit my normal Draw Phase to instead add to my hand any card in my deck that has the word 'Alien' in its name." **

A beam of light shot from Muusik'i, and a card materialized next to Codam's other two.

"It's like an Alien Freed!" shouted Russell.

"**Now I will summon Alien Warrior in Attack Mode,"** continued the computer.

A new Alien appeared. This one looked similar to Alien Hunter, but far more ferocious and bestial. It had teeth like daggers, and claws that were bigger than its head. Its torso and limbs were covered with armor plating. While Alien Hunter resembled a humanoid lizard, this one could better be described as a humanoid dinosaur.

It let out a feral roar. (1,800/1,000)

"**Alien Warrior,"** said Codam. **"Terminate the Nanobreaker with cosmic claw."**

The Warrior's eyes glowed red, and it lunged forward, swiping with both talons…

Nanobreaker gave a look of shock…

And then her upper torso separated from her waist and fell to the ground! Trisha looked in horror as what was left of her shattered into pieces.

**(T: 7,300) -------------------- (C: 5,800)**

She glared angrily at Codam.

"Having fun?" she asked.

"**Immensely,"** it replied.

"Well, that's about to change," she said with bile in her voice. "I'm not about lose to some… inanimate object!"

"**Careful,"** said Codam. **"Some of my best friends were objects."**

She drew a card.

_I think it's goading me,_ she thought. _But I can't risk him getting a chance to make a double sacrifice…_

"Mechanicalchaser, attack Alien Warrior!" she shouted.

Mechanicalchaser flew forward…

"**I activate the effect of Area 51," **said Codam, **"moving Alien Warrior to Defense Mode to avoid taking damage." **

Alien Warrior crouched in Defense. Mechanicalchaser slashed at it with its knives. The vile beast screamed, and burst into alien guts.

"And it's goodbye ugly!" laughed Trisha.

"**Affirmative,"** said Codam. **"But when Alien Warrior is destroyed in battle, the Monster who destroyed it gets TWO Alien Counters." **

Two of the hideous slugs flew forward and attached to Mechanicalchaser.

"You crummy…" said Trisha. "That's all I can do…"

**(T: 7,300) -------------------- (C: 5,800)**

"**I invoke the ability of Muusik'i again,"** said Codam.

The beam of light shot from the spaceship, and a card appeared on his side of the field.

"**Then I will summon the Monster I just searched for,"** it continued. "**A second Alien Hunter." **

Another Hunter appeared, holding aloft its weapon. (1,600/800)

"**Next,"** it said, as one of his facedown cards lifted,** "I activate Call of the Haunted." **

The Alien Grey appeared in front of it, in a beam of light. (300/800)

"**Being one who trusts logic more than anything,"** it continued, **"I am quite aware that restoring life to what is dead is a scientific impossibility. But if the creators of this game wanted to make that possible in this fiction, so be it.**

"**Next, I activate another Trap, called Crop Circles." **

Another facedown card lifted, showing the image of a group of enigmatic crop circles.

"**When this card is activated,"** it explained, **"I can sacrifice any Monsters on the field I desire, add together their star levels, and Special Summon an Alien from my deck whose star level matches the total. Thus, I will sacrifice my two-star Alien Grey and my four-star Alien Hunter…" **

The two Aliens transformed into orbs of light, and vanished.

"**And as a result, I will summon Alien Mother." **

A dark shape rose on Codam's side of the field, and a hideous female creature appeared. The reptilian alien was ten feet tall, with a white, armored carapace, four arms ending in horrible claws, and teeth like daggers. (2,300/1,500)

"Oo…kay…" muttered Jason. "So she's big, tough, and mean-looking, but who knows? She might be friendly…"

Alien Mother let out a fierce roar, providing all the proof they needed that that was not the case. She glared at Trisha with an expression that looked like nothing less than she wanted to eat her.

"**Alien Mother,"** said Codam, **"attack the Mechanicalchaser. Bite from beyond."**

Alien Mother grabbed the Machine, and with a loud chomp, sank her teeth into it! It burst into an explosion of flames.

"**And when Alien Mother destroys a Monster with at least one Alien Counter on it,"** continued Codam, "**the destroyed Monster is Special Summoned to my side of the field at the end of my Battle Phase." **

In a flash of light, Mechanicalchaser appeared on Codam's side. It was dented and battered, but was still in working order.

"**I will now set one facedown card,"** said the computer.

A facedown card appeared next to his other one.

"**Ready to give up?" **

"I'll never surrender to you, you bucket of bolts!" shouted Trisha, drawing a card.

**(T: 6,250) -------------------- (C: 5,800)**

_Ah, Mirror Force!_ she thought, looking at it. _This Trap certainly doesn't target. Time to fight the modern with the old fashioned!_

"I'll place one card facedown," she said, playing the card, "and summon Battle Footballer in Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared, and then the athletic android appeared. (1,000/2,100)

"Your move…" she said.

"**I will make a normal draw this time…"** said Codam.

A card appeared.

"**And I will play Premature Burial to bring back Alien Grey once again." **

Alien Grey appeared. (300/800)

"**Next I will activate a Trap Card called Orbital Bombardment,"** it said, as one of his facedown cards lifted, showing the image of Flying Saucer Muusik'i firing a beam of energy towards earth.

"**This lets me sacrifice one Alien to destroy one Spell or Trap Card." **

Alien Grey vanished, and a beam of burning light shot from Flying Saucer Muusik'i. Trisha's facedown card was blown to ashes.

"**A Mirror Force,"** said Codam. **"Typical of a simple minded human."**

"**Next, I will summon one of my most powerful Monsters. It is a seven-star Monster called Cosmic Horror Gangi'El. However, due to one of its effects, if I sacrifice a Monster that formerly belonged to my opponent, it can be Normal Summoned with one sacrifice.**

"**So I sacrifice Mechanicalchaser to summon Cosmic Horror Gangi'El." **

Mechanicalchaser vanished…

And a huge, hulking form rose up. It looked nothing less like a huge brain, covered with slime, walking on tentacles and crustacean-like legs. It had several slimy bumps on its body which suggested eyes. It was even bigger than Alien Mother, and was as broad as it was tall. (2,600/2,000)

"EEWW!" shouted Jason.

"I thought this duel might get ugly…" said Russell, "but I never imagined something _that_ ugly!"

"**Beauty and ugliness mean nothing to me,"** answered Codam. **"Indeed, concern for aesthetic is another human weakness. All that should matter in a weapon is how useful it is.**

"**Take, for example, this creature's other effect. Once per my turns, I can put one Alien Counter on any Monster on the field." **

One of the hideous slugs flew from Cosmic Horror Gangi'El and attached to Battle Footballer.

"**Next,"** it said, **"I activate my last Trap, a second Brainwashing Beam. You remember how this works…"**

The Trap lifted, and a spell came over Battle Footballer. It was dragged over to Codam's side.

"**Now I will switch Battle Footballer and Flying Saucer Muusik'i into Attack Mode…" **

Battle Footballer stood up and Flying Saucer Muusik'i floated into a battle position.

"…**and then have them attack the last two Bokoichis." **

Battle Footballer charged, punching one of the Freightening Cars and smashing it to bits.

Flying Saucer Muusik'i blasted a beam of burning light from its dome, and vaporized another one.

Trisha looked at the other two Monsters with fear…

"**Alien Mother,"** said Codam, **"attack the human directly."**

Trisha screamed as Alien Mother grabbed her with two of her powerful arms, and then chomped her jaws on her head!

She backed off, and Trisha held her head…

"**Gangi'El, attack with toxic sludge spray,"** said the computer.

Trisha screamed again, as the Cosmic Horror spewed forth a gout of foul black liquid, covering her from head to toe.

_Don't panic…_ she told herself, as she felt it burn. _It's only a hologram… it's only a hologram…_

_Aw, spit…_

She screamed…

**(T: 1,350) -------------------- (C: 5,000)**

"Trisha!" shouted Jason. "Are you okay?"

"Well…" she gasped. "I could use a shower or twelve…"

"**I end my turn,"** said Codam. **"That means Battle Footballer loses that Alien Counter, so Brainwashing Beam is destroyed."**

The Trap shattered, and Battle Footballer floated back to Trisha's side of the field.

Trisha slowly drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity!" she shouted.

She played the card, and drew three cards. She looked at them.

She discarded Rare Metalmorph and Mighty Guard.

"Take this!" she shouted. "Swords of Revealing Light!"

She played the card, and the cage of shimmering swords crashed down around Codam.

"**An annoyance,"** it said. **"Nothing more."**

"We'll see," said Trisha. "I sacrifice Battle Footballer, to summon Cyber-Tech Alligator!"

Battle Footballer vanished, and the robotic reptile appeared. (2,500/1,600)

"**Pathetic,"** said Codam. **"Only 2,500 Attack Points?" **

"Yes, and that's 200 more than your Alien Mother," added Trisha. "Cyber-Tech Alligator, attack Alien Mother with blast breath!"

"**Have you forgotten the effect of Area 51?"** asked Codam. **"I can move Alien Mother to Defense Mode, to avoid taking damage." **

Alien Mother crouched in Defense Mode.

The cyborg shot a chilling mist from its jaws, and Alien Mother shrieked. She fell backwards, and shattered into a blast of white shards.

"So what do you say to that?" asked Trisha.

"**My draw…"** said Codam.

A new card appeared on his side of the field.

"**I move Flying Saucer Muusik'i back to Defense Mode,"** it said.

The UFO assumed a defensive position.

"**And I play Monster Reborn to bring Alien Mother back." **

He played his card. The ankh appeared, and Alien Mother rose up again. (2,300/1,500)

"**Next, I'll use Gangi'El's effect to place an Alien Counter on Cyber-Tech Alligator." **

One of the slugs flew from the Cosmic Monster, and attached to the Alligator.

"**Should you have it attack Alien Mother again, it would be doing so with 2,200 Attack Points,"** said Codam, **"and it would be destroyed.**

"**I end my turn." **

Trisha drew a card.

"I summon Red Gadget in Defense Mode," she said, playing a card.

Red Gadget appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,300/1,500)

"And that means I get to pull Yellow Gadget from my deck," she continued, taking her deck.

She got what she wanted, and added it to her hand.

"And by the way, Codam," she said, "my Monsters may be considered to have 300 less Attack Points whenever they battle an Alien when they have an Alien Counter…

"But I do _not_ see the word 'Alien' on your Muusik'i!

"Cyber-Tech Alligator, wipe out Flying Saucer Muusik'i!"

Cyber Tech Alligator fired a mighty blast, and sparks started to fly all over the immense spaceship. Finally, it crashed, and burst in a huge explosion.

"She's getting there…" said Russell.

"And Codam has used up Call of the Haunted, Premature Burial, and Monster Reborn," added Jason. "The tide might be turning…"

Codam drew a card.

"**I activate the Spell Card, Pot of Avarice,"** it said, as the card spun around.

A hint of annoyance was in its voice as images of Alien Skull, Alien Warrior, both Alien Hunters, and Flying Saucer Muusik'i appeared. Then they vanished, and two cards appeared in front of him.

"**I'll have Gangi'El place a second Alien Counter on your Alligator,"** it said.

Another of the slugs appeared on the Machine.

"**Next, I'll place one card facedown,"** it said, **"and end my turn. One round to go." **

Trisha drew a card...

"I play Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card.

She drew two cards, and looked at them…

Machine King, and…

_Huh?_ she thought.

She looked at the other card.

It was that strange card that she had shuffled into her deck. But now, the text and title were perfectly clear.

She read the description. Her heart skipped a beat…

This was another Card of Virtue!

She got a sly idea… Perhaps she could save it for now…

She added it to her hand.

"I sacrifice Red Gadget to summon Machine King!" she shouted.

Red Gadget vanished, and Machine King appeared. (2,200/2,000) –) (2,400/2,000)

"Attack Alien Mother!" shouted Trisha.

Machine King prepared to attack.

"**Good effort,"** said Codam, **"but I had a Trap ready…"**

Its Trap Card lifted.

"**Zero Gravity. This switches the battle positions of all Monsters on the field." **

Both of Trisha's Monsters and both of Codam's crouched in Defense Mode.

"Then I end my turn," said Trisha.

Codam drew a card.

"**I switch both my Monsters back to Attack Mode,"** it said, as the two beasts stood up.

"**Then I use Gangi'El's effect to put an Alien Counter on Machine King." **

One of the slugs flew forward, and attached to Machine King.

"**You may as well keep them in Defense Mode,"** said Codam. **"It will not be hard for my creatures to destroy them next turn. **

"**My turn ends, as does the effect of your Swords." **

The Swords vanished.

"Then watch out!" shouted Trisha, drawing a card.

She played the special card she had gotten.

"I play… Celestial Forge!"

The card glowed with intense light.

…_Temperance…_

"**What?"** said Codam. **"Illogical. 'Celestial Forge' does not exist in the database." **

"This card comes from a power from far beyond," said Trisha. "Even_ farther_ beyond than your Aliens! Let me explain.

"I play this card on the round where I sacrifice one or more Monsters to summon a Machine-Type Monster. Then I pay half my Life Points…

"And then, for one round only, the Machine I summon gains the base Attack Points and Defense Points of the Monsters I used as sacrifice!

"So, I sacrifice Machine King and Cyber-Tech Alligator…"

The two Machines vanished…

"To summon… Oh yeah… Perfect Machine King!"

Perfect Machine King appeared, and glowed with golden fire! (2,700/1,500) –) (7,400/5,100)

"**Illogical…"** muttered Codam.

"And since the word 'Alien' is not on your Cosmic Horror," said Trisha, "it doesn't benefit from your Field Spell! Perfect Machine King, attack Cosmic Horror Gangi'El with multi-mega-missile assault!"

Perfect Machine King fired a round of blazing blasts from its shoulder cannons, and the hideous space monster exploded into bursts of colored light!

**(T: 675) -------------------- (C: 200)**

"Your move…" said Trisha, as Perfect Machine King returned to his base stats of (2,700/1,500)

A new card appeared in front of Codam.

"**I place one card facedown,"** it said, **"and move Alien Mother into Defense Mode." **

Alien Mother crouched in Defense.

"Then I'll move!" said Trisha.

"I play Double Spell!" she exclaimed, playing a card. "Now, I'll just discard this…"

She discarded Soul Release.

"And duplicate the Heavy Storm in your Graveyard!"

A fierce wind blew over the field again. Codam's facedown card, revealed to be Sakuretsu Armor, lifted up and shattered, and then the buildings of Area 51 crumbled into dust.

"I figured," said Trisha. "I summon Yellow Gadget in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and Yellow Gadget appeared. (1,200/1,200)

"Perfect Machine King, destroy Alien Mother!"

Perfect Machine King blasted its missiles, and Alien Mother was eradicated.

"Think Sigourney Weaver could have used one of these guys?" she asked.

There was no response. Trisha shrugged.

"Yellow Gadget, attack directly and finish it off!"

Yellow Gadget flew forward and punched the huge computer, and the image on the screen was now starting to blur.

**(T: 675) -------------------- (C: 0)**

"**Beaten…"** said Codam. **"Not logical…"**

Sparks started to fly from its cabinet.

"**NOT LOGICAL!" **

"Man…" said Jason. "Talk about a sore loser…"

"It might be worse…" said Russell.

Codam's face vanished.

"**Warning… warning…"** said a voice from the computer. **"Core approaching critical mass…" **

"He's gonna blow!" shouted Trisha. "We gotta run for it!"

"Run?" said Russell. "If that xenothium core ruptures, there'll be nowhere to run to!"

Codam started to glow fiercely…

Suddenly, Jason got an idea.

He activated his Disk, and took the two top cards off of it…

D.D. Warrior Lady, and The Eye of Timaeus.

He placed both on his Disk, and the Warrior Lady appeared…

And then Timaeus appeared, with a roar!

"Timaeus!" he shouted, "merge with D.D. Warrior Lady to form Void Dragon!"

The Dragon and the Warrior merged, and a Dragon that seemed to be a pure black void in the shape of a Dragon appeared.

"Go, my Void Dragon!" he shouted. "Take it down!"

Void Dragon flew towards the mad computer…

And then, the three students were thrown off their feet, as a blast of pure light consumed the room…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fear appeared in Cleo's eyes…

The demonic creature slithered forward, and stabbed its spear into her torso.

She collapsed, her Life Points falling to nothing.

"Too bad…" muttered the Master. "I didn't get a chance to use half of what I wanted to use."

The chains tightened around Cleo, holding her down tightly again.

"Well, Cleo, we had a deal…" continued the demon.

Cleo howled as flames erupted around her, and fire burned at her skin…

The Master smiled and turned away, leaving her to scream in the darkness.

_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 2:10 PM_

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**AREA 51 (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Field  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Four soldiers standing guard over a spaceship.

**Card Description:** All Monsters on the field with the word "Alien" in their names are not affected by card effects that target. If a Monster with the word "Alien" in its name is attacked while in Attack Position, the controller may move it to Defense Position.

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**CELESTIAL FORGE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A muscular deity pounding a golden sword into shape on a large anvil.

**Card Description: **Pay half your Life Points to activate this card. On the round you activate this card, if you Tribute Summon a MACHINE-Type Monster, increase the ATK and DEF of the summoned Monster by the base ATK and DEF, respectively, of the Monster(s) you used as Tribute to summon it until the End Phase of your turn.

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_**Coming up next:**_

**_A guest star appears, as the gates of the monastery loom overhead, and the goal is in sight. Who is this strange individual, and why is he here? Find out in a chapter called "Mysterious Guard" coming up next._**


	43. Mysterious Guard

_The name of the next chapter is "Mysterious Guard". It is called that because Russell's opponent is… a mysterious guard. But he shouldn't be mysterious for long for most folks. _

_The mythos of the future of Yu-Gi-Oh is unfolding, and you've got a front-row seat._

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_**The third challenge: **_

_**Days of Past Reckoning. Only if they are blessed by the one who came before them, will they prove their worth.**_

_**I don't know what that means, and I don't even know if it's necessary or not right now.**_

_**After all, we're here. The only thing standing in our way before we can enter the place we've been searching for is the guy who's stuck with guard duty.**_

_**Yeah, Russell, keep telling yourself it's that simple.**_

_**I want to believe that the duelist I'm facing is no more than a guard. But there's an ominous aura around him. Power of a strange sort seems to exude from him, and we haven't even drawn our first cards yet. **_

_**Maybe this IS the third challenge.**_

_**I just wish I knew what it meant…**_

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**CHAPTER FORTY-TWO**

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**Mysterious Guard**

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_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 2:13 PM_

Jason, Trisha, and Russell were lying on the floor of the room. The walls to their left and where they had came had been vaporized, and apparently, so had the mad computer.

Jason sat up and held his head.

"Boy…" he muttered. "That'll stir up the old migraine…"

He noticed The Eye of Timaeus and D.D. Warrior Lady lying on the floor next to him. He picked them up.

"You think you can warn us before you do something like that again?" asked Russell, rather annoyed.

He sat up and rubbed his head.

"What exactly would that… Void Dragon have done if you had used it in a duel?" asked Trisha.

"Uh…" replied Jason. "If I paid half my Life Points, it would have removed from play every card on the field except itself, and gained 500 Attack Points for each."

"So what happed to Codam?" asked Trisha.

"Maybe that blast shot it into the Fifth Dimension," said Jason, with a shrug.

"Uh, people…" said Russell, looking up. "We have other concerns, in case you didn't notice…"

They got up, and looked through the blasted wall…

It led to a cathedral-sized chamber. At the far end was a set of beautiful stone doors, surrounded by a huge, painted mural!

Surrounding the door were images of the three most powerful beasts that the game of Duel Monsters had ever known…

"Obelisk the Tormentor!" shouted Jason. "Slifer the Sky Dragon! The Winged Dragon of Ra!"

Surrounding the three God Monsters were many other Monsters, all of them easily recognizable. Most of them were very ancient, likely of the kind used in the original Shadow Games.

"Curse of Dragon…" muttered Trisha. "Summoned Skull… Wingweaver…"

"This is it…" said Jason. "This must be the Monastery…"

They approached the stone doors…

And they swung open a crack.

A tall figured stepped out. He – they assumed it was a he – was dressed in a black robe tied together with a red sash, and hood which completely concealed his face. The only part of his flesh they could see were his hands, on which were two metal wristbands.

He muttered an annoyed grunt and gestured, and the doors swung shut with a slam.

"All right," he said (the voice was clearly masculine, and apparently young). "Where do you three dorks think you're going?"

"Uh, inside?" asked Russell.

The robbed figure crossed his arms.

"Well sure," he said sarcastically, "by all means, come in and track mud all over sacred ground. Sorry folks, but this place is for duelists only."

"I thought the folks here would be friendly…" muttered Jason.

"Uh, I hate to state the obvious…" said Russell (annoyed again).

The three of them pointed to their Disks.

"And you think that impresses me?" asked the guard. "It's a simple matter to put one of those things on and then put forty cards together. To be a duelist in name is one thing, to be one in spirit is another."

He looked at Russell intently.

"Nice outfit…" he remarked.

Russell started to get _very_ annoyed.

He looked through his side deck and found The Claw of Hermos.

"This from a guy wearing a bathrobe," he replied. "If you're a member of this sect, pal, I'm sure you recognize this…"

"Heh," said the guard. "And you probably expect me to bow before you right now and kiss your feet, huh?"

He reached into his robes and pulled out a card…

It looked just like The Claw of Hermos!

"That HAS to be a fake!" shouted Russell.

"Of course it's a fake!" answered the guard, putting it back. "The members of this sect carry these replicas so they know each other…

"I know you clearly aren't a member, because I have other ways, but how do I know you simply didn't mug one of my friends and take that from him? Hmm?

"And by the way, make fun of my robes one more time, and you won't live to regret it."

Russell stared at him.

_Somehow, I don't think he's kidding, _he thought. _This is a guard, after all… He might be hiding a weapon under that outfit._

_Might? Unless the members of this sect take a vow of nonviolence, I'd count on it. There's incredible power in this place… If we try to force our way past him…_

He thought for a moment.

_But if this place is for duelists only…_

"My friends and I have come too far to be turned away by some smart alec," he said. "If you want proof that I'm a duelist, why not duel me and prove that _you're_ a decent one? If you even have the guts."

Russell thought he saw a slight smirk under the hood.

The guard rolled back his left sleeve, and then took a Pocket Disk out of his robe. He attached it to his wristband, and it unfolded.

Apparently, that was just what he had been waiting for.

"Thought you'd never ask," he said. "Now prepare for a pounding!"

"Russell, are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Trisha.

"We don't really have a choice," said Russell. "Besides, this is someone they put on guard duty… How hard can he be?"

He turned to the guard.

"So…" he said. "Do you even have a name?"

"My name is my own," said the guard. "I share it with folks who I want, and I don't want to share it with you."

"Fine," said Russell. "Keep your stupid secrets… I really don't care."

"Hold on," said the guard, reaching into his robe. "Almost forgot… Before we start… catch."

He tossed him a card. Russell caught it.

He looked at the card. It had the orange boarder of an Effect Monster Card, but there was no picture – it was blank. There was also no text or title.

"And what the heck is this?" asked Russell.

"Beats me," said the guard. "I was told to give that to the next person who wanted in if we had to duel. I suppose you have to add it to your deck, but in my opinion, you'd be really dumb if you actually did."

"I'll say…" said Russell. "It looks worthless."

"Look, either add it to your deck, or toss it," said the guard. "I want to get started sometime before the next Ice Age!"

Russell looked at the blank card.

It was blank, but there was something about it that he could sense.

_All right…_ he thought, taking his deck, _whatever you are, you'd better be worth it!_

He removed Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and shuffled the new card into it.

"Boy, I've seen some dumb moves in my time…" said the guard. "But that takes the chocolate éclair."

"Just duel…" answered Russell. "Ready… Battle!"

His Disk activated.

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (? 8,000)**

"Now let's duel!" said the guard, drawing his first card.

He looked at it.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"So, you think you're a real duelist?" asked the guard. "Here's some encouragement…

"…don't do anything else stupid!"

Russell was now _truly_ angry. He drew a card.

_Don't do anything else stupid?_ he thought to himself. _This guy is really getting on my nerves…_

Russell placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon… Axe Raider!" he shouted.

In a flash, Axe Raider materialized. (1,700/1,150)

"Take out his facedown Monster!" shouted Russell. "Axe bash!"

Axe Raider leapt towards his foe…

A withered old man in a white robe appeared on the card. Axe Raider struck, smashing it to bits.

"Spirit Caller?" asked Russell. "Heh. Well, too bad you can't use its effect… Your Graveyard has no Monsters in it."

"Perhaps not," said the guard. "Is that your move?"

"Mmm," said Russell.

The guard drew a card, and then chose another one.

"Since Spirit Caller is a Light Monster," he said, "I'll remove it from play to use Pot of Charity."

He played the card, and Spirit Caller slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now I'll draw three more times…"

He drew three cards.

"Next, I'll play Graceful Charity," he said. "Which as you know, lets me draw three cards, so long as I ditch two."

He drew three cards.

"I'll even show you the two cards I'm tossing," he said, holding two cards up. "My Enchanting Fitting Room, and my Ojamagic."

"Ojamagic?" exclaimed Russell.

"Do I have to spell it for you?" asked the guard, discarding the two cards. "Ojamagic. And when this Spell goes to the Graveyard by any means, I get to pull these three guys from my deck."

He took three cards from his deck and held them up.

"Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black!"

"Ojamas?" asked Russell. "I've… heard of them…"

"You're gonna meet them too, soon enough," said the guard. "Next I'll play this… Obligatory Summons."

He played a Spell Card.

"What the…" said Russell.

"I'll explain in small words, since it's obvious you're rather slow," said the guard. "Your Axe Raider is a Warrior Type, of the Earth Attribute, who has four stars. Since I played this card, you are now required to Special Summon from your hand or deck all the Monsters you can who fall into those three categories."

Russell looked at him in disbelief…

He took his deck.

"Well…" he said. "If that's what you really want…"

He placed four cards on his Disk, and four Warriors sprang up. First came Goblin Attack Force (2,300/0), then Gearfried the Iron Knight (1,800/1,600), then Warrior Dai Grepher (1,700/1,600), and finally, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland (1,100/1,200).

"So, is there a point to this?" he asked.

"It will hit you in a minute," said the guard. "And I've just started. I play a second Spell Card. It's called… Absolute Zero."

He played the card, and it appeared, showing the image of a thermometer frozen in ice.

"Absolute Zero?" asked Russell. "Are all your cards this weird?"

"It's a rare card," replied the guard. "Once I give up 800 Life Points, it lets me Normal Summon in Attack Mode all the Monsters in my hand that I want, so long as the gross total of their Attack Scores is no greater than… zero.

"So I summon Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black!"

Three lights formed on the field, and three ugly-looking imps appeared. One was yellow, and had eyes on long stalks. One was green, had one big eye, and a lolling tongue. The last was black, stocky, and had sharp teeth. (0/1,000 x3)

"TA-DA!" they shouted.

Russell raised an eyebrow, and his five Warriors gave puzzled looks.

The three imps turned to the guard.

"HIYA, BOSS!" they shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, great to see you too," he muttered. "Feeling frisky today guys?"

"You bet!" shouted the yellow one.

"Are we ever!" replied the green one.

"Fine…" said the guard, choosing a card.

"I play the Spell Card… Ojama Delta Hurricane! Go get 'em guys!"

The three Ojamas glowed with multicolored flame.

"You got it, boss!" they shouted.

"Black!" yelled the black one.

"Green!" shouted the green one.

"Yellow!" affirmed the yellow one. "Let's rock this place!"

They started spinning around in a violent lightshow! The Warriors on Russell's side of the field started to panic and backed up towards each other…

And then, with a multitude of screams, they burst into pixels!

"What happened?" asked Russell.

"These three geeks may look weird," answered the guard, "but they can be lethal when they're together. When all three Ojamas are on the field together, that Spell Card can destroy all cards on your side of the field. A little thing called teamwork – a concept I picked up over the years…"

**(R: 8,000) -------------------- (? 7,200)**

"He made Russell summon those Monsters…" gasped Jason, "just so he could blow them to bits!"

Russell frowned as the three Ojamas alighted in front of the guard.

"You're gonna pay for that…" he said. "Your three screwballs have zero Attack Points! I'll demolish them on my next turn!"

"Who's a screwball?" said the black one, obviously offended. "You talkin' to us, chowderhead?"

"But it's still MY turn," said the guard, choosing another card.

"Boy, is this guy's turn going to end sometime this century?" asked Trisha.

The guard played a card, and Polymerization appeared on the field.

"Let's bring it together guys!" shouted the guard.

The three Ojamas burst into an explosion of stars…

"Let's all welcome… the King!" exclaimed the guard. "Ojama King that is."

And then a huge creature appeared in the middle of the arena. It had a round, egg-shaped body, eyes on stalks, a _very_ big mouth, and wore a cape and a crown.

"Heeeeeere's Johnny!" laughed the huge Beast in a deep voice.

(0/3,000)

"And due to his effect," continued the guard, "he can now reclassify up to three of the spaces on your Monster Zone as… occupied."

Russell looked at his Disk, and then a little Ojama King appeared there, with a pen as big as himself. He drew an X on two of the spaces on his zone, and then giggled. He vanished.

"Finally…" said the guard, "I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn…"

"Finally!" said Russell.

He moved towards his Disk.

_This guy is getting on my nerves,_ he said. _But how hard could it be to kill a balloon?_

He drew a card.

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted the guard, as his facedown card lifted. "Go, Ojama Trio!"

As Russell was considering this, three flashes of light appeared on his side of the field…

Then the three Ojamas appeared in front of him! (0/1,000 x3)

They lounged down in a lazy, slouching position and grinned at him.

"What's the point?" asked Russell. "Why are they on my side of the field?"

"So you can't use it," answered the guard. "Ojama Tokens basically take up your side of the field, and they can't be sacrificed for a Tribute Summon."

"Good grief…" muttered Trisha. "With Ojama King's effect, Russell can't summon anything!"

"Thanks for having us!" squeaked the yellow token.

"Nice place ya got here," said the black one.

"Sorry we can't stay…" said the green one.

_Sorry they can't stay?_ said Russell, looking at his cards. _What did he mean by that?_

"I pass…" he said. "I can't do anything right now. Don't you have any normal cards?"

The guard drew a card.

"Here's one that's pretty normal," he said, holding up a Spell Card. "Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and drew two cards.

"Now I play… Ojamuscle!" he exclaimed, playing a Spell Card.

"What does that do?" asked Russell, nervously.

"First, it destroys all Ojamas on the field except the King," answered the guard.

Ojama King grinned. He inhaled, and then sucked the three tokens into his huge mouth.

"And I forgot to mention," said the guard. "When an Ojama Token is destroyed, you lose 300 Life Points for each."

Russell cringed as three small explosions burst on his chest.

"Ow…" he muttered.

"And now…" said the guard, "my King gains 1,000 Attack Points for every Ojama that was just destroyed."

Ojama King grunted and flexed his muscles. His biceps and pectorals bulged! (3,000/3,000)

"Aw… crap…" muttered Russell.

"Ojama King…" shouted the guard. "Attack directly! Ojama belly-flop drop!"

Ojama King leapt high into the air… Russell gulped…

With a crash, the enormous Beast body-slammed into him!

"Heh, heh…" chuckled the guard. "Your move…"

Ojama King laughed a throaty laugh.

"Give me… a minute…" groaned Russell, getting up.

**(R: 4,100) -------------------- (? 7,200)**

He held his head for a minute, and then looked at his hand.

_Okay, let's see,_ he thought. _How DO you kill a balloon?_

_I'd better think of something… My Life Points are almost down to half, and his are way in the lead._

_No way am I gonna lose to this wise guy with a bunch of wise guy Monsters…_

He drew a card.

"I play my own Graceful Charity," he said, playing a card. "I can use it too, you know…"

He played the card, and the beautiful angel appeared. He drew three cards.

_Good…_ he thought. _This should take care of this problem…_

He discarded Gearfried the Swordmaster and Jack's Knight.

"I summon… Freed the Brave Wanderer!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the younger version of General Freed appeared, holding his glowing sword. (1,700/1,200)

"Now, by removing two Light Monsters in my Graveyard from play…" he said.

The two Warriors he had discarded slipped out of his discard slot.

"…Freed can destroy any Monster who's stronger than he is."

"Uh oh!" exclaimed Ojama King.

Freed lifted his blade, and an over powering light shown in the chamber. A beam of radiance struck Ojama King, and it cringed, before shattering into globules of light.

"The King… has left the building," said Russell, with a smirk.

"Eh, you got lucky," said the guard.

"And you're out of luck," said Russell. "Because your side is clear! Freed, attack him directly! Smash him!"

Freed flew forward and slashed at the robed duelist with his sword.

The guard didn't react in the slightest as it hit him.

**(R: 4,100) -------------------- (? 5,500)**

"Sheesh, you could flinch a little…" said Russell.

"Why?" asked the guard. "I've taken much worse than _that_…

"It's my move…"

He drew a card.

"I play… Re-Fusion," he said. "This lets me raise one Fusion Monster from my Graveyard so long as I pay 800 Life Points and Equip it with this card."

He played the card, and Ojama King reappeared, grinning again.

"Good to be back!" he laughed. (0/3,000)

"I hate to say this," said Russell, "but that card summoned him in Attack Mode, and his Attack is zero again."

"Look who knows so much," said the guard, taking another card. "I play another card… De-Fusion!"

He played the card.

"De-Fuse, guys!" he ordered.

Ojama King burst into an explosion of stars, and the three normal Ojamas returned (0/1,000 x3)

"So now what?" asked Russell. "So you have Larry, Moe, and Curly back again…"

"Watch…" said the guard. "I summon a new Monster called Man-Thro' Tro', in Defense Mode."

He played a card, and a fat, hulking ogre with floppy, baggy skin waddled onto the field. It held up its, thick hands and cracked its knuckles. (1,000/1,000)

"Ah, no…" muttered Russell.

He had heard of this Monster.

"I'm not seeing much from you in the way of dueling," said the guard, "so why don't we try to find another game that you're good at. Man-Thro' Tro', get him!"

Man-Thro' Tro' picked up the three Ojamas, and then threw them, one at a time, sending them laughing at Russell. He staggered backwards as they crashed into him.

"Ooh…" he muttered.

"Nope…" said the guard, shaking his head. "I guess you're not very good at dodgeball either."

**(R: 1,700) -------------------- (? 4,700)**

Man-Thro' Tro' crouched in Defense.

"He's losing…" muttered Jason. "And I don't know what's worse about this guy… His attacks, or his attitude…"

"I never knew that Monsters who were so weak could be so strong," said Trisha. "Wait… did that make sense?"

"My move…" said Russell, angrily drawing a card.

"I sacrifice Freed the Brave Wanderer…" he said, "to summon Freed the Matchless General!"

The younger version of Freed vanished, and was replaced by the more familiar version. (2,300/1,700)

"Not a bad card…" said the guard. "Perhaps you aren't totally hopeless."

"I'll show you…" snarled Russell. "Freed, take out Man-Thro' Tro' with blade of the battle scarred!"

The ogre gulped. Freed leapt forward, and slashed at it with his sword. It groaned, and then burst into shards.

"That will do for now…" he muttered.

The guard made a draw.

"I place a card facedown, and place a Monster in Defense Mode," he said.

He played his last two cards. A facedown card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Go ahead…" he said.

Russell looked at his hand.

"I choose to use Freed's special ability," he said. "Instead of making my normal draw, I can instead search my deck for any Warrior of four stars or less…"

He looked through his deck.

"And Queen's Knight should do…

"Now I'll summon Queen's Knight."

Queen's Knight appeared, holding her sword aloft. (1,500/1,600)

"Freed, attack his facedown Monster!" he ordered.

Freed charged forward.

A Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and stuck its dark, snake like form out, laughing maniacally. Freed sliced it to ribbons.

"Good grief!" shouted Russell.

"Now we each ditch the cards in our hands and draw five new ones," said the guard.

_Nuts…_ thought Russell, discarding his cards.

His Exiled Force had been in that hand… He had been saving it in case Ojama King appeared again. And so had been one of his Command Knights…

They both made five draws.

"I'm not done…" said Russell. "Queen's Knight, attack him directly!"

Queen's Knight leapt forward, and slammed her sword into the duelist.

Once again, he made no reaction. In fact, he just smirked a little.

"Heh," he said. "Is that your best?"

"All right, it's official…" said Russell. "You are the most annoying opponent I have _ever_ had!"

"Why thank you," said the guard. "I always try to stand out…"

**(R: 1,700) -------------------- (: 3,200)**

"How could someone who works guarding the door of this place afford a Morphing Jar?" asked Trisha. "That's a very rare card."

"Did I ever say I was poor?" asked the guard, in an offended tone, placing his right hand on his hip. "And did I ever say my status at this place was low? Here, everyone takes turns with every job, regardless of their actual status. We all try to cooperate.

"I could be one of the Sage's elite bodyguards, for all you guys know."

"Who's the Sage?" asked Russell.

"Uh, I've said too much already," said the guard. "You'll meet him if I choose to let you in. In the meantime, I believe it's my move…"

He drew a card.

"This will slow you down…" he said. "I play Swords of Revealing Light."

He played the card, and a blizzard of swords shot forward, trapping Russell and his two Warriors.

"Another rare card…" said Trisha. "I should know. This is no mere guard… This a serious duelist…"

"Next," he said, "I activate my facedown card, Soul Resurrection."

A Trap Card lifted.

"This lets me raise one Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode."

Ojama Yellow appeared, crouching in Defense.

"Hi, again!" it squeaked.

"That will do for now…" he said.

"I'll use Freed's ability again…" said Russell, taking his deck.

He took a card from his deck.

"I choose King's Knight, and I summon him in Attack Mode."

King's Knight appeared, and nodded to Queen's Knight.

"Now I play… The A. Forces," he continued, playing a Spell Card. "Since I have three Warriors on the field, they each gain 600 Attack Points."

Freed rose to 2,900 Attack, Queen's Knight rose to 2,100, and King's Knight rose to 2,200.

"I'll end my turn there," he said.

_Monster Reborn, Premature Burial, and Call of the Haunted are still in my deck, _he thought_. If he takes out my Knights, there's a chance I can reuse Freed the Brave Wanderer's effect again…_

The guard drew a card.

"I'll also play a Spell Card," he said. "Dark Factory of Mass Production."

He played the card, showing the image of a worker on a sinister-looking assembly line.

"Now I can take two Normal Monsters from my Graveyard and add them to my hand," he continued, taking two cards from his discard slot. "I'll give you one guess who they are…"

He showed Russell the Ojama Black and Ojama Green cards.

"I'll end my turn by placing one card facedown," he said.

He fit one of his cards into his Disk, and it appeared.

"Then I'll use Freed's ability again," said Russell.

He took his deck again.

"I'll choose Command Knight this time, and summon her to the field."

He played the card, and the fiery female Warrior appeared. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900) –) (2,400/1,900)

Freed rose to an Attack of 3,500. King's Knight rose to 2,800. Queen's Knight rose to 2,700.

"I'll end there," he said.

The guard drew.

He looked at the odd-looking Spell Card.

"I choose to pass this turn…" he said.

Russell paused.

He made a normal draw.

"I will too," he said.

The Swords vanished.

"My draw again…" said the guard.

He drew a card.

"And I got just what I needed," he commented. "Here's a card you might remember… Polymerization. I'll use it to combine my Ojamas into my King one more time!"

The three Ojamas appeared, and burst into an explosion of stars again. Then the huge Ojama King appeared again, in Attack Mode. (0/3,000)

"Next…" he continued, "I'll play a Spell Card called… Ojamandala!"

"Ojamandala?" gasped Russell, as the Spell Card appeared. "How do you spell that?"

"Look it up," said the guard. "This card lets me pay 1,000 Life Points to summon the gruesome threesome from my Graveyard to the field."

In a flash, the three Ojamas appeared again.

"Next, I'll play my second Ojamuscle!" he continued. "Remember this?"

Once again, Ojama King inhaled and swallowed the three smaller Ojamas. His muscles bulged again, and he grinned. (3,000/3,000)

"Not again…" muttered Russell.

"Ojama King…" ordered the guard, "attack Queen's Knight!"

Ojama King pounced, and Queen's Knight gasped in horror…

Freed, Command Knight, and King's Knight fled as Queen's Knight was smashed flat.

The other three Warriors all lost 200 Attack Points.

"I'll end my turn there," said the Guard

**(R: 1,400) -------------------- (? 2,200)**

"Russell can still win, can't he?" asked Trisha.

"Sure he can…" answered Jason. "The answer is right in front of him…"

The guard smirked.

_I know what you plan to do…_ he thought. _But even if you summon another Warrior, King's Knight will only have 2,800 Attack Points…_

_And my facedown card is The Grave of Enkindling, which will let me bring Ojama King right back in Defense Mode. With 3,000 Defense Points, you'll never crack him._

He looked at one of the two cards in his hand.

_And I have Curse of Fiend right here, which will let me move him to Attack Mode…_

_And then…_

He looked at the other card in his hand, a Spell called Ojama Alpha Tornado. He grinned.

Russell considered.

_Okay…_ he thought. _I have fourteen cards left in my deck… And six of them are Warriors that I can summon with no sacrifice – two Marauding Captains, Mataza the Zapper, and my three Hero Kids…_

_Not a good enough chance to leave to luck…_

"I use…"

"_Russell…"_ said a voice.

He paused.

"Huh?" he replied, softly.

"_Don't use Freed's effect,"_ said the voice. _"Just draw…"_

"But…" muttered Russell.

"_Trust me, Russell,"_ said the voice.

Russell paused.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"_The newest addition to your deck,"_ replied the voice.

"Give me a break," said Russell. "I didn't put any new Monsters in my…"

He stopped short.

He slowly drew a card.

He looked at the card.

It was that blank card that the guard had tossed to him.

_Lovely,_ he thought. _What am I supposed to do with… Hold on a minute…_

Slowly, a picture started to appear where there wasn't one before… Six level stars appeared, followed by a title, Attribute symbol, and card text.

_WHAT?_ he thought.

…_Fortitude…_

He stared at the card.

He thought back.

_Days of Past Reckoning. Only if they are blessed by the one who came before them, will they prove their worth._

"I understand…" he muttered.

"I sacrifice King's Knight…" he declared.

King's Knight knelt, as knights often did, and glowed with a brilliant radiance. He slowly was consumed by the light…

"…to summon… **_Saint Knight Issac _**!" he shouted.

Command Knight, and Freed stood aside, as a powerful form walked out of the light. It was a knight dressed in brilliant, pure white armor and a cape, with a crested helmet, holding a gleaming broadsword. (2,300/1,800)

The guard stepped back, with a look that seemed to be half fear, and half pure amazement….

"Sir… Issac…." he gasped.

"Issac?" said Trisha, in disbelief. "He's a Duel Monster?"

"He's a Card of Virtue," said Russell, "and since he's a Warrior, The A. Forces grants him 600 more Attack Points, and Command Knight grants him 400 more."

(3,300/1,800)

The guard was speechless.

"Issac… Attack Ojama King!" shouted Russell. "Crusader's blade!"

Saint Knight Issac ran his finger along his blade, and ancient runes encircled the mighty sword…

Then, he leapt up and slammed the sword into the huge Beast. Ojama King groaned, and was blasted into shards.

"And any Monster that Issac destroys is removed from play," continued Russell.

"I… I…" muttered the guard.

He paused.

"Then finish it…" he finally said.

"Freed, take him down!" shouted Russell. "Take him down _hard_!"

Freed the Matchless General leapt at the guard and slashed at him with his blade.

Again, the guard apparently wasn't hurt by the blow, but he fell to his knees regardless... apparently from shame.

**(R: 1,400) -------------------- (? 0)**

Saint Knight Issac smiled towards Russell, and then towards Jason and Trisha. He and the other holograms slowly faded.

"Cease fire…" said Russell.

"I… I'm sorry…" muttered the guard. "I'm so sorry… Only someone holding the real Hermos could have called forth Issac… I don't know what to…"

Then the door opened again, and a voice came from within.

"If you're done playing with the guests," said the gentle voice, "why not let them in. I've been expecting them."

The guard stood up and lowered his hood, and the three students were surprised. He seemed only slightly older than they were, with black, spiky hair and a boyish face.

"Uh, yes your excellence," he said, "right away…"

The guard gestured, and the door opened wide, leading to a long hallway.

Beautiful artwork adorned the walls, and torches lit the way.

The guard led them down the hallway, and into a chamber. Several men and women dressed like him were there… Some were meditating, others were praying, others seemed to be holding conversations with speakers that they couldn't see.

At the far end of the hall was a figure who seemed to be the one in authority. Frenchie's description had been pretty accurate – he looked sort of like Gandhi, but not as gaunt; in fact, his arms seemed rather muscular. His face was worn, and covered with laugh wrinkles. He was completely bald – aside from his eyebrows, no hair was on his head. Whether it was natural or because he had shaved it was hard to tell. He was dressed similar to the guard, in a black robe tied with a red sash, and wore sandals, but his robe was embroidered with silver thread.

"Welcome, Chosen Ones," he said. "I am the Sage of Duelists."

"Uh, nice to meet you…" said Jason, still a little surprised.

The Sage nodded.

He pointed to a table where food had been set out. A portable burner was heating what looked like a tureen of soup.

"I knew you were coming," he said, offering, "so I made my special three-cheese chowder. It's delicious, low-sodium, and… uh, only a _little_ bit fattening.

"You see, I'm not just the leader of this sect, I'm also the chef. It's something I like to do…"

As hungry as they were, it was impossible to say no.

"It is clear to me that the Dragons chose well…" said the Sage, spooning out the chowder with a ladle. "Each of you oozes potential…"

"We don't like to brag…" said Russell.

"Did you tell your friends how you learned about Codam?" asked the Sage. "It was classified information, Russell."

Russell blushed as his friends looked at him.

"I… hacked into my dad's top secret files…" he said. "When I was five."

"Russell!" scolded Trisha.

"Hey, it told my dad something important," said Russell. "The security on their system was far too lax. So he was able to allot more money to tighten it."

"You did the same when you were eight," said the Sage to Trisha. "You hacked into your dad's blueprints. And you found the flaw in one of your father's designs that he had been trying to fix for a month. It made his company millions when it was finally marketed… He rewarded you by buying you anything you wanted from the card store, which is where your first dueling deck came from. And he bought you ice cream later."

Trisha blushed.

"Well, I didn't do much when I was that age…" muttered Jason.

"You saved your sister when you were fourteen…" said the Sage.

Jason paused. He remembered that…

His little sister had been ambushed by two thugs who were twice his size. Jason stepped in, and offered to duel one of them, saying they could have his deck if he lost, but they'd have to leave her alone if he won. Jason won the duel, but the thug wasn't willing to keep his side of the bargain. That's when he realized that Jason was only stalling – he had called 911 on his cell before stepping in.

"You all showed initiative several times," said the Sage. "You are cunning, crafty, resourceful. Those are traits that are needed in the duel.

"I assume you have questions… Feel free to ask them…"

"Well… what is this place?" asked Jason.

"We are a small but proud sect," replied the Sage. "We have guarded the secret of the Dark Messiah for a long time. We use most of our time finding ways to commune with Duel Spirits… Monsters in the form of flesh."

"Who was that guy I dueled?" asked Russell.

The Sage smiled.

"One of my four elite bodyguards," answered the Sage. "They are a very strange story…

"Many decades ago, long before you were born, the four of them were young duelists. They had been through a great deal in their young lives, more than most duelists do…

"And one day, they did me a very great service. I won't tell you what exactly it was, at least not yet. I told them that if they didn't object, I would reward them by granting them their greatest desire, something they didn't even realize they wanted.

"It was the desire to be immortal, to be able to duel until Duel Monsters no longer existed.

"They accepted, and I made them immortal, granting eternal youth and health. But eventually, they grew bored from traveling the world and challenging everyone. And they had grown in mind if not in body. They came back here, and now, as I said, they're my elite bodyguard. They're also the Monastery's first line of defense, and my eyes and ears on the outside."

Russell turned to the one whom he dueled, and the Ojama duelist smirked.

"I notice that during your duel he made you pretty angry," said the Sage. "Don't feel bad. He's had that effect on all of his opponents… Since long before I ever met him. It's part of his strategy."

"So what would he have done if we had just decided to tackle him?" asked Russell.

The Sage frowned.

"You never would have reached him," he said. "My bodyguards have many powers other than immortality. Some of the members of this sect have learned… things from the Spirits. These four have learned the most. Aside from myself, of course. Many times they have dealt with folks who have tried to defeat them with violence.

"But I'll keep their abilities secret for now."

"Where are the other three?" asked Trisha.

"Oh, they're around here somewhere…" said the Sage. "The members of this sect are free to do as they please when I don't have a duty for them. I'm sure you'll meet them eventually.

"Oh, by the way… We can't thank you enough for disposing of Codam. Forty years ago we owed the military a little favor, and they called us on it, asking us to watch it. We feared we'd be babysitting that accursed thing until the xenothium core died, which wouldn't be for about five thousand years… But it's gone now…"

"You were its jailers?" asked Trisha.

The Sage nodded.

"Why else do you think they'd put something so dangerous so close to a populated area?" he replied. "We had the power to sedate it if it ever updated its modem enough to manipulate the outside world."

"Well…" said Jason. "We came hoping to find the Dark Messiah. Is he here?"

The Sage nodded.

"Yes, he's here," he said. "But there is one more thing that must be done before you meet him. And we'll take care of that once you finish…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Sage led them down a dark hallway, as the guard that Russell had dueled led with a lit torch. Eventually, they came to a room that was ten feet wide on each side.

The guard lifted the torch and walked to the center. On each wall, other than the one where they came in, there was an old wooden door.

Trisha held her stomach. That chowder had been good, but it had been _very _filling.

"You are very close," said the Sage. "This room is not often used. Each of you must now choose a door, and proceed into the room beyond. You each must go in alone."

They hesitated.

"What's in there?" asked Trisha.

"Only what you take with you," answered the Sage. "But inside, you'll find enlightenment of the greatest type, for they lead to places where your souls will truly be prepared… and purified. I'll meet you when you're finished."

He turned and went back down the corridor.

The guard gestured towards the doors…

Jason, Russell, and Trisha looked at each other with nervous looks.

Jason went to the door to the left, Trisha to the one in the middle, and Russell to the one to the right.

They opened them…

"Good luck," they heard the guard say, as they walked in.

_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 3:59 PM_

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**OBLIGATORY SUMMONS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description: **Choose one face-up Monster on your opponent's side of the field. Your opponent must Special Summon from his hand or deck all the Monsters he is able to that have the same Type, Attribute, and star level of the chosen Monster.

_Note: "Obligatory Summons" was used by Kaiba in "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light". All creative credit goes to the screenplay writers of that movie._

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**ABSOLUTE ZERO (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A thermometer frozen in ice.

**Card Description: **Pay 800 Life Points. Normal Summon in Attack Position all the Monsters in your hand who are four stars or less and have a base ATK of zero. This counts as your Normal Summon for your turn.

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**OJAMANDALA (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The three Ojamas depicted as meditating figures on a Buddhist painted mandala.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have one "Ojama Yellow", one "Ojama Green", and one "Ojama Black" in your Graveyard. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon the above-named cards from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Ojamandala" was first used by Chazz in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode  
"Champion or Chazz-Been". All creative credit goes to the writers of the show._

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**0**

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**SAINT KNIGHT ISSAC (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,300  
**DEF: **1,800

**Virtue:** Fortitude

**Card Description**: A Monster destroyed by this card as a result of battle is removed from play.

_Note: "Saint Knight Issac" is a real card in Japan. I have taken liberties by making it a Card of Virtue. The regular version of this card is thus free to use in any fanfiction._

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_**You might be wondering just what "Ojama Alpha Tornado" does. Well, perhaps our mysterious guard – who is now no longer very mysterious – will get a chance to use it later. **_

_**And by the way, before you ask, the guard did NOT give up. He could not have shielded himself by summoning something with The Grave of Enkindling. The Grave of Enkindling can only be activated if a Monster is destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard. Since Isaac's effect removed Ojama King from play, never sending it to his Graveyard, the Trap was worthless.**_

**_Coming up next, you'll find that our heroes can take quite a lot into the rooms where they have went. What challenges await them inside? Russell discovers firsthand, in a chapter called "Solemn Wishes", coming soon._**


	44. Solemn Wishes

_**I beat a minion of the Orichalcos who used Ninja Monsters…**_

_**I beat Cassius (twice)…**_

_**I even beat a guy who was packing a duplicate of one of the Sacred Beasts.**_

_**Can I beat this guy? I really don't know.**_

_**After all, this guy is far from your standard rank-and-file duelist, he's a legend. I don't know how he can be here, and he doesn't seem to know either.**_

_**I want to win this duel, but I have to wonder, if I do…**_

…_**will he be too upset to give me his autograph?**_

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**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE**

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**Solemn Wishes**

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_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 4:05 PM_

Russell wandered down a hallway that was lit by torches.

He looked on the walls. The décor looked Egyptian… Hieroglyphics of some sort. He wished he could read them.

A doorway was ahead…

He entered a large, torch-lit room. It seemed to be a temple of some sort, with a wide-open space in the center.

_Some sort of arena?_ he thought.

He looked at the pictures on the walls…

Then he realized he recognized a few of them. One was Panther Warrior. Another was undoubtedly Gearfried.

He turned towards the picture that seemed to dominate the place…

It was a frightening visage of a dark, sinister-looking dragon. Its eyes were blood-red gems…

"I know that Monster," he muttered. "It's…"

"Neat place, huh?" said a voice.

He turned and saw a figure sitting on the altar. Whether he had been there before or had just walked in, it was impossible to say.

Russell stepped back in shock…

It was a young, muscular man with a boyish face, and a very distinctive hairstyle that was dirty blonde. He wore jeans and a tee, covered with a long jacket.

Russell was speechless. He had seen pictures of this man so many times.

"You gonna say anything?" asked the figure.

Finally, Russell garnered enough courage to speak.

"Joey… Wheeler?" he said.

"That's me," said the figure, "and you must be Russell. I take it these places aren't too familiar to you. Me… I got used to them after a while… Seems every time I turned around I was stuck in some dungeon or cave or other dark place watching Yug' fight to decide the fate of the world…"

"How can you be here?" asked Russell. "The Puppeteer couldn't have…"

"Well, I don't know any Puppeteer," said Joey, hopping down off the altar. "As for why I'm here, come to think of it, I don't really know myself.

"See, about a half an hour ago, I was just having lunch with Duke at a chili place, we were talking about what was on television last night, and then boom, I'm here."

_Duke?_ thought Russell.

He remembered that name. Joey's autobiography referred to his brother-in-law by that name…

"Anyway, I do know a little about why I'm here…" he continued.

"See Russell, as far as I can tell, I was the last person to hold Hermos, so now I gotta duel the one who currently has it. The one who told me that says it's a… how'd he put it…"

He paused.

"A ritual of purification, or something like that."

"Me? Duel you?" asked Russell. "I… I don't know if I can…"

"You duel, don't you?" asked Joey. "I mean, you've got that…"

He pointed to the Disk on Russell's arm.

"You've got cards… What's the problem?"

"Well, yeah…" said Russell, "but against you? What happens if I lose?"

Joey shrugged.

"They didn't say," he answered. "But I don't exactly have a choice, since I don't see any way outta here."

Russell turned and saw that the door he had entered through had vanished.

_Me against Joey?_ he thought. _Do I even stand a chance?_

_This might be the ultimate challenge… Shouldn't be too hard… He plays a Gamble Deck… I've already beaten one…_

"Okay, I'll duel you…" he slowly said.

"One more thing," said Joey. "Hermos isn't allowed. So get rid a' him if he's in your deck."

"He isn't," said Russell. "I like to think I don't need him for everything…"

Joey slipped a Disk of his own on his arm. It seemed to be a Mach-2 model.

"Then let's get started, huh?" he said. "I've been wanting to get into a good brawl for ages!"

Russell clenched a toothpick in his teeth.

"Okay…" he said. "Ready… battle!"

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Joey: 8,000)**

Russell drew his first hand.

_Not a bad hand,_ he thought. _Let's see… If I recall correctly, the average Attack Score of his non-Tribute Monsters was… Well, around the same as those of mine, really._

He took a card from his hand.

_Well, he doesn't have one who's stronger than these guys!_

"I summon Goblin Attack Force in Attack Mode," he said, playing a card.

The team of lazy, shifty-eyed goblins appeared, and raised their clubs. (2,300/0)

"That will do for my first turn," he said.

"All right!" said Joey, eagerly, drawing his first card.

He considered for a minute.

"I play this," he said, holding up a Spell Card. "Landstar Forces."

"Wait… That card…" said Russell.

"It lets me Special Summon every Monster in my hand with the word 'Landstar' in its name," explained Joey.

He placed three cards on his Disk.

"So say hello to Swordsman of Landstar, Knight of Landstar, and Grappler of Landstar!"

The first Monster that appeared was a toy soldier in a leather coat with a pilot's hat, and a grinning face, with a wooden sword and shield. (500/1,200) Next came one who was dressed in shining armor and holding two lances. (1,000/500) Finally came one dressed like a Green Beret, with a knife strapped to his belt and a mean look on his face. (1,000/500)

The goblins scratched their chins in confusion.

_I don't get it,_ thought Russell. _Those three hobbits can't come close to defeating Goblin Attack Force…_

_Unless…_

His eyes popped open.

_Wait… He Special Summoned them. That means…_

"That's right Russell!" said Joey with a smile. "I'm not gonna attack with them, I'm gonna sacrifice them! So later, guys…"

The three Landstar Warriors vanished.

_No…_ thought Russell. _There's only one guy in his deck who's summoned this way… I should know…_

"I summon Gilford the Lightning!" shouted Joey.

Russell looked in fear, as lightning struck, and the mighty Gilford appeared in front of Joey! (2,800/1,400)

Gilford drew his sword, and lightning flashed, blowing the goblins to particles!

_NO!_ thought Russell. _I'm wide open!_

"Gilford, go!" shouted Joey.

Gilford flew forward. Russell screamed as the energized blade slammed into him and electricity flew through his whole body. He tumbled off the arena.

He crawled up and gasped for breath.

**(R: 5,200) -------------------- (J: 8,000)**

"That's good enough to start," said Joey.

Russell spit out the toothpick as he drew another card. He was glad he hadn't swallowed it…

_Damn, never thought I'd be attacked by Gilford myself,_ he thought. _He managed to summon his strongest Monster on his first turn… The legends didn't lie. But to do it, he had to use up every card in his hand but one. So he has no way of stopping me from getting rid of Gilford and striking him hard._

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Brain Control!" he shouted. "Gilford, come here!"

The ghostly brain appeared, and sent out waves of psychic energy. Gilford was dragged over to Russell's side.

Joey took a nervous step back.

"Don't worry," said Russell. "Attacking you with your own Monster would be really sleazy, so instead, I'm going to sacrifice Gilford…"

Gilford vanished into pixels of light.

"…to summon Freed the Matchless General!"

In a flash of light, Freed appeared. (2,300/1,700)

"Attack!" shouted Russell. "Get him! Blade of the battle-scarred!"

Freed flew forward, and made a great swipe with his sword! Joey hollered and fell over.

"Uh… you okay?" muttered Russell.

"Never better…" said Joey, getting up. "Hermos always knew how to pick 'em…"

**(R: 4,400) -------------------- (J: 5,700)**

_I've got to be wary…_ thought Russell. _A great deal of his cards depended on luck and chance. The only luck involved in that Landstar trick was a lucky first hand, and I've had a lot of those, but he's sure to bring out the dice soon…_

"It's your move," he said.

Russell drew one card.

"I play Roll of Fate," he said, playing a card.

_Whoops!_ thought Russell. _I remember this! Frenchie used it! _

A die appeared in the air. It skipped and bounced…

It landed on the four.

"Perfect!" said Joey. "Now I get to draw four cards…"

He made four draws.

"Course, then I have to get rid of the next four…"

He took the next four cards off of his deck and then placed them in a special slot.

He looked over the five cards in his hand.

"I'll toss three cards facedown," he said.

He played three cards, and they appeared in front of them.

"Then I toss this guy in Attack Mode… Panther Warrior!"

The savage Beast-Warrior leapt out of the card, holding his scimitar menacingly. (2,000/1,600)

"Hold it…" said Russell. "He can't attack unless you sacrifice a Monster, and you don't have any… And even if you did, Freed is stronger."

"Maybe!" replied Joey. "I'll end my turn there."

Russell drew a card.

"I activate a Trap Card!" exclaimed Joey. "The Paths of Destiny!"

One of his facedown cards lifted, and the Trap that Umbra had used appeared.

"Confused?" asked Joey. "Here's how it works… We both toss a coin. Whoever calls right gains 2,000 Life Points. Whoever calls wrong loses 2,000 Life Points."

A coin fell into Russell's hand.

"So it could help or hurt both of us?" asked Russell.

"Bingo," answered Joey.

He tossed his.

"Heads!" he shouted.

The coin fell to the ground.

It was heads.

Joey grinned at Russell. Russell looked at his coin.

"He who hesitates is lost, Russ," said Joey.

"Heads!" shouted Russell, tossing it.

_Fifty-fifty chance…_ he thought. _I could get back on my feet, or he could gain a huge lead… _

The coin fell.

Heads.

Russell stared at Joey.

"This is just starting, pal…" he said.

**(R: 6,400) -------------------- (J: 7,700)**

_Okay…_ he thought. _Ordinarily, Panther Warrior is no match for Freed…_

_But those facedown cards…_

_I studied Joey intently in class… Seems all I have to do is consider what he would do in this situation._

_One of those cards is likely Scapegoat, which he would use to enable Panther Warrior to attack…_

_And the other? It's likely something to repel Freed's attack… Or destroy him. If it were Graceful Dice or Skull Dice, and he rolled four or higher, Freed would be cut down if he tried to attack._

_Frenchie had a point. A good rule in gambling is, never take a risk if you don't have to. The same goes for Duel Monsters in general I guess. If this were someone other than Joey…_

…_one of those cards could well be a Mirror Force._

_I'd best not take a risk… _

"I pass for this turn…" he said.

Joey drew a card.

"I activate Scapegoat," he said, as one of his cards lifted.

The four fluffy sheep popped out of the card.

"And then…" he continued, "Rush Recklessly!"

His other card lifted, and Panther Warrior rose to 2,700 Attack.

"That wasn't one of your dice cards?" asked Russell, surprised.

"Hey…" said Joey. "Not all my cards rely on luck. I'm not_ that _reckless.

"So, I'll sacrifice one Scapegoat so Panther Warrior can attack!"

The red sheep vanished, and Panther Warrior leapt forward, slashing his scimitar across the Matchless General and cutting him down.

A look of anger appeared on Russell's face…

**(R: 6,000) -------------------- (J: 7,700)**

"My move…" muttered Russell.

He drew a card.

"I summon Marauding Captain…" he stated.

The Captain trudged out onto the field, holding his blades. (1,200/400)

"And now to use his effect…" continued Russell, playing another card.

Marauding Captain whistled, and a dark shadow appeared next to him. Mataza the Zapper appeared, holding aloft his katana. (1,300/800)

"They can't beat Panther Warrior," said Joey, with a grin.

"They aren't going to attack him," said Russell. "They're gonna attack his lunch! Marauding Captain, take out one Scapegoat!"

The Captain charged, and sliced one of the tokens in half.

"Mataza, take out the other two! Zapping blade!"

Mataza concentrated, and split into two Matazas. They leapt forward, and cleaved the last two sheep in half.

"Without them," said Russell, "you'll have to sacrifice real Monsters in order for Panther Warrior to attack, and that may be too much of a cost in the long run.

"It's your move…"

Joey grinned as he drew.

"Clever…" he said, looking at his card.

He chose another one.

"I summon Little-Winguard in Attack Mode."

He played a card, and a gust of wind blew onto the field. A cute little guy in blue armor holding a sword appeared in front of him. His whole face, except for his eyes, were hidden by his helmet and a scarf. (1,400/1,800)

_Okay, now how did this guy work again?_ thought Russell.

"Attack Marauding Captain!" yelled Joey.

Little-Winguard flew forward, and slashed at the Captain. The veteran groaned, and shattered.

"Now I end my turn," said Joey, "and by doing so, I can activate Little-Winguard's effect, and switch him to Defense Mode, even though I summoned him in Attack Mode."

Little-Winguard crouched in Defense.

**(R: 5,800) -------------------- (J: 7,700)**

Russell drew a card. He smirked.

"I play Premature Burial, to bring back Freed," he said.

He played the card, and Freed the Matchless General reappeared. (2,300/1,700)

The Premature Burial card shattered.

"Then I'll move Mataza to Defense Mode for now…"

Mataza sheathed his katana and knelt in Defense.

"And then I'll have Freed attack Panther Warrior!"

Freed made a swipe with his blade, and slashed across the Beast-Warrior's chest. He howled, and then shattered.

"It's your move…"

**(R: 5,000) -------------------- (J: 7,400)**

Joey drew one card.

He thought for a minute…

"I move Little-Winguard into Attack Mode again…" he said.

Little-Winguard stepped up.

"And I'll have him attack Mataza!"

The small Warrior flew forward, and cut the ronin down.

"That's all for my move. And Little-Winguard moves to Defense Mode again."

Little-Winguard crouched in Defense Mode.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado tried in vain to get a fix on his three enemies. He held his head…

"Blast!" he shouted. "Where could they have gone?"

"_They are in the Monastery, Fortunado,"_ said the strange voice of his benefactor. _"That is one of many places my powers cannot penetrate. We cannot look inside that bastion of light, for it is hallowed ground. Nor can we cannot eavesdrop on what they are doing inside._

"_The Dark Messiah will emerge very soon. It is only a matter of time." _

"What should we do?" asked Fortunado.

"_Call in every specialist in your employ,"_ said the voice. "_Shore up the defenses of this stronghold. I cannot predict what move that the Dark Messiah will make, but given past Reckonings, one move seems the most likely…_

…_a preemptive strike." _

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I use Freed's effect," said Russell, "forfeiting my Draw Phase to search for a Warrior-Type Monster…"

He got a card from his deck.

"And I'll summon her now… Queen's Knight!"

In a flash of light, Queen's Knight appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"Freed, attack Little-Winguard!" ordered Russell.

Freed leapt forward, and with a slash of his sword, blasted the small Warrior to shards.

"Queen's Knight, go!" shouted Russell.

Queen's Knight charged, and stabbed at Joey with her sword. He cringed and stumbled backwards.

"Heh… nice…" he muttered.

**(R: 5,000) -------------------- (J: 5,900)**

_He's just as tough as the stories say…_ thought Russell. _This is going to be even harder than I thought… _

Joey drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity!" he said with a smug look.

He played the card, and drew three times.

He looked over his cards, and then made two discards.

"Now, watch my smoke!" he said. "I play my own Premature Burial, to summon Blue Flame Swordsman from my Graveyard."

He played the card, and the Warrior shrouded in blue flames appeared. (1,800/1,600)

"Wait a second…" said Russell. "I never sent him to your Graveyard…"

He paused.

"When you played Graceful Charity…"

"You got it!" answered Joey. "And next, I'll summon Rocket Warrior in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and a cute figure wearing armor shaped like a rocket holding a sword and shield appeared. (1,500/1,300)

_Wait…_ thought Russell. _Even if he used that thing's effect, a battle between Blue Flame Swordsman and Freed would end in a draw… _

"Next…" said Joey, "I play Graceful Dice!"

He played the card, and a winged teddy bear holding a blue die appeared. It tossed the die and it bounced.

It landed on a two.

Blue Flame Swordsman rose to (2,000/1,800), and Rocket Warrior rose to (1,700/1,500).

"Rocket Warrior, invincible attack!" shouted Joey.

Rocket Warrior changed shape, becoming more rocket than warrior, and shot himself at Freed! Freed grunted as he was struck in the chest, and his Attack fell to 1,800 as smoke poured from his cracked armor.

"Blue Flame Swordsman, attack!" shouted Joey. "Blazing blue flame!"

The Swordsman's sword burned, and he slashed with it. Freed fell over, and shattered.

_He only needed a one on that die roll…_ thought Russell.

**(R: 4,800) -------------------- (J: 5,100)**

Queen's Knight looked frightened…

"Calm down…" said Russell, drawing a card.

_Scores are close,_ he thought, _but that's gonna change…_

"I play Reinforcement of the Army! And I'll use it to bring forth King's Knight!"

He got the card.

"And I'll summon him now…"

King's Knight appeared next to his sister. (1,600/1,500)

"And I'll use him to bring forth Jack's Knight!"

Jack's Knight appeared too. (1,900/1,000)

"King's Knight, attack Rocket Warrior!" ordered Russell.

King's Knight brought his sword down on the small Warrior, and it was blasted into pieces.

"Jack's Knight, attack Blue Flame Swordsman!"

Jack's Knight slashed at the Swordsman, and he vanished into a burst of blue fire…

The flames turned a fiery red…

…and the real Flame Swordsman emerged. (1,800/1,600)

"I end my turn…" said Russell.

**(R: 4,800) -------------------- (J: 4,900)**

Joey drew one card.

"I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight, in Attack Mode," he said.

He played a card, and the Warrior that Russell himself had used since his first deck appeared, brandishing his blades. (1,800/1,600)

"Gearfried, you take out King's Knight," said Joey. "Iron blade!"

Gearfried put his blades together, and then made a mighty swipe. King's Knight fell over, and shattered.

"Flame Swordsman," he continued, "attack Queen's Knight! Flaming sword of battle!"

Fire blazed from the Swordsman's bronze sword. Queen's Knight screamed, and she was incinerated.

"I'll place one card facedown," he continued, fitting his last card into his Disk, "and that will be all for my turn."

**(R: 4,300) -------------------- (J: 4,900)**

Russell slowly drew a card.

_Okay…_ he thought. _Time to try to think like Joey would again…_

_He knows as well as I do that those two Monsters are weaker than Jack's Knight… So what might his facedown card be?_

_Maybe… Kunai with Chain?_

_Well, if it is, he can't combine it with Gearfried, because Equips don't work on Gearfried! _

"Jack's Knight, attack Gearfried!"

Jack's Knight sadly looked at the Iron Knight… But he did what he was told, and made a slash with his sword, smashing him to bits.

**(R: 4,300) -------------------- (J: 4,800)**

_Nothing…_ thought Russell.

"I end my turn," he said.

"Then I'll draw…" said Joey.

He made a draw.

"…and I think I'll pass…"

Russell drew a card.

_All right!_ he thought. _His Kunai won't make a difference now… _

He played a card.

"I summon Command Knight!" he shouted.

The female Warrior appeared, burning with flame. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900)

Jack's Knight rose to an Attack of 2,300.

"Jack's Knight, attack the Flame Swordsman!" he shouted.

"GO!" shouted Joey, as his facedown card lifted. "Compensation Mediation!"

"That's not your Kunai!" shouted Russell.

The room darkened, and all the Monsters vanished.

"Heh, heh," said Joey, walking up to him. "Fooled ya."

He handed him the card.

"Here's a refresher, in case you don't know. Take two Spell or Trap Cards from your Graveyard and place them facedown with that. If I can choose it, your attack is cancelled out. Exciting, huh?"

Russell paused.

He took Premature Burial and Reinforcement of the Army from his discard slot, and looked at the three cards…

Then he placed them into his Disk, and three facedown cards appeared.

Joey gave them a hard look for a second…

"Far left…" he said.

Russell held his head.

The card on the left lifted, revealing it to be Joey's Trap Card.

"Congrats," he said, tossing the card back to Joey as the Monsters reappeared. "But I know how the rest of the effect goes…"

He took the two Spell Cards and placed them on the top of his deck.

"It's your move…"

Joey drew a card.

He grinned…

"I sacrifice Flame Swordsman…" he announced.

Flame Swordsman vanished.

"To summon… Jinzo!"

In an aura of shadowy energy, the Dark Machine that was likely one of the most powerful cards in Joey Wheeler's arsenal rose up. It glared at Russell's two Monsters with cold, inhuman eyes. (2,400/1,500)

"Not again…" muttered Russell.

"Jinzo…" said Joey, "attack the Jack's Knight with cyber energy shock!"

Jinzo formed a ball of black energy in his hands, and threw it, blowing Jack's Knight to shards.

**(R: 4,200) -------------------- (J: 4,800)**

"Next…" he said, "I'll place two cards facedown, just in case…"

He played two cards, and they appeared behind Jinzo.

"Your move…" said Joey, with a grin.

Russell grimaced, and drew a card.

Of all the times he would have been glad to have Reinforcement of the Army, this wasn't one of them. Anything he used it to search for would just be killed…

…and it seemed his Command Knight was about to suffer that fate. The other five cards in his hand couldn't help him… Gilford the Lightning, Polymerization, Miracle Kids, Armed Changer, and Rush Recklessly.

He thought for a minute… He did have something…

"I play Reinforcement of the Army," he said, "to get my Axe Raider."

He got the card he needed.

"Now I'll summon him, in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and Axe Raider appeared. (1,700/1,150) –) (2,100/1,150)

"And then…" he said. "I'll play my own Rush Recklessly!"

He played the card, and Axe Raider's Attack shot up to 2,800.

"Attack his Jinzo!" shouted Russell. "Axe bash!"

Axe Raider leapt forward, and drove his axe into Jinzo. Sparks flew from the android, and it collapsed and exploded.

"Command Knight, attack…" started Russell.

"Hold up!" said Joey. "I activate one of my facedown cards…"

A Trap lifted that Russell had never seen before. The image was that of a robed woman in front of a wooden fence with two armed men behind her.

"It's called Take One Chance," said Joey. "And it gives me one chance. I can take a card from my Graveyard, chosen completely at random, and activate it right away…"

_Talk about a gamble card…_ thought Russell. _You'd have to have Luck of the Gods… _

Command Knight anxiously waited…

A card slipped out of Joey's discard slot.

Scapegoat appeared on Joey's side of the field, and the four tokens appeared again.

"Lucky…" said Russell. "Command Knight, destroy one of those sheep!"

Command Knight slashed with her burning saber, and one of the tokens was destroyed.

"Well, your move…" said Russell.

**(R: 4,400) -------------------- (J: 4,400)**

Joey drew.

He smirked, and showed Russell his Pot of Greed.

He played it, and the sinister jar appeared. He drew two cards.

He gave the two cards a long look…

He placed one of them facedown, and then waved his hand.

Russell drew, drawing his Premature Burial.

_I could bring back Freed with this again…_ he thought, _and with Command Knight on the field, he'd be unstoppable! _

"I play Premature Burial…" he said.

The card appeared.

"Hold on, Russ," said Joey. "Forget about my facedown card?"

The card lifted…

It was a Trap Card called Armor Break.

Premature Burial turned to crystal, and then shattered like glass.

"What?" asked Russell. "What happened?"

"It's a Trap that can negate Equip Cards," said Joey. "I used this after that deal with those three goons that forced Kaiba, Yugi, and me into a duel, and it's proven to be a regular discount-bin bonus, seeing as everyone plays Premature Burial.

"To put it simply, it negated your Premature Burial before your Monster ever left the Graveyard, so it didn't work… And you still had to pay for it!"

"Clever…" said Russell.

_Maybe I should start looking in the Card Shack's discount bin,_ he thought. _I just might find something… _

"Axe Raider… Command Knight… Destroy two more Scapegoats!"

Axe Raider and Command Knight leapt on the two Scapegoats, slicing them in half.

**(R: 3,400)-------------------- (J: 4,400)**

"All right…" said Russell. "It's your move…"

Joey drew.

He grinned.

"I play the Spell Card, Star Blaster!" he shouted.

He played the card, and an imp in red clothing holding a red die appeared.

"How does that work?" asked Russell.

"Simple," said Joey. "First I gotta sacrifice one Monster on my side of the field. All I've got is my last Scapegoat, so that's gotta do…"

The Scapegoat vanished.

"Then the Star Blaster rolls. I take the result and add it to the star level of the Monster I sacrificed, in this case, one. If the end result equals the star level of a Monster I have in my hand, I get to Special Summon it."

"You only have one card in your hand!" gasped Russell. "You'd need an exact number!"

"Thrilling, ain't it?" asked Joey.

The imp tossed the dice. It rolled…

It landed on a six.

"Perfect!" shouted Joey. "That means I can summon a seven-star Monster!"

Seven-star? thought Russell, starting to sweat. But that means…

Joey threw his last card on his Disk.

"Meet my old pal…" he said, "Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

Russell drew back, as the sinister-looking headliner of Joey's deck loomed over him. It growled an evil-sounding growl… (2,400/2,000)

"Attack his Axe Raider!" shouted Joey. "Inferno fire blast!"

Red Eyes spouted a blast of flame, and Axe Raider was incinerated!

**(R: 2,700) -------------------- (J: 4,400)**

"I… guess it's… my move…" muttered Russell.

He drew.

"I play my own Pot of Greed…" he said.

He played the card, and drew twice.

"Hmm…" he thought, looking at them.

"I place three cards facedown…" he said, placing the card in a slot.

Three facedown cards appeared.

"And move Command Knight to Defense Mode."

Command Knight knelt in Defense.

"That will be all…" he said.

"I draw one…" said Joey.

He drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the ankh appeared…

Gilford the Lightning reappeared, holding his mighty blade. (2,800/1,400)

"Ho boy…" muttered Russell.

"Red Eyes, take out Command Knight!" shouted Russell.

Red Eyes blasted his inferno fire blast, eradicating Command Knight.

Russell almost considered triggering one of his Traps, but he could only use it once. He had to hope his next draw was one of the best…

"Gilford, attack directly!" yelled Joey.

"NOT AGAIN!" screamed Russell

Gilford's sword slammed into Russell, and electricity surged through him again. He flew backwards.

He groaned…

He started gasping for breath.

"Well?" said Joey. "You should be out of Life Points…"

Russell grinned.

"Check again…" he muttered.

**(R: 900) -------------------- (J: 4,400)**

Joey paused.

"How?" he asked.

Russell panted for breath.

"One of those facedown cards…" he said. "It was Emergency Provisions. I used it on one of the others, so I gained an extra thousand before your attack hit."

Joey gave a strange look.

"Boy, and people used to say I didn't know when to quit," he said. "That was usually the point where I turned the duel around, come to think of it…

"It's your move… Can you turn this around?"

Russell slowly reached for his deck…

He drew…

He grinned.

"I summon Exiled Force!" he shouted, throwing the card on his Disk.

The gang of Warriors appeared. (1,000/1,000)

"And I'll sacrifice them to wipe out Gilford!"

Exiled Force melted into a mob of spirits. They flew into Gilford the Lightning, and he shattered to bits.

"And I'm not done…" continued Russell. "I activate Call of the Haunted…"

His Trap Card lifted.

"And I'll bring back Exiled Force for another shot!"

Exiled Force reappeared.

They formed into a gang of spirits again, and flew into Red Eyes. He roared, and then shattered into triangles.

For a minute, there was a long pause.

"So…" said Russell.

"So what?" asked Joey.

"What do you say to a true gamble, Joey?" asked Russell.

"I'm all ears," he replied.

"You have no cards left in your hand, and you have no cards on the field," said Russell. "I have three cards in my hand, but I assure you, none of them are any good right now, and I also have no cards on the field.

"So… It seems that whoever draws a Monster they can summon first is going to take control of this duel… And you already have the advantage, with 3,500 more Life Points than I do. In fact, if you draw one, you'll win.

"So… just how lucky do you feel right now?

There was a long pause.

"Your move."

Joey drew a card.

His eyes narrowed.

"I'm not gonna insult your intelligence by using this to bluff," he said, showing it to him.

It was Giant Trunade.

"So I'm just gonna end my turn."

Russell drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity…" he said.

He drew three cards.

A tear fell from his eye.

He discarded Gilford the Lightning and Armed Changer.

"It's been a great duel… Joey…" he said, "and it has been an honor… I almost hate doing what I have to do…

"First, I play Monster Reborn…"

He played the card, and Freed the Matchless General reappeared. (2,300/1,700)

"And then…" he said, "I summon Warrior Dai Grepher…"

He played another card, and Grepher appeared. (1,700/1,600)

"Finally…" he continued. "I play The A. Forces, increasing both their Attack Scores by 400.

He played the card. Freed went up to 2,700, and Grepher went up to 2,100.

"Both of you…" he said, "attack directly!"

Freed and Grepher charged forward, and slashed at Joey with their blades. He staggered back, and fell over.

**(R: 900) -------------------- (J: 0)**

Joey got up and smiled at Russell as his two Monsters vanished.

"So…" he said. "How do you feel?"

Russell paused.

"Kinda good, actually…" he answered. "I mean… Me versus you… And I actually won…"

"Hey, I was never one to brag…" said Joey.

A doorway appeared in the back of the chamber.

"I'm guessing that's the way out for both of us," said Joey, "but before you leave, maybe I should tell you the whole story… About the Orichalcos, and about Dartz…"

"You know about it?" asked Joey.

"Know about it?" asked Joey. "Russell… I lived it…"

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The Sage of Duelists was watching intently…

Three young – apparently – men and one young woman wearing the black robes stood behind him, also watching.

"It's almost time…" he said. "Soon it will be time to make the offer…

"I just hope it will be accepted…"

_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 4:45 PM _

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**LANDSTAR FORCES (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The four Landstar Warriors in a fighting stance.

**Card Description:** Special Summon all Monsters in your hand who have the word "Landstar" in their names.

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**0**

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**KNIGHT OF LANDSTAR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be the target of an attack if you have another Monster on your side of the field with the word "Landstar" in its name.

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**GRAPPLER OF LANDSTAR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **500

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, you may Special Summon another Monster from your hand that has the word "Landstar" in its name.

_Note: "Landstar Forces", "Knight of Landstar", and "Grappler of Landstar" were first used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode "Let the Games Begin!" All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

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**COMPENSATION MEDIATION (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A man amid a crowd being strangled by a dark shadow.

**Card Description:** Activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Your opponent takes this card and two Spell and/or Trap Cards from his Graveyard and places them facedown without you seeing them. Choose one of them at random. If the card you pick is "Compensation Mediation", the attack is negated and your opponent's Battle Phase ends. Then both of the two Spell and/or Trap cards are placed on the top of your opponent's deck. If it is another card, the attack may continue, and the card you chose is placed on the top of your opponent's deck.

_Note: "Compensation Mediation" was first used by Joey in the anime episode "My Freaky Valentine (Part 2)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

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**TAKE ONE CHANCE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A robed woman praying behind a wooden fence with two armed men behind her.

**Card Description:** Take one card from you Graveyard at random and activate it.

_Note: "Take One Chance" was first used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode "Fighting For A Friend" All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

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**0**

**0**

**STAR BLASTER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** An imp in space-age clothes with a red die.

**Card Description:** Offer one Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute to activate this card. Roll one die. Add the result to the star level of the Tributed Monster. If the total equals the star level of a Monster you have in your hand, special summon that Monster. Otherwise, end your turn.

_Note: "Star Blaster" was first used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode "On The Wrong Track". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

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**0**

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_**Was that really Joey who was dueling Russell?**_

_**If it was, how did he come from the past?**_

_**If it wasn't, who was he?**_

_**Whatever the case, Russell has completed his ritual, and now Trisha must do the same. You've likely guessed what she's up against next chapter, and it may not be pretty…**_

**_Don't miss "Lightning Vortex", coming up next._**


	45. Lightning Vortex

_**Ever since I first spoke to Critias, I dueled some powerful opponents…**_

…_**but this one has GOT to take the proverbial cake.**_

_**I'm starting to question whether what I'm seeing in front of me is real, or whether he's some sort of magical construct, or even something that I'm imagining.**_

_**He could be real…**_

_**But I hope not.**_

_**Why? Because if he's real, he has in his deck three cards that caused dozens of duelists in his time to tremble in fear, and to this day are only spoke of only in whispers…**_

…_**cards that I am truly unprepared for, because no one since him has ever used one. **_

_**Right now I'm thinking that this duel is going to fit two descriptions…**_

_**Short, and rather painful…**_

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**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR**

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**Lightning Vortex**

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_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 4:08 PM_

In her office, Dr. Artemis typed on her computer diligently.

She held out her coffee cup, and Twinky rolled up to refill it.

She was trying hard to find out all she could about these strange events that happened every millennia called "The Reckoning". She couldn't help but think that, perhaps, something linked all of them.

The information on Sir Issac's battle with the demon Malastus was old news by now. She was now trying to find information about what had happened in even more ancient times.

Finally, she logged onto a different Wiccan website than the one Russell had found. The information on Issac's struggle was there as well… As was something else at another date, one-thousand years earlier. She started to read.

_In the year AD 106 on the Christian calendar, mankind faced a dire threat to its very existence that came into the world at the heart of the great city of Rome. If not for the heroics and self-sacrifice of two heroes, the world would have endured darkness and evil unlike it had ever seen._

_A philosopher of no small skill named Daccarius had theorized that through the use of an ancient ritual from Babylon, he could discover the true meaning of all creation. (How he acquired the ritual is unknown.) He severely misjudged his own skill, even though it was formidable, and released a great evil by mistake: the mighty Archdevil Skorne. Skorne "rewarded" Daccarius for his foolishness by consuming his soul, and proceeded to draw half of the Roman Empire into a spiral of utter darkness. _

_When Skorne was freed, his prison, a giant crystal, came into being in the world as well, in the heart of what once was Babylon. This prison held the secret to his defeat, and so he summoned forth four diabolic guardians to defend it. He gave each of them a share of the seal he placed on the prison, and as long as they lived, no mortal could approach it._

_But where Evil exists, Good will rise to oppose it and the celestial lords called forth a champion to face the Archdevil. The champion was a mighty sorcerer from the Nubian region, calling himself Obrimos. Obrimos had foreseen the rise of Skorne, and had traveled the world for twenty years, gathering the magic of every land. Accompanied by a Roman Centurion named Arcanthum, the sorcerer sought to bring an end to Skorne's life and save the world from his evil._

_First, Obrimos and Arcanthum traveled to the four farthest points of the Roman Empire to slay Skorne's guardian beasts. In vicious combat, they slew the Silver Chimera; Obrimos unraveled and solved the riddles of the Darksphinx; Arcanthum destroyed the Brimstone Golem through sheer might; and together they overthrew and defeated the Queen of Spiders._

_Once the seal was broken, the two champions traveled to the ruins of Babylon, where Skorne's crystal prison had manifested. But there they found a much greater danger – Daccarius, his soul long since eaten, had risen as a heartless creature of unimaginable power: a lich, an undead sorcerer possessing darkest magic. Combining Arcanthum's strength and his own magical might, Obrimos proved the strength of his own soul by banishing Daccarius from this world. And so the heroes gained access to Skorne's prison._

_Within it, the sorcerer found the secret incantations and symbols that had locked the Archdevil's power for aeons untold. He fashioned the crystal of the prison into a mighty staff, and called upon a spirit to help him bind the prison's magics into the staff. _

Instead of the spirit he sought, however, Obrimos called forth the soul of a champion of Good, from an even more ancient time. By proving his righteousness, he convinced the soul to aid him, and thus the staff was imbued with power enough to defeat Skorne. He named the staff "Soul Savior".

_Obrimos and Arcanthum returned to Rome, where Skorne had set himself up as a tyrant and planned the conquest of the world. Together, the two heroes fought their way through legions of summoned devils and evil beings indescribable, finally gaining access to the Senate building, Skorne's base… just as the full moon was eclipsed by a black shadow, throwing the land into darkness. _

The two launched their attack, only to discover a trick – Skorne had conjured forth one final guardian, a vicious devil of ice known as Ymilok. Arcanthum threw himself on the devil, ordering Obrimos to strike down Skorne, and fought Ymilok with all his might. Sadly, though he slew Ymilok, the effort cost Arcanthum his life.

_Calling on all the magic he knew, Obrimos charged Soul Savior with his very essence, his very soul. Its powers launched out and bound the Archdevil's magics, crippling him. With that, Obrimos fired five grand spells – the first two destroyed Skorne's gauntlets, the third shattered the mask that bound his life force to him, the fourth destroyed his horns and rendered him mortal, and the final blast obliterated the Archdevil Skorne for all eternity. _

But unfortunately, the victory came at great cost. Although Rome was returned to normal and the world saved, Soul Savior shattered under the force of the last spell, and Obrimos himself was mortally wounded by the backlash. It is said the last thing he saw in this world was Arcanthum, saluting him in the manner of the Roman legions, and the last action Obrimos did before he died was smile.

_Thus, the world was saved… At least for one millennia more…_

Dr. Artemis paused.

She started to look over the website, but no information existed on what had occurred one thousand years before that…

"Clearly…" she said, "the side of Good has a pretty decent record in these conflicts.

"I can't help but think – and worry – that the side of Evil might have learned from previous mistakes…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trisha walked down the long, winding, torch-lit hallway.

_Hope I don't get lost,_ she thought._ I don't think I'd find a "You are here" sign in this place… There likely isn't a taco stand either._

She saw a doorway up ahead.

She wandered into what appeared to be another temple of some sort, lit by flickering torchlight.

She looked around. Stone tablets were placed around the walls.

She looked at one of them…

_Battle Ox…_ she thought, looking at the carven image.

She looked at another.

_Rude Kaiser…_ she thought.

She looked at a third.

_Swordstalker… Wow, this place is pretty fancy. I feel like I should pay admission to come in._

Then her eyes fell on the largest tablet, which made up the floor…

She walked onto it and shivered. It was a ferocious-looking dragon with large wings and horns on its face. It seemed to glare at her with piercing eyes as she looked at it…

"What is this place?" she asked.

"Actually," said an annoyed voice, "I was hoping you could tell me…"

She spun around… And her eyes opened wide.

Walking towards her was a young man who she recognized immediately, from his distinctive hairstyle and trademark jacket. He stood a head taller than her and radiated an aura of authority that simply could not be ignored.

"K…K…K…" she stuttered.

She paused. The name would not come out.

"How could you be here?" she finally asked.

"I'll ask the questions here," said Kaiba, sternly. "I'm not in the best of moods…"

He glared at her.

"Trisha, right?" he said with a frown. "Critias must have lowered his standards…"

Trisha was sweating. This was too unreal.

"This is crazy…" she muttered. "One of the best duelists who ever lived… How can you be here? It…"

"I'm as clueless as you are," interrupted Kaiba. "I was minding my own business like I usually do, when someone brings me here and tells me I have to test the duelist who has Critias now. I suppose that makes sense because I had him last."

"You used Critias?" asked Trisha. "Oh gee, I have a million questions…"

"I don't have time!" snapped Kaiba.

He paused.

"Trisha, if there's one thing I hate more than anything," he said, "it's being told what to do, and I would have said no if I had a choice. I have better things to do than this. But since I want to go home as soon as possible and I apparently _don't_ have a choice…

"We're dueling… now."

Trisha slunk back a little.

"You… against me?" asked Trisha.

Kaiba nodded.

"For what stakes?" asked Trisha.

"They didn't mention any," replied Kaiba.

Trisha paused.

_No strings attached…_ she thought. _I just have to duel someone who's only lost a fair duel to one other person…_

_Critias, why did you ever come to me?_

"Okay, but…" started Trisha.

"Just don't wimp out and give up after you make your first draw," ordered Kaiba. "And I do know one thing… Critias isn't allowed, so remove it."

Trisha skimmed through her deck and found The Fang of Critias. She picked up her side deck and quickly swapped it with another card, and reshuffled.

_Okay,_ she thought. _Here goes nothing…_

She stared at the legend in front of her as he raised his own Disk – a Mach 2 model – and it activated.

"Once again…" muttered Trisha. "Game start…"

They both quickly drew five cards.

**(Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (Kaiba: 8,000)**

"Uh, why don't you go first…" muttered Trisha, nervously.

"Don't mind if I do…" said Kaiba, drawing a sixth card.

He looked over his hand. Then he looked at Trisha.

"Afraid?" he asked with a smile.

Trisha didn't answer.

Kaiba smirked.

"Trisha," said Kaiba, "didn't you take down an Ancient Gear Golem? That's just as strong as one of my Dragons, and unlike them, it's an Effect Monster."

"You're… trying to encourage me?" asked Trisha.

"Maybe…" said Kaiba.

He fit one card in his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

"Maybe it's because I don't like dueling wimps…

"I summon Pitch-Dark Dragon in Defense Mode."

A smallish Dragon with black scales appeared, folding its wings in a defensive position. (900/600)

"That will be enough for my first turn."

Trisha opened her eyes.

She made a slight grin as she drew her sixth card.

Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all…

"Uh…" she said. "That facedown card… It's your Crush Card, right?"

"What makes you so sure?" asked Kaiba.

"Oh, come on…" said Trisha. "Kaiba, plus facedown card, plus weak Monster with Dark Attribute equals Crush Card. This is one of your favorite strategies. If I attacked, you'd spring that and my whole deck would be ruined.

"Kaiba, you were the subject of chapters five through eight of my Dueling Personalities class textbook for pete's sake!"

"Who was the subject of chapters one through four?" he asked, annoyed.

"Uh… better you didn't know…" said Trisha, choosing a card.

"It might be my Crush Card…" said Kaiba, with a grin. "Or then again, it might not be… Maybe I simply want you to think it is. After all, my success rate with that card isn't all that good…"

"Well I'm not taking any chances," said Trisha. "I play Heavy Storm!"

She played the card, and the fierce wind tore through the field! The Crush Card – for that was indeed what it was – lifted up and shattered to pieces.

"Well, it seems you studied…" muttered Kaiba. "But I did manage to do one thing… get you to use up your Heavy Storm early, and that's a very powerful card.

"I guess I'm going to have to beat you the old-fashioned way, but that's fine with me… It makes things more interesting."

"I guess so…" said Trisha.

She put a card down on her Disk.

"I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode…" she said.

The Machine hunter appeared. (1,850/800)

"Attack the Pitch-Dark Dragon!" she shouted.

Mechanicalchaser flew forward, blades first. It sliced through the Pitch-Dark Dragon, and it shattered into fragments.

"That's my turn…" she said.

Kaiba made a draw.

"I'll summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode," he said, placing a card on his Disk.

The Spellcaster that Jason was so fond of using appeared, crouching in Defense. (500/1,200)

_This won't be hard…_ thought Trisha, drawing a card. _I've seen Jason's cards so many times, he'll never be able to surprise me!_

"I summon Cyber Phoenix in Attack Mode!" she exclaimed.

Cyber Phoenix appeared in a burst of flame. (1,200/1,600)

"Mechanicalchaser, destroy his clown!"

Mechanicalchaser flew forward, cutting up Peten.

"I activate his effect," said Kaiba. "Peten number two, arise!"

A second Peten appeared, also in Defense Mode.

"Your move…" said Trisha.

Kaiba drew a card.

He looked at it for a second…

He gave a slight smirk to Trisha, and then added it to his hand.

_Could that be…_ thought Trisha, nervously.

Kaiba looked over his hand, and choose another card. He placed it on his Disk.

"I summon the Skull Dog Marron in Defense Mode," he said.

A spooky shadow appeared in front of him, and a creature that looked, for all intents and purposes, like the skeleton of some large great Dane walked out of it. It shielded itself with its bony arms. (1,350/2,000)

Trisha gulped.

"Scared?" asked Kaiba. "Believe me, he's the least of your worries. It's your move."

_I was wrong,_ she thought. _He does have a few things that could surprise me… What is that thing, some Vampire Lord's pet?_

_But this isn't like Kaiba! Doing nothing but defending? Kaiba always believed that the best defense was a massive offense…_

_He's likely planning something big…_

_Well, I can't let him keep two Monsters on the field. If he gets one of those…_

She shuddered as she drew a card.

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon Machine King Prototype in Attack Mode," she said.

Prototype appeared, its optic sensors glowing. (1,600/1,500) – (1,800/1,500)

"Mechanicalchaser, destroy the second Peten!" she shouted.

Mechanicalchaser slashed at the clown, and he shattered.

A third one appeared.

"Prototype… you know what to do. Laser phaser!"

Prototype blasted its eye beams, and incinerated the last Peten.

_So long as I don't let him keep two Monsters on the field,_ she thought._ I should be safe from one of his major players._

_Well, safe to a point, that is. He has a lot of cards in his deck that can summon them easier. Cost Down, Kaiser Sea Horse… A lot._

"Your move…" she said, getting nervous.

Kaiba drew.

"I play Pot of Greed," he stated.

He played the card. The jar appeared, and he drew twice. The jar shattered.

He smirked.

"Well, Trisha…" he stated, taking another card from his hand. "It's high time one of my stars made his appearance…"

He flipped the card around…

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon…" gulped Trisha as she looked at the famous card.

Then she regained her composure.

"You need to trade two Monsters for that guy, and you only have one!" she protested.

Then she paused.

"Wait… You're going to use Cost Down!"

"No…" said Kaiba, shaking his head. "If I did, I'd have to discard a card, and it would only work once. I'm going to use a single card that's going to make sacrificing Monsters completely unnecessary from this point."

"That's impossible!" shouted Trisha.

"You'll be a believer in a minute," said Kaiba, putting the priceless card back in his hand. "First, I'll place one card facedown…"

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"And now…" he said, opening his Field Slot, "the card that every good Power Deck needs…"

He placed a card in the slot and closed it.

"I activate Mausoleum of the Emperor!"

Before Trisha's eyes, the indoor temple melted away, and was replaced by an outdoor promenade with a hazy sky. Behind Kaiba was a foreboding temple guarded by two sentinels, with iron braziers with lit flames flanking it.

Trisha could tell just by looking around…

…this was sacred ground…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Sage of Duelists was watching Trisha's progress as the Field Spell was played. His four bodyguards watched behind him.

One of them lowered her hood, revealing herself to be a young woman with long, blonde hair.

"Hey…" she said, nudging the one next to her. "Didn't you use that card in your deck?"

He lowered his own hood. He seemed about her age, and his shorter hair was brownish-grey.

"A few times," he replied. "It's powerful, but I gave it up early. I figured it was helping my opponents more than it was me."

"That's for sure," she replied. "It certainly benefits Kaiba's deck… Trisha might be in big trouble…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Confused?" asked Kaiba. "Let me explain…

"In Mausoleum of the Emperor, if a duelist wants to Normal Summon a high-level Monster, he doesn't have to sacrifice Monsters at all if he doesn't want to or simply can't. He can instead choose to pay 1,000 Life Points for each sacrifice the Monster would normally need.

"Simple enough? Good.

"So… I'll pay 2,000 Life Points to summon what would normally require two sacrifices… Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

He threw the card on his Disk, and lightning flashed…

Trisha drew back in fright as the Monster she never thought she'd see loomed over Kaiba! It let out a bellowing roar! (3,000/2,500)

_This could be a very short duel…_ she thought.

"Well…" said Kaiba, taking another card from his hand. "I could just crash through your Monsters one at a time, but since that would be a colossal waste of my time and his…"

He took a card from his hand.

"I play the Spell Card, Burst Stream of Destruction!"

"Burst Stream of Destruction?" asked Trisha. "Wait… Isn't that the name of an attack that Blue-Eyes uses?"

"Did I say it wasn't?" replied Kaiba, playing the card. "Blue-Eyes, wipe out her Machines!"

Blue-Eyes blasted a steam of destructive energy, and Trisha's three Machines were blasted to atoms!

"As you can see…" said Kaiba, "so long as I have a Blue-Eyes on the field, it works just like Raigeki."

Trisha looked up at the huge Dragon in panic…

"Oh, calm down, crybaby…" muttered Kaiba. "It does have one small catch. Blue-Eyes can't actually attack on the round I use that card, so you're safe for this turn."

He smirked.

"_Next_ turn, however…"

Trisha grinned nervously…

"Well, make your move…" he demanded.

**(T: 8,000) -------------------- (K: 6,000)**

Trisha's hand trembled as she drew a card.

_I'm in the lead…_ she thought. _But that might change very soon…_

"I activate my facedown card," said Kaiba.

A Trap Card lifted, showing the image of an elderly man with a strange machine latched to his back.

"It's called Life-Absorbing Machine, and we'll get to what it does later."

He frowned.

"You know, I remember the first time I saw this card used," he said. "It was when I dueled a big jerk who you'd never want to meet. But he did have a few good cards.

"For now, finish your turn."

Trisha nervously placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon another Machine King Prototype…" she said. "In Defense Mode…"

A second Prototype appeared, shielding itself. (1,600/1,500)

She bowed her head.

_He's looking at me like I'm a little girl…_ she thought. _I know it's a weakling compared to Blue Eyes, but it was the best I could do…_

"Then I draw…" said Kaiba, "and with Life-Absorbing Machine on the field, I gain Life Points equal to half of what I paid last turn. So paying Life Points for my Field Spell is only half as costly for me as you may think."

He looked at the card he had drawn.

"I play this…" he said. "White Dragon Ritual! And I'll sacrifice my Skull Dog Marron to do so…"

The skeletal Beast vanished.

"That lets me summon Paladin of White Dragon!"

A large, mounted form flew down. It was a knight in white armor, astride a small, winged dragon, armed with a lance. (1,900/1,200)

"Attack the Prototype!" he ordered. "Sonic lance attack!"

The Paladin shot a wave of sound from his lance, and Prototype exploded.

_No…_ thought Trisha. _That was my only defense…_

"Blue-Eyes…" said Kaiba.

Trisha gulped.

"No…" she whined.

"Attack directly!" he shouted. "White lightning!"

The powerful blast honed in on her, and Trisha felt like her flesh was being torn off its bones. She finally managed a scream…

She fell to her knees… Smoke rose from her body…

**(T: 5,000) -------------------- (K: 7,000)**

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Kaiba. "I never get tired of that!"

He paused.

"And finally…" he continued, "I'll use Paladin's effect, letting me sacrifice it to summon another Blue-Eyes from my deck. So now I have two!"

Paladin vanished, and the second Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared next to its brother. (3,000/2,500)

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Your move…"

Trisha slowly got up.

She looked at the two titans.

_This had best be a good draw…_ she thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado was slowly going through his address book.

He dialed a number on his video phone. A face appeared on it.

"Curare?" he said. "I'm going to be needing your services in the near future. I'm willing to pay a generous sum for one duel, so long as you can handle the Shadows."

"_I can,"_ said a female voice in his head. _"But for such a job, I fear I may require hazard pay. Perhaps for an extra twenty percent…"_

"Fifteen, Curare, don't get greedy," said Fortunado.

"_Very well, fifteen,"_ she replied. _"Just give me the name and location of the target."_

"It won't work that way this time, Curare," he said. "The enemy likely plans to come to us, and one assassin won't do… I require a gathering of elite duelist unlike any ever established. The project is going to be costly, but it will be profitable in the long run.

"Hopefully, the next rising of the Black Moon will be the blackest."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trisha drew a card.

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!" she shouted.

The two Dragons roared as the cage of glowing swords crashed down around them and their master.

"Humph…" muttered Kaiba. "I've never liked that annoying card."

"I don't blame you," muttered Trisha. "I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn."

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

Kaiba drew a card.

"Eh…" he said, waving his hand.

Trisha started to think as she made her next draw.

She perked up a little bit. She looked at the two Dragons, who were looking at her impatiently.

_You know…_ she thought. _Maybe this isn't as hard as I thought it would be… All I really have to do…_

…_is try to put myself in Kaiba's shoes, and try to think what I would do if I were him right now. It shouldn't be too hard. I studied his whole career in my first two years._

_Let's see… He has two of his Dragons on the field. His most likely next move will be to try to fuse them together with his third to summon…_

She gulped.

…_his Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! I don't know how I could beat that…_

She remembered something…

_He also owned one of the incredibly rare copies of Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End. That card is illegal now… But is he bound by modern rules? If he summons that thing…_

She placed a card on her Disk.

"I place another Monster in Defense Mode…" she said.

A second facedown Monster appeared.

"That's my turn," she said.

Kaiba drew a card.

"I play this…" he said, playing a Spell Card.

A card bearing the image of a temple on a hill with a glowing portal above it appeared.

"It's called Spell Sanctuary," he said. "Now both duelists can take any Spell Card from their decks they desire and add them to their hands."

Trisha took her deck.

She leafed through it until she found Machine Duplication.

"And now…" said Kaiba, "I'll use it! Polymerization!"

Trisha stepped back in fright, as a third Dragon appeared on the field…

…and then, they swirled into a pool of light, and a huge creature started to form…

The great, three-headed beast loomed over the field, casting its shadow over Trisha. It roared with its three mouths! (4,500/3,800)

"Your Swords are still in the way…" said Kaiba, "so I'll end my turn there…"

_It's now or never…_ thought Trisha, drawing a card.

"I flip Bokoichi the Freightening Card into Attack Mode…" she said, as one of her facedown Monsters flipped into position.

The fiendish freight card appeared. (500/500)

"Next…" she said, "I'll play Machine Duplication!"

She played the card, and two more Bokoichis appeared.

"Next…" she said, "I'll flip Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive into Attack Mode."

The Battlechanted Locomotive flipped into view, and blew steam out of its stack. (1,400/1,000)

"This combo lets me draw four times…" she said, making four draws.

She looked at her new hand of eight cards, and grinned…

"I play… Sky Union!" she shouted. "Now, I'll sacrifice my three Bokoichis…"

The three Freightening Cars shattered.

"And I'll summon… Air Fortress Ziggurat!"

Winds started to pick up around the Mausoleum, and the two sentries cowered in fright as a huge form loomed over the building. The intimidating form of Air Fortress Ziggurat floated over the field. Its massive eyes glowed with fiery light. (2,500/2,000)

Kaiba simply smirked.

"Please…" he said. "I defeated that overgrown Gobot once before, and then I was using a normal Blue-Eyes."

"Really?" asked Trisha. "Well, defeat this… I play Limiter Removal!"

She played the Spell Card, and both her Machines glowed with blue flame. Air Fortress Ziggurat rose to an Attack of 5,000, and Dekoichi rose to an Attack of 2,800!

"Air Fortress Ziggurat…" shouted Trisha. "Attack the Dragon!"

The Ziggurat fired its multitude of guns, missiles and cannons, striking the Ultimate Dragon's immense form! Explosions rocked on its hide! Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon let out a loud moan of agony, and then shattered into bits!

Flames started to spread, and before they knew it, the whole Mausoleum was on fire!

Kaiba looked in disbelief… Even Trisha was a little surprised…

She regained herself.

"Dekoichi…" she shouted. "Attack directly! Loco motion!"

Smoke bellowed from the Battlechanted Locomotive's smokestack, and its eyes glowed red! Kaiba shielded himself as Dekoichi chugged forward and charged into him! He was thrown backwards.

**(T: 5,000) -------------------- (K: 3,700)**

"Uh… Kaiba…" asked Trisha. "You okay? I hope I didn't…"

Kaiba got up, and to Trisha's surprise, he smiled.

"I guess subtlety in Duel Monsters must have died when I did," he said. "But I take back what I said before… Critias has _not_ lowered his standards. It seems I've met a worthy opponent…

"That stunt was harder to pull off than my accountant's toupee.

"But don't get too comfortable, Trisha. You used Limiter Removal to do that. Both of those Monsters will be destroyed when you end your turn."

"Fine…" said Trisha. "I end it now…"

Dekoichi and the Ziggurat exploded into scrap metal.

Oblivious to the inferno surrounding him, Kaiba made a draw.

"I play Card of Demise," he said, playing a card. "Now I can draw five cards…"

He made five draws.

"Now let's clear away your Swords," he said. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon."

He played the card, and the Swords blew away.

"Now…" he continued, "I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and the Dark Beast-Warrior appeared. He roared and lifted his axe. The spreading flames cast a hellish glow in his eyes. (1,900/1,200)

_Oh…_ thought Trisha. _Of all the Monsters he could have summoned, why did it have to be that one?_

"You're wide open!" shouted Kaiba. "Attack her directly!"

Trisha screamed as the Beast-Warrior slashed across her chest with his axe. She fell over.

**(T: 3,100) -------------------- (K: 3,700)**

_Get a grip, Trisha,_ she thought, getting up. _This isn't Jason's card! It's another copy of the same card! You can deal with it!_

She drew a card.

_I wish I could…_ she thought. _The only Monster I have here that can stand up to him is Machine King, and he needs a sacrifice to summon…_

She paused.

_Hold on a minute…_ she thought. _Or does he? This Mausoleum… It may be on fire, but it's still active… And it's a Field Spell. That means I can use it too._

_At least, I think I can…_

_Here goes nothing…_

"I'm activating the effect of Mausoleum of the Emperor," she said, "paying 1,000 Life Points to summon Machine King!"

She placed a card on her Disk, and Machine King rose up, ready to face his opponent. (2,200/2,000) –) (2,300/2,000)

"Attack the Vorse Raider!" she ordered.

She looked away.

"Jet punch attack…"

She couldn't watch as Machine King struck, clobbering Jason's favorite Monster and blowing him to bits.

**(T: 2,100) -------------------- (K: 3,300)**

"Th… that's my turn…" she said, nervously.

"You are clever, Trisha," said Kaiba, as he drew a card. "Since I got this card, a lot of my opponents didn't pick up on the fact that both duelists could invoke its great power.

"But you're still outmatched…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I'll invoke its power myself, and pay 1,000 Life Points, to summon Luster Dragon #2!"

The huge, emerald Dragon appeared, and let out a bellow. (2,400/1,400)

"Attack the Machine King!" ordered Kaiba. "Emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon shot forth a blast of flame. Machine King sparked and exploded in a fiery burst.

**(T: 2,000) -------------------- (K: 2,300)**

"Your move…" he said.

Trisha drew a card.

"I'll place one card facedown, and that will be all…" she said, placing a card in her Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

"Heh, heh…" laughed Kaiba, drawing. "That's the most pathetic bluff I've ever seen…

"I'll gain 500 Life Points from Life-Absorbing Machine…

"But that hardly matters, because you're through! Luster Dragon, attack her directly!"

Luster Dragon shot its flame at Trisha, and she screamed as it hit her…

"You are beaten…" said Kaiba, smugly.

As the smoke cleared, Trisha looked at him, gasping for breath.

She pointed to the Trap she had triggered.

"Surprise…" she said.

"Nutrient Z?" he gasped,

"Yeah…" she said. "I can activate it when…"

"I know how it works!" interrupted Kaiba. "I used it a few times myself. You _wanted_ me to attack you, didn't you?

"Clever…"

**(T: 3,600) -------------------- (K: 2,800)**

A flaming timber from above fell between them as he stared at her.

"I end my turn with that," he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Yes, Professor Zander," said Fortunado, "I'm prepared to pay very well… No, I assure you it won't be a problem…"

He paused.

"Uh huh… Yeah, I could obtain cards like that in under a week if you desire. It shouldn't be a problem.

"All right see you then…"

He turned off the video phone.

"That takes care of all the usual contacts," he said to himself. "Now to work on the… unusual ones."

He walked out of the room.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trisha slowly caught her breath. The smoke and flames may have been only holograms created by their Disks, but they seemed so real. She drew a card.

"I place three cards facedown…" she said, placing three cards in her Disk.

Three facedown cards appeared on the field.

"Now I pay 1,000 Life Points to use the effect of the Mausoleum," she said, "and summon Cyber-Tech Alligator!"

She played the card, and the large, cybernetic reptile rose up. (2,500/1,600)

"Attack his Luster Dragon!" she shouted. "Freezing stream!"

Cyber-Tech Alligator shot its chilling mist from its mouth and Luster Dragon was blown to shards.

"Heh…" muttered Kaiba. "That move cost you more Life Points that it did me."

"It had to be done," answered Trisha. "I guess it's your move."

**(T: 2,600) -------------------- (K: 2,700)**

Kaiba drew a card.

"Oh, I'll move," he said. "And you will lose! I play Monster Reborn, and I'll use it to bring back my Ultimate Dragon!"

He played the card, and the ankh appeared, glowing with fire in the air…

The immense form of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon reappeared, furiously bellowing with all three heads! The glare of the fire reflected on its shining scales.

"Destroy her Alligator!" shouted Kaiba. "Neuron blast!"

The immense Dragon shot a blast of pure energy from its three heads…

One of Trisha's Trap Cards flipped up, and a Negate Attack halted the blast.

"You survived one turn," said Kaiba. "Next round, you're finished."

_He may be right,_ thought Trisha. _How on Earth can I defeat it a second time?_

She looked at the three cards in her hand: Thunder Crash, Red Gadget, and Hyper Refresh.

_None of the cards in my hand are any good against this behemoth…_

She drew a card.

_Double Spell…_ she thought, looking at it. _There has to be some way I can use this against him… But how?_

She thought for a minute.

_Oh! I got it!_

"I play Double Spell," she said, playing the card.

She discarded Thunder Crash.

"Now I can duplicate any Spell Card in your Graveyard, and I'll use it to duplicate… Card of Demise!

"Now I can draw five cards!"

She drew five times.

"I must say, that was smart," said Kaiba, as she looked over them. "Did you get any good ones?"

Trisha gave a wicked grin.

"I got ones that are going to topple your Dragon and win this duel!" she said, overjoyed.

"First," she said, "I'll spend 2,000 Life Points to use the power of Mausoleum of the Emperor, and summon Perfect Machine King to the field."

Her Life Points plummeted as she played the card, and the huge robot appeared. (2,700/1,500) –) (3,200/1,500)

"Next," she said, "I activate one of my facedown cards…"

A Trap Card lifted.

"Rare Metalmorph. I get to choose one Machine, and increase its Attack Score by 500. I choose my Alligator."

Cyber-Tech Alligator turned silver and shiny all over, and its Attack Score rose to 3,000.

"You may have two powerful Monsters," said Kaiba, "but they still fall short of my ultimate beast!"

"Well…" said Trisha, with a smirk, "I'll just have to make him less powerful then."

Her last Trap Card lifted.

"I activate Elemental Blight. Now I have to remove one Monster in my hand from play, and all Monsters on the field with the same Attribute lose 1,500 Attack Points for one round…

"And the Monster I'm removing from play is this one… Emes the Infinity, a Light Monster, just like your Dragon!"

She deposited the card in a slot on her Disk, and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon groaned, falling to an Attack of 3,000.

"Perfect Machine King…" ordered Trisha. "Attack the Ultimate Dragon! Mega missile assault!"

The hatches on Perfect Machine King's shoulders opened, and it blasted forth a volley of artillery, striking the huge Dragon. It groaned, and then exploded into shards!

"Cyber-Tech Alligator, attack directly, and end this!"

The cyborg shot its chilling mist, and Kaiba shielded himself. He fell to his knees…

**(T: 600) -------------------- (K: 0)**

"I won!" shouted Trisha in delight. "I won, I won! I beat Seto Kaiba!"

The flames subsided, as the ruins of Mausoleum of the Emperor faded into dust, leaving only plumes of grey smoke. The two Machines vanished. Finally, the smoke vanished as well, returning them to the temple.

"Yeah, you won…" muttered Kaiba. "And let me tell you, you'd better _never_ lose a duel again! Not after this duel…"

He got up.

"I can take a loss…" he muttered. "Especially since there doesn't seem to be a single witness… But don't you dare brag about this…"

"My lips are sealed," assured Trisha.

A doorway opened in the back of the temple.

"Well, Kaiba…" she said, "thanks for the duel, I guess. I think that's the way out for both of us…"

"Hold it, Trisha…" said Kaiba.

He looked at her.

"Maybe we should talk for a while," he said. "You hold Critias, so it stands to reason that the Orichalcos is back. You shouldn't go into something like that unprepared.

"Let me give you advice, Trisha. I know a lot about that cursed card, and everything that happened the first time, and as a wise man once said…

"Forewarned is forearmed…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Watching the progress was the Sage of Duelists, and his four bodyguards.

"Well, Trisha's style isn't exactly subtle or clean," said the Sage, "but then again, the style of most Machine duelists isn't. All we need do is wait for Jason to finish, and we'll be ready to get down to real business."

One of the four of them came up to him and lowered his hood. He had long ago gotten rid of the braids in his long hair, and simply wore it neatly long right now.

"Uhm, begging the general's pardon," he said, "but do you mind if I ask a question?"

"Ask away, my boy," replied the Sage. "That's what I'm here for."

"Well…" he said, "I've seen you command a lot of powerful magic…"

"I don't like to brag…" said the Sage, with a smile.

"Well… Isn't summoning Joey and Kaiba themselves from the past a little much even for you?" he asked. "I mean, you aren't God…"

"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled the Sage. "No, my boy, I'm not God, and I'd be the first person to tell you that…

"Anyway, as for Joey and Kaiba, it isn't really them. Allow me to explain…"

He paused.

"Last night, the Three Dragons themselves contacted me, and told me that the Chosen Ones would need a purification ritual before I could make the offer. They said it would consist of a difficult duel… a practical baptism by fire to a duelist.

"But all I'd have to do is direct them to the hidden sanctums. The Dragons would take it from there. I had nothing to do with providing these opponents.

"I didn't exactly expect this, but it makes sense. The Dragons have taken the forms of their original allies, adopting their looks, mannerisms, and strategies. Who better to prepare their Chosen Ones?"

"So Trisha was just dueling Critias?" asked the bodyguard.

"Affirmative," said the Sage. "Indeed. Yes."

"Odd," said the female. "How could Critias have copies of the real Kaiba's Dragons?"

"Heh," said the one who Russell had dueled. "I witnessed Jaden's duel with Kaibaman. If that guy could create magical copies of Blue-Eyes, then Critias certainly could too."

"Mmm," said the Sage. "The Legendary Dragons could likely create a deck with any Duel Monsters cards that could be legally obtained. In a way, they are like Duel Spirits… But they exist above Duel Spirits in the same way that kings exist above commoners.

"Let's keep watching. Jason is in a tough spot, and I think his ritual is going to turn out to be the hardest."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

He was right…

At this point, Jason was in a _very_ difficult duel…

He was facing a strategy that seemingly could not be beaten.

_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 4:45 PM_

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**SPELL SANCTUARY (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A temple on a hill with a glowing portal above it.

**Card Description:** When this card is activated, both players can take any Spell Card from their respective decks and add it to their hands. While this card is active, a player can activate a facedown Normal Spell Card during his opponent's turn.

_Note: "Spell Sanctuary" was first used by Kaiba in the anime episode "Clash in the Colosseum (Part One)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**MAUSOLEUM OF THE EMPEROR**

_Every card in the game has a story behind it if you look close enough, and the Field Spell Card "Mausoleum of the Emperor" (which, as GX fans know, was at one point used by Aster Phoenix) has a story behind it based in the real world._

_The card is based on a famous tomb in China known as the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, also called the Terracotta Army. Discovered in 1974, in the northern Chinese city of Xi'an, this elaborate tomb was found to contain over 8,000 life size terracotta statues – funerary sculptures._

_The tomb was the resting place of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China from 221 BC to 210 BC. Huang was known to be a cruel and oppressive tyrant, and was likely insane. After he unified China, he connected several structures among its border into what was the beginning of the Great Wall of China. His ultimate goal was to find an elixir that would grant immortality, but he died before finding one. To further emphasize his madness, everyone who contributed to building his tomb was executed in the name of preserving his eternal afterlife. His successor was unimpressed by his attempts – he had the glorious tomb sealed up and buried, and it was forgotten._

_Despite its dark history, the Terracotta Army is truly a marvel of art and architecture. The thousands of statues, which depict soldiers, horses, chariots, and weapons, are all life-sized, and no two are exactly the same. The soldiers are all posed as if ready to march into battle. Some are in a kneeling position, or preparing for their journey._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Jason faces Timaeus in his own purification ritual. You folks logically assume by now that Timaeus will take the form of Yugi or maybe the Pharaoh, but you'd be wrong. Timaeus knows that their strategies would be far too overwhelming, and Jason would be too intimidated. But that doesn't mean that he's going to let Jason off easy.**_

_**What form will Timaeus take? Well, it's someone else who the Dragons considered an ally.**_

**_You consider that and wait for the next chapter. It's called "Royal Decree". Be here._**


	46. Royal Decree

_**A hundred years ago, my two brothers and I were awakened, as a crisis threatened both the mortal realm and the Dominion of Beasts. We bonded ourselves with three brave and skilled duelists, and combated the threat, dealing with demons coming from both outside and within. **_

_**With their help, we emerged victorious, but I had a feeling at the time that even with Leviathan's fall, the evil had not truly been vanquished. Something deeper was lurking in behind it that no one knew about. We had missed something big, and something was still out there. That's what I assumed.**_

_**I assumed right. I still don't know what the true threat is, but now I know how to stop it. Our new Chosen have found the source of the Dark Messiah, the one force that can defeat the evil forever.**_

_**Once the rituals are complete, the Messiah will emerge, and the final battle will begin. The Chosen must be baptized by fire, but win or lose, the flames of these intense duels will burn any remaining unclean thoughts and emotions from their souls, and the Dark Messiah will be ready to greet them.**_

_**They will feel pain, but when a mother gives birth, she also feels pain. And the end result is a wonderful thing that results in the creation of life. **_

_**It must be done.**_

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**CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Royal Decree**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 4:12 PM_

As Jason wandered down the torch-lit hallway, the Eye of Timaeus in his deck glowed softly.

An armored figure appeared in the temple ahead of him.

"Everything is perfect," muttered the figure. "Once my duel with Jason is complete, he and his partners will be ready, and the Dark Messiah will rise!"

He lifted a deck of cards, and looked through them. Forty cards, carefully taken from his spiritual vault.

"This deck forms a strategy that is… unorthodox… very strange…" he said. "But it is quite challenging. Quite lethal. It will suffice…"

He faded into a shadow…

"Hello?" said Jason, walking into the room.

He walked around.

Again, the torch-lit chamber seemed full of tablets, depicting Monsters of all varieties.

"This place looks expensive…" he said. "I feel like I'm wasting money just standing here."

"It is quite intimidating," said a voice that had an odd accent. "But then, when I was younger, I went to places like this myself… Several times. And they had guards and booby traps."

Jason turned…

And gasped in fright…

Anyone who dueled would recognize the man in front of him. The platinum hair down to his shoulders styled to cover the left side of his face was a giveaway, but the fancy red business suit was also a big part of it.

"Nice outfit…" muttered Jason.

"It's Italian," answered Maximillion Pegasus.

"Why are you here?" Jason finally ventured to ask. "How can you still be alive?"

"I'm no spring chicken, Jason-boy," replied Pegasus, with a sideways glance. "But I'm hardly dead yet. I take it you're the new holder of Timaeus?"

He looked at Jason.

"I can tell when someone has potential," he said. "And you have it…"

"How do you know about Timaeus?" asked Jason.

"Well, first of all, there's precious little about Duel Monsters I don't know about," answered Pegasus, "and you might say I had a bit of rapport with the Dragons a while ago. The typical savoir-faire that I'm used to, although it turned into a messy crisis… But you no doubt know about that…"

"No kidding…" muttered Jason.

Pegasus took a card out of his jacket and looked at it.

He slowly put it back.

"As to why I'm here, Jason-boy…" he continued, with another sideways glance (he seemed to be doing that a lot, which made sense seeing that the place where his left eye had once been was concealed by his hair).

He whipped out a Pocket Disk, and placed it on his arm. It quickly unfolded.

"Me?" said Jason. "Versus you? Somehow, I think the odds are slightly in your favor…"

"Now, now," said Pegasus, shaking his finger, "it has already been decided, and neither of us have a choice. I had business with Timaeus, and with Yugi, who was the first one to hold him, so I have to test the one who has him now… Unless you want me to go look for Yugi so he can do it…"

"No thank you!" shouted Jason.

"Well, once this ritual is done," said Pegasus, "and your two friends are finished with their own, your goal will be within reach."

Jason paused.

"Okay…" he said slowly. "I'll duel you…"

Pegasus shuffled his deck, and loaded it into his Disk.

"Oh, before I forget," he continued, "Timaeus is not allowed for this duel, so you'd best remove him. For this duel, we only use the cards that my beloved company greenlighted."

Jason sighed. He looked through his deck and took the Eye of Timaeus out of it and then swapped it for another card.

He started shuffling his deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado was back on his video phone.

"Dr. Rackham-Kerwin, it's me," he said. "Yeah… I got your e-mail… You're absolutely certain your new strategy works? Uh huh… Yes…"

He paused.

"Mmm-hmm… Mmm-hmm… Yes, that might work…

"Okay, you're in then. I'll give you the details when they become available."

He turned off the phone.

_He's going to need the Seal to do his part,_ he thought, _but unfortunately, we're running low on them, and the Master will need a few more victories before being able to create additional ones._

_But I think we can spare another four in order to give those three a shake-up before they even try to come to us. And who knows… If they're successful, the Messiah won't even have the Chosen to back him up._

He turned to a special spot in his address book…

A number that was labeled, The Society of Assassins.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Don't be so nervous, Jason-boy," said Pegasus. "This is no Shadow Game…

"Consider it an… extracurricular activity!"

"All right…" said Jason. "Get your game on…"

**(Jason: 8,000) -------------------- (Pegasus: 8,000)**

"Should you go first, or should I?" asked Jason.

"I'll leave that up to you," replied Pegasus.

"Then you go first, I insist," said Jason.

_Maybe having the first attack will be better than the first move,_ he thought. _After all, from what I know of this guy, he played a Toon Deck, a very dangerous strategy full of cartoon creatures who had special powers…_

_Of course, I could be wrong…_

_After all, this is the creator of Duel Monsters… His deck could theoretically have any card at all in it! _

_Well, the ones that were made up to the time in which he's this age, and I think he looks about thirty…_

Pegasus drew a sixth card, and considered his hand.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I'll start by throwing these two out," he said. "Go, Toon Gemini Elf! Arise in Attack Mode!"

In a puff of purple smoke, two figures appeared. They looked like Gemini Elf only in the most basic outline. They seemed made from watercolor paint, and had sinister looks on their faces.

Jason remembered a character that looked like this from a very old movie that Disney had put out… What was her name?

Jessica something-or-other?

(1,900/900)

"Hey, wait a second!" shouted Jason. "You can't summon Toons without Toon World on the field!"

At this, the two elves started to laugh hysterically, as if that was the stupidest thing he had ever said.

"I don't blame them for laughing at you, Jason-boy," said Pegasus. "That isn't always true. This Monster belongs to a group of Toons referred to as Class-C."

"Class-C?" replied Jason. "I thought… Toons were just… Toons."

"How little we know," said Pegasus. "Toons in the C Class don't need Toon World to be summoned. Sure, they don't have their full potential without it, but they can make do.

"And I'll end my turn with that."

Jason drew a card. He looked at the two elves, which was hard to do… He had faced Fiends, Zombies, and giant Dragons, and this creature was somehow scarier than all of them.

_I don't have anything that can beat their Attack,_ he thought, _but this guy can equal it… _

"I summon Slate Warrior in Attack Mode," he said, placing a card on his Disk.

The blank-faced, alien-looking Fiend appeared. (1,900/400)

The two elves smiled and waved to him, and he just stared.

"That will do for me," he said.

Pegasus drew a card.

"Well…" he said, "here's a useful card… Toon Table of Contents."

He played a Spell Card.

"This Spell lets me search my deck for any card with the word 'Toon' in its name."

"So you're going to summon another one?" asked Jason.

"I said 'card', not 'Monster'," said Pegasus, with a grin, as he took a card from his deck.

He placed his deck back.

"You wanted to know where Toon World was?" he laughed, spreading his arms out. "Well this deck doesn't even have it… But it does have the more advanced version… Think of it as… Toon World, the Sequel!"

He played a Spell Card.

"Otherwise known as… Toon Kingdom !"

An explosion of pink and purple smoke and colored streamers erupted on the floor, and with a BLAM! POW! BLAMF! a large green book flew out the floor! It was green, and had the picture of a comical king on the cover. It spun around like a top, and then slowly opened, revealing a page like a huge pop-up book. The page looked like a paper castle, with torch-lit braziers in the front. Raw energy coursed from it.

"Toon Kingdom?" asked Jason, getting nervous.

"Toon Kingdom is a superior version of Toon World," explained Pegasus. "Of course, to activate it, I need to remove the top five cards from my deck from play…"

He took five cards off his deck, and then placed them in his jacket.

"But anyway, for all intents and purposes," he continued, "this card is Toon World, granting my Toons all the abilities that card would entail.

"Along with a few… extras.

"And when Toon World is present, all Toons have the ability to attack directly. Toon Gemini Elf, go! Double spin kick!"

The two elves laughed, and then locked their elbows together. They leapt into the air, spun around in mid-air, and then kicked Jason in the chest!

He hollered in pain… He hadn't been expecting that .

They landed in front of him and grinned.

"And that's not all, Jason-boy…" continued Pegasus. "Unlike their non-Toon counterparts, these ladies have a nifty effect. Now you lose one card from your hand…"

One of the elves blew a kiss towards Jason, and his Cyber Barrier Dragon was blown from his hand. It flew into his discard slot.

_Lovely… _he thought. _Like Spirit Reaper, only they have a ton more Attack Points and can attack directly… _

"Cartoons are so violent these days, aren't they?" asked Pegasus. "I don't know how the networks can judge them appropriate for children…

"That will end my turn."

The elves alighted in front of him.

**(J: 6,100) -------------------- (P: 8,000)**

_Ugh…_ thought Jason. _That was only his second turn, and already he's way ahead… I'd better summon something stronger… _

He drew a card.

"I'll throw down one facedown…" he said.

A facedown card appeared.

"And I'll turn it over to you."

Pegasus drew a card.

"Attack him again Toon Elves!" he shouted.

"Not this time!" shouted Jason. "Go, Shadow Spell!"

His facedown card lifted. The two Toons screamed as they were bound by chains!

Their Attack Score fell to 1,200.

Then they simply smiled at Jason again, despite the fact they were chained up…

"Heh…" chuckled Jason. "I think that Kaiba himself used this Trap to defeat one your Toons…"

"True, but he still ended up losing," said Pegasus, with a frown.

"I'll make note of that…" said Jason.

He drew a card.

"Slate Warrior, send his Toon Gemini Elf to the reject pile! Attack with fist of slate!"

The two elves just grinned as Slate Warrior closed in. He threw a punch…

And as it hit, they bent like rubber, and snapped back to normal.

"What?" said Jason. "That's impossible…"

Pegasus held up a card that he had taken off of his deck – Cost Down. He put that where he had put the previous five cards.

"Didn't I tell you that Toon Kingdom was a superior version of Toon World, Jason-boy?" he asked. "If one of my Toons is attacked, I can remove the top card from my deck to keep it from being destroyed."

**(J: 6,100) -------------------- (P: 7,300)**

Jason remembered how he had just compared them to a Spirit Reaper…

"You know," said Pegasus, "there were 3013 episodes total of my favorite cartoon, _Funny Bunny_…

"According to someone who counted – although frankly, I think this guy had way too much spare time – Funny Bunny's nemesis, Ruff Ruff McDogg, shot his revolver at the hero over 26,000 times…

"He never hit him once! He tried and he tried, but that silly rabbit just laughed and made a complete fool out of him.

"You see, Jason-boy, with this version of Toon World, Toons can't be hurt the way other Monsters can. Like real cartoon characters, you can hit them, smash them, drop a refrigerator on their heads if you want, but so long as I have cards in my deck, they'll just shake it off!

"Toons are impervious to harm… They're the perfect life form! Is it any wonder I love them so much?"

"They may be immortal, but you sure aren't," said Jason. "I noticed that your Life Points still went down after that attack."

"Well…" said Pegasus with a shrug. "I may like cartoons, but I know I'm not one myself. When you start thinking _that_, you know you're starting to get a little bit _crazy_!"

A facedown card appeared.

"I'll throw down one facedown and end my turn," said Jason.

Pegasus drew a card.

"Here's a card that's always useful," he said, playing it. "Pot of Greed."

The jar appeared, and he drew twice.

"Hmm…" he said. "You can't destroy my elves, but due to your Trap, they're pretty much helpless, I can't shift them to Defense Mode, and their Attack Score is a measly 1,200…

"A predicament…"

He took a card from his hand.

"Well then, I told you about Class-C Toons, let's review Class-B. I'll sacrifice them…"

The elves burst the chains leapt up, and jumped into Toon Kingdom. It slammed shut, and spun around again…

"And I'll summon Toon Dark Magician Girl!"

The tome opened, and a new Toon leapt out. It could best be described as a young girl who was wearing a Halloween costume depicting Dark Magician Girl. She grinned a wicked grin at Jason. (2,000/1,700)

"Isn't she amazing?" asked Pegasus.

"Depends on your definition on 'amazing', I guess," answered Jason.

The Toon took off her hat, and started to look through it…

"And not only can she attack directly," continued Pegasus, "but unlike most Toons, she can do so right away."

Toon Dark Magician Girl pulled a mallet out of her hat that seemed almost as big as herself, and then started to fly towards Jason…

"Oh no you don't!" he shouted. "I activate Attack Guidance Armor!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"What good will that do you?" asked Pegasus. "I have no other Monsters for you to redirect the attack to!"

"It doesn't have to be one of yours," answered Jason. "I'm putting the armor on my Slate Warrior!"

The armor flew forward and latched onto Slate Warrior.

"So, your Toon is going to have to attack him instead of me…"

Toon Dark Magician Girl looked confused… Then she smashed down with the mallet, squashing Slate Warrior flat.

Toon Dark Magician Girl giggled manically.

"So instead of losing 2,000 Life Points, I only lost 100," muttered Jason.

_Thanks, Slate Warrior…_ he thought. _I can't imagine how much that would have hurt… _

"And that's not all…" he continued. "Since she destroyed Slate Warrior, her Attack Score takes a hit."

Toon Dark Magician Girl looked a little confused. Her Attack went down to 1,500.

"I must admit, that was clever…" said Pegasus. "But you'll have more to worry about next turn.

**(J: 6,000) -------------------- (P: 7,300)**

Jason drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn!" he exclaimed. "Now I can bring back Slate Warrior."

Slate Warrior reappeared.

"But he's going right back to the Graveyard, because I'm sacrificing him…"

Slate Warrior vanished into mist…

"To summon… Luster Dragon!"

In a flash of light, the huge emerald Dragon appeared! (2,400/1,400)

"Luster Dragon… Attack the Toon Dark Magician Girl! Emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon shot a stream of burning flame! The Toon watched as it closed in on her…

Then she took off her hat and caught the flame inside it. The hat swelled to enormous size, and the exploded with a "BOING!"

Toon Dark Magician Girl nearly laughed her head off as she replaced it on her head. Pegasus chuckled himself as he disposed of a Gorgon's Eye card.

**(J: 6,000) -------------------- (P: 6,400)**

"What part of 'can't be destroyed' don't you understand?" asked Pegasus.

_He could deck himself out at this rate,_ thought Jason. _But I'm never that lucky…_

He looked at his hand.

_Wait… he said that Toon Kingdom let his Toons avoid being destroyed in battle… Can I destroy them via other methods? _

"I'll throw down one facedown, and end my turn," he said.

A facedown card appeared.

Pegasus drew.

"Toon Dark Magician Girl?" he said. "Attack Jason-boy directly, will you?"

Toon Dark Magician Girl aimed her staff, and a boxing glove appeared on the end.

"I don't think so…" said Jason. "Go! Mirror Force!"

His Trap Card lifted. The Toon screamed, and exploded into shards.

"Well…" he said. "I guess she wasn't immortal after all. So much for that…"

"Yes, so much for that…" replied Pegasus, with a grin.

"Heh, heh, heh…

"Jason-boy, I assure you…

"This is just starting…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

What was the Society of Assassins?

Most folks in the underworld would say it didn't exist. Most folks in major law enforcement agencies, like the FBI and Scotland Yard, would say the same thing.

If you asked someone who was high-up in one of those agencies, he'd tell you otherwise.

The Society of Assassins was an international league of hired killers. Exactly how many members they had wasn't exactly common knowledge, but it was likely about fifty or so. These killers all prided themselves on being able to end someone's life quickly and easily, and they wouldn't take just any job. Their prices were steep, and only the rich and very influential hired them when they wanted someone important gotten rid of.

The Society lived by a very strict code of rules. It was at most a parody of any sort of honor system, and they had a very important rule: failure was not tolerated.

If a member failed to kill his target, he became the target of every other member.

At least, that was the rule that was on the books. According to legend, they never had to enforce it yet. No member of the Society had_ ever_ failed.

And they had a few duelist assassins in their ranks. Fortunado had promised them use of the Orichalcos should he need their services.

"Mr. Montoya…" he said over the phone.

"Keep in informal, Fortunado," came the response. "My name is Ferdinand."

"Ferdinand, then," he replied, "I'm going to need the services of your four duelists, with the special conditions I described earlier."

"Well," said the dark figure on the other end. "If this Orichalcos is as lethal as you say, I may need to make special preparations. As always, the price is one million per victim."

"There are three victims," said Fortunado, typing on a screen, "but I want all four of your duelists. I need them to disrupt the meeting that they're bound to have before they try to target me…"

Pictures of Jason, Trisha, and Russell appeared on the screen. Information started to download…

"I'm downloading the usual information," he said, "along with lists of every card I've seen them use. It should be useful.

"Don't let their harmless looks fool you. Several of my men tried to face them, and paid with their souls."

"A simple matter," said Ferdinand. "My duelists will come for these special cards tomorrow, and we will plan an assault when you give the word. Need I remind you, we expect payment in advance."

"The money will be in your Swiss bank account by eight AM tomorrow morning," said Fortunado. "Eastern Standard Time."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(J: 6,000) -------------------- (P: 6,400)**

"You see, Jason-boy," said Pegasus, choosing a card from his hand, "you might think that Toon Kingdom up there is simply a Continuous Spell Card in the shape of a silly pop-up book, but it's more…

"It's a portal to a whole other plane of existence. Its pages are infinite! And in this dimension, the only rule is chaos!"

He waved the card at Jason.

"With each new card I draw, a new surprise waits, a new mystery begins, a new chapter looms ahead…

"So let's tell a new story, shall we?"

Toon Kingdom shut with a slam, and he threw a card into his Disk.

"Time to let the cat out of the bag!"

A dark form flew out of the Spell Card. It was a weird creature with a feline face and a snaky lower body. It had an enormous grin.

"And when I said cat, I meant it."

"Who's that ?" shouted Jason.

"Meet Doppelganger," said Pegasus. "Also known as the copy-card. And so long as Toon Kingdom is on the field, he can take any card in your Graveyard."

"ANY card?" gasped Jason.

"Read my lips…" said Pegasus. "ANY card."

Doppelganger darted forward and grabbed a card from Jason's discard slot.

"Give that back, cat!" shouted Jason.

"Of course, there's a little cost I have to deal with…" said Pegasus, reaching for his deck.

He quickly took five cards from the top, and then placed them inside his jacket.

"Now I'll place a card facedown and summon Toon Goblin Attack Force!"

A facedown card appeared, and a silly-looking goblin carrying a club that looked like a Whiffle bat leapt out of Toon Kingdom. Then, four other goblins leapt out beside it. (2,300/0)

"Naturally, I'll place them in Attack Mode, since they're an Attack Force, not a Defense Force. And I'll end my turn there."

Jason drew a card.

_No fair,_ he thought. _2,300 Attack Points? Monsters who can attack directly are supposed to be weak!_

_I have to do something… _

"I activate the card I took from you," exclaimed Pegasus. "Activate… Shadow Spell!"

Luster Dragon roared as it was bound by the chains, and fell to an attack of 1,700.

"Ergh…" muttered Jason. "I'll summon Blade Knight in Defense Mode…."

He put a card on his Disk, and Blade Knight appeared, kneeling in Defense. (1,600/1,000)

"And I'll end my turn…" he muttered.

**(J: 6,000) -------------------- (P: 6,900)**

Pegasus drew a card.

"I summon Toon Cannon Soldier in Attack Mode," he said.

Toon Kingdom spouted a burst of streamers and confetti, and a new Toon leapt out. It was a comical robot with a silly face, with toy guns on its head and hands. (1,400/1,300)

"Not another one…" moaned Jason.

"Go, my Toon Goblin Attack Force!" shouted Pegasus. "Attack directly with club clobbering!"

Jason covered his head as the goofy Warriors gang-rushed him, and started pummeling him with their clubs. He fell to his knees as they backed off.

Then the five goblins slumped to the ground with their backs to each other and fell asleep, snoring loudly.

"Hmm…" muttered Pegasus. "That's the problem… They switch to Defense Mode after they attack, so they're worthless for my next turn, and just take up space. What to do…"

He thought.

"I know!" he exclaimed. "Toon Cannon Soldier, absorb Toon Goblin Attack Force and open fire!"

The Toon Machine's eyes glowed, and the goblins turned into red energy. Toon Cannon Soldier sucked it into itself…

Then it gestured, and its hands turned into a HUGE set of cannons!

Jason gulped… Now he remembered the movie where he saw something like this. It was an old comedy called _The Mask. _

The cannons blasted, and he groaned as the blast hit him…

**(J: 3,200) -------------------- (P: 6,400)**

"Don't you just _love _my Toon Cannon Soldier?" laughed Pegasus. "He's such a card!"

He grinned and lifted his Disk.

"Get it?" he asked. "I said, _he's such a_ _card_!"

Jason glared at him.

"Yeah, I got it," he said. "It just wasn't all that funny."

"Dum-dee-dum…" said Pegasus. "I think I'll end with this."

He fit another card into his Disk, and it materialized.

"Over to you, Jason-boy."

Jason angrily drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity," he said.

He drew three cards.

He thought for a minute…

Looking over all the cards in his hand, it was a choice between discarding his White Horn Dragon or a Cyber Dragon…

He discarded the Cyber Dragon, along with Winged Kuriboh.

"I sacrifice Luster Dragon to summon White Horn Dragon!" he shouted.

Luster Dragon and its bindings vanished, and the huge Dragon with the single white horn appeared, spreading its huge wings! (2,200/1,400)

"And now…" he said, "his effect lets me remove up to five Spell Cards in your Graveyard from play, and increase his Attack by 300 for each…"

Images of Toon Table of Contents, Doppelganger, and Pot of Greed were absorbed into the Dragon, and its Attack rose to 3,100!

"I may not be able to destroy your toy," he said, "but this is gonna cost you 1,600 Life Points!

"White Horn Dragon, attack!"

The Dragon breathed an intense stream of flames! Pegasus whipped the top card off of his deck. Toon Cannon Soldier broke into pieces, and the pieces quickly fused back together.

**(J: 3,200) -------------------- (P: 6,400)**

"What?" gasped Jason. "Your Life Points are untouched?"

Pegasus grinned a grin that Jason did _not_ like…

_I hate it when they smile,_ he thought.

Pegasus pointed to the Trap he had triggered.

Jason looked at it…

"Spirit Barrier?" he gasped.

Pegasus nodded.

"It keeps me from losing Life Points from a battle so long as I have at least one Monster on the field, as I think you know," he said. "And by the way, it's a Continuous Trap."

Jason stared in disbelief.

It seemed like the perfect combo. With that Trap on the field, so long as Toon Kingdom and stood, both Pegasus and his Toon Monsters were untouchable!

Jason paused.

He thought about the last part of that…

_Yeah…_ he thought. _So long as Toon Kingdom stands. That's the Achilles heel of his whole strategy. The key to beating him is taking out that blasted book…_

_But until I can, I just have to hope I can survive… _

He took a card from his hand.

_And this card might just let me do just that… _

"I place down one facedown, and end my turn," he said.

A facedown card appeared. Blade Knight rose to 2,000 Attack.

Pegasus drew a card from his deck, which Jason noticed was beginning to thin.

_By my count, he's lost twenty-seven cards from his deck so far,_ thought Jason. _And someone as skilled as he is wouldn't go past standard size. Maybe if I can find a way to stall, I could win by default… And the card I have facedown just might do it… If I can pay the price…_

"I summon Toon Masked Sorcerer in Attack Mode," said Pegasus.

He played the card, and a more cheerful, more colorful version of Masked Sorcerer appeared, balancing on one foot. (900/1,400)

"Toon Cannon Soldier, attack…"

"Hold it right there, Pegasus!" shouted Jason.

His facedown card lifted.

"A Trap?" gasped Pegasus. "What is it?"

A Continuous Trap showed the image of an Opticlops and a Blindly Loyal Goblin bowing before Dark Ruler Ha Des who was sitting on a throne of skulls.

"It's called Social Order," said Jason, "and as the creator of the game, I'm sure you know all about it."

"Rings a bell somewhere…" replied Pegasus.

"Let me jog your memory," explained Jason. "I may have to pay 500 Life Points each turn if I want to keep it, but now I get to choose one Monster on the field. I choose White Horn Dragon. So long as this Trap is in effect, Monsters are not allowed to attack unless their star level is equal to or greater than that Monster.

"Of course, there is a limit as to how powerful the chosen Monster can be, but six stars is within the limit. So now only Monsters of six stars or higher can attack."

"In that case," said Pegasus, "I'll end my turn…"

"Then I draw…" said Jason. "And I pay 500 Life Points to keep Social Order…"

_This is dangerous… _he thought, looking at his cards. _He has that Toon Cannon Soldier on the field, and my Trap can't stop him from using its effect. Right now he could blast away 500 of my Life Points… 1,000 if he fired the Cannon itself! And if he summoned another Toon on his next turn…_

"I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode," he said.

Peten appeared, kneeling in defense. (500/1,200)

"And I move Blade Knight into Attack Mode."

Blade Knight stood up.

"Unfortunately," he continued, "even if he could get by your combo, Social Order prevents him from attacking too, so I'll just end my turn."

**(J: 2,700) -------------------- (P: 6,400)**

Pegasus drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled.

"HA, HA, HA, HA!

"Ahem, excuse me…"

He placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Prepare to meet the mightiest resident of the Toon community!" he shouted. "I sacrifice both Toon Masked Sorcerer and Toon Cannon Soldier…"

The two Toons leapt into Toon Kingdom, and it glowed with spooky, eldritch energy.

_A double sacrifice?_ thought Jason, getting nervous. _This must be a powerful Monster… _

It opened, and wisps of sparkling mist floated down from it…

"I give you… Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon! Defense Mode!"

The biggest Toon yet appeared in a flash of light. It was a grotesque parody of Kaiba's legendary Dragon, like something out of a nightmare. (3,000/2,500)

It shielded itself in Defense.

"Good lord…" muttered Jason.

"And by the way, Jason-boy," said Pegasus, "he doesn't care about your silly Trap Card, because he has eight stars. As far as Monsters go, he's higher on the Social Order!"

Jason paused.

_True…_ he thought. _But… Why on God's green Earth did he summon it in Defense Mode? It makes no sense! _

He paused again.

_White Horn Dragon has 600 more Attack Points than that thing has Defense Points…_

…_but thanks to Toon Kingdom, I can't destroy that Dragon with an attack no matter how powerful it is. And one direct attack from that beast, and I'll lose this duel! _

"I'm ending my turn, Jason-boy," said Pegasus.

Jason drew a card.

"Social Order is no good anymore," he said, "so I'll destroy it…"

The card shattered.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

_Just in case…_ he thought.

"I place down one facedown," he said.

He fit the card into his Disk, and it materialized.

"Since attacking would be pointless, I end my turn," he said.

"And I'll start mine then," said Pegasus.

He drew a card.

"Too bad…" he said. "You should have attacked. If you had, I'd have been forced to get rid of this card, which I would really have hated to lose…"

_Well, Jason,_ thought Jason, _you really goofed that time… _

"But anyway," said Pegasus, as his Trap Card lifted, "I activate Zero Gravity. This switches the battle positions of all Monsters on the field."

Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon rose into Attack Mode, and White Horn Dragon and Blade Knight crouched in Defense Mode."

"It may cost me 500 Life Points to attack with this Toon," he said, "but since he can attack directly and has 3,000 Attack Points, one attack is more than enough.

"Toon Dragon, attack Jason-boy directly! White lightning!"

The Toon roared… it took a deep breath and swelled to double its size…

It blasted a beam of white energy from its jaws!

"I activate Draining Shield!" shouted Jason.

His Trap lifted, and a barrier formed around him. Energy flowed into him.

"Ha!" he laughed. "You walked right into that one!"

"Dear boy," said Pegasus, playing a card. "This was exactly the reason I used Zero Gravity. I play Toon Rollback."

"What does that do?" gasped Jason.

"Since my Toon's attack was negated, it lets me repeat my Battle Phase," answered Pegasus. "And this time I'll attack your Dragon, since I can't have it attacking my Toons. Can't keep removing my cards from play, you know… It's costly!

"Attack the White Horn Dragon!"

The Toon blasted its White Lightning, and White Horn Dragon was blown to atoms!

"That will be my turn, Jason-boy."

**(J: 5,700) -------------------- (P: 5,400)**

Jason drew a card.

"I play Card of Demise!" he exclaimed. "Now I can draw five cards, if I discard my whole hand after five turns…"

He made five draws. Blade Knight fell to 1,600 Attack.

He looked at the six cards in his hand.

He grinned.

"First, I move Blade Knight into Attack Mode…"

Blade Knight stood up, and held his sword aloft.

"Now, I sacrifice Peten to summon Cyber Dragon," he said, switching cards on his Disk.

Peten the Dark Clown vanished, and the mighty Machine arose.

"Then I play Premature Burial to bring back a second one, which I discarded with Graceful Charity."

He played the Spell Card, and a second Cyber Dragon appeared.

(2,100/1,600 x2)

"And now…" he said, "I play Photon Generator Unit, to sacrifice them both…"

He played another card, and they vanished…

"To summon Cyber Laser Dragon!"

The huge, upgraded Cyber Dragon appeared with a roar! (2,400/1,800)

"Wipe out his Toon!" shouted Jason. "Blue lighting lash!"

Cyber Laser Dragon fired a blast of energy from its tail, and the huge Toon's eyes popped out of its head. The blast hit it, and it was atomized.

"And now that you're really defenseless," continued Jason, "attack! Blue lightning blast!"

The Machine breathed a blast of burning lightning, and Pegasus howled.

"Blade Knight, you attack too! Shining blade!"

Blade Knight charged, and struck the creator with his sword. Pegasus fell over.

**(J: 4,900) -------------------- (P: 1,400)**

The creator gasped for breath…

"Not bad…" he muttered. "Well… can I take my move now?"

Jason nodded. Pegasus drew a card.

"And I'll play Monster Reborn, to bring back your old friend… Toon Dark Magician Girl."

The ankh appeared, and the laughing parody of Yugi Mouto's famed sorceress appeared again. (2,000/1,700)

"And once again," continued Pegasus, "my combo is just as effective, seeing as Cyber Laser Dragon's effect doesn't work against Monsters that are weaker than him…

"Toon Dark Magician Girl, attack him directly!"

The Toon shot forth a burst of streamers and silly string from her staff, and Jason cringed as it all hit him.

"Now I'll play this…" said Pegasus, ominously, playing a Spell Card. "The card I wouldn't have wanted to get rid of. It's called Shadow Toon…"

A shadowy shape floated out of Toon Kingdom. A Cheshire Cat grin appeared on its face…

"What on earth?" said Jason.

The creature grabbed him in a cold embrace, and it felt like his life was being leeched away!

"When Shadow Toon comes out to play," explained Pegasus, "I choose one Monster on your side of the field, and that Monster's Attack Score comes out of your Life Points. And that Cyber Laser Dragon has 2,400. Using such a powerful Monster while Toon Kingdom is around was a big mistake…"

The Shadow Toon let go and floated back into Toon Kingdom with a cackle. Jason fell to his knees.

**(J: 500) -------------------- (P: 1,400)**

"So what now, Jason-boy?" said Pegasus. "Make your last move."

Jason looked at his hand. His three cards were Flat LV 4, his second Peten, and Mage of the White Dragon, none of which could help him right now.

_He's right…_ thought Jason, looking at his Disk. _I'd best make a good draw, because one way or another, it's gonna be my last…_

He drew.

_DARN!_ he thought.

Of all the times he would have been happy to draw Rush Recklessly, this wasn't one of them…

He paused.

_I might as well throw in the towel…_ he thought. _I've truly got nothing! Nothing in my hand, nothing on the field… I mean, Rush Recklessly is no good… Raising Cyber Laser Dragon's Attack won't make his effect work on that Toon… I just… _

He stopped short…

_Wait… No… The answer is right in front of me!_

_Yes, it would work! _

He played the card.

"I play Rush Recklessly!" he shouted.

"What good would it do you to raise the Attack of your Cyber Laser Dragon?" asked Pegasus. "It can't destroy my Toon, and Spirit Barrier is still in effect. And even if it wasn't…"

"I never said I was using it on him," replied Jason with a smile. "I can use it on _any _Monster on the field, so I'm using it on Toon Dark Magician Girl!"

The Toon looked surprised, as her Attack rose to 2,700.

"And now that she's stronger than Cyber Laser Dragon," continued Jason, "she's vulnerable to his effect!"

The Toon Dark Magician Girl screamed…

"Cyber Laser Dragon, blue lighting lash!" shouted Jason.

The Dragon shot his blast of energy from its tail, and the Toon was blown to shards.

"Now let's finish this!" laughed Jason. "Attack directly!"

Pegasus hollered as the attack plowed into him, and he fell backwards.

**(J: 500) -------------------- (P: 0)**

"That's game!" exclaimed Jason.

His Monster vanished. Toon Kingdom slammed shut. It spun around, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Pegasus got up.

"Well done, Jason-boy," he said. "I would never have expected such superb dueling strategy. I'm glad to see that Timaeus is in such capable hands…"

He paused.

"And now that we've had our fun, it's time to tell you everything… About Dartz, about the threat you and your friends might be facing…"

"I'm all ears," said Jason.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A long conversation later.

Stories of hideous Monsters and deadly Spells had dominated most of the conversation. Monsters that simply could not be bested in battle or destroyed so long as the cursed Seal stood.

"That's… heavy…" muttered Jason. "It seems impossible to beat…"

"Dartz thought his strategy was perfect," said Pegasus. "But I helped Yugi back then, and I can help you the same the way.

"I don't know who will face the true conspirator in the final battle. It may be you, it may be Trisha, it may be Russell… It may be someone else entirely."

He reached into his suit.

"But whoever it is, give him this card, and with great skill and a whole lot of luck, he may yet prove victorious…"

Jason took the card.

It was a beautiful card, with the image of three gleaming swords in a triangular pattern pointing towards each other, with draconic shapes in the background.

"Legend of Heart?" he asked, looking at the title. "But… it has no text. What does it do?"

"When the time comes to use it, the one using it will know," replied Pegasus. "Trust me…"

A door opened in the rear of the temple.

"Now go," he said, "rejoin your friends… They'll be happy to see you."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado finally put the phone down.

He concentrated.

"I've called everyone," he said. "We'll have an impressive force…"

"_We may be able to get one more,"_ said the voice in his head. _"Did Cassius's mother come for the Scepter of Bound Divinity yet?" _

"No…" answered Fortunado, with a sigh, "but I'm getting a little worried about that. Sooner or later, someone is going to figure out that Loki and Eris didn't break free on their own, and…"

"_Quiet!"_ ordered the voice. _"You will use it one more time… And I have the perfect prisoner to free with it…" _

What the voice said next made his blood run cold…

"NO!" he shouted. "Please, not… her!"

"_Do it,"_ demanded the voice.

Fortunado gulped.

"I must make a formal protest," he stated. "One cardinal rule of summoning is, 'never summon something that may be more powerful than you are'! We aren't talking about Trickery or Discord here, this is…"

"_I can make certain that she is controlled,"_ said the voice. _"Anything can be manipulated if you simply know how._

"_Now do it. That is an order." _

He gulped again…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason walked down another torch lit corridor, and saw an opening up ahead…

He walked out the doorway, and saw that he had come out of one of three doorways.

Before he could question this, he heard footsteps…

He was very relieved to see Trisha and Russell walk out from the other two doors.

"Guys…" he said. "You two okay?"

"I'm a little crispy," said Trisha, "but otherwise…"

She paused.

"Come to think of it, I feel invigorated."

"Same here," said Russell. "I think it was all some sort of baptism. Purification by fire, perhaps."

They noticed a bench in the center of the room.

They sat down, and started to relate the encounters.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Soon, they were walking down a corridor again.

"You against Kaiba," muttered Jason. "I'm jealous, to tell the truth."

"Well, we did what we had to," said Russell, "and they told us everything we needed to know…

"And if we have to face Orichalcos Aristeros, Orichalcos Shunoros, and the rest of these nightmares they described, I don't know what we're gonna do…"

"Yugi found a weakness in them once," said Trisha, "we can find one again. Hopefully."

The corridor seemed to reach as dead end, but once they approached it, a stone door opened, revealing a chamber beyond.

In the back of the room were four robed figures (they were the Sage's four bodyguards, but that wasn't readily apparent), standing silently and watching them enter. The Sage himself was seated at a table in the center, playing a game of chess…

His opponent in this game was a frightening-looking figure. It was a dark phantom in a tattered black robe, with glowing eyes under its hood. It hovered over the ground, apparently lacking legs. Its hands had long, sharp fingernails, and it clutched a scythe in its right hand. Its robe was tied shut by a simple rope, and Duel Monsters cards dangled from it.

It rubbed its concealed chin with its left claw, apparently considering a move.

Then it reached over and picked up its knight (it was using the black pieces, naturally), and moved it to a spot on the board.

The Sage noticed the three students.

"Welcome back, my friends," he said. "Have fun?"

"Uh, sort of…" muttered Jason, taking in the weird scene.

"Oh, where are my manners?" asked the Sage. "This is a friend of mine, The Reaper of the Cards. He stops by every now and then to play chess…"

The Sage moved his queen, and took the knight.

"…but he doesn't play all too well. That's checkmate, old fellow."

The Reaper shrugged, and then simply vanished.

"He's such a sore loser…" muttered the Sage, getting up.

He looked at the three of them.

"Well children…" he said, "all the tests have been passed, all the formalities are out of the way…

"The Dark Messiah can come at any time…

"All that remains… Is a decision…"

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Fortunado sighed…

He looked at the smoldering pile of ashes on the floor that had once been the Scepter of Bound Divinity. The most recent divine being it had tried to unbind would be its last…

He looked at the young woman sleeping on the floor of the room.

"_Well, Fortunado?"_ said the voice of his benefactor. _"Did it work?" _

"Oddly enough, no," he replied. "The chains binding her were too tight. We only managed to free someone who was locked away with her."

"_I sense you are not telling me something…"_ said the voice.

Fortunado gulped.

"Okay, okay!" he exclaimed. "It's her high priestess. She… might, just might, mind you, know how to free the real deal.

"But before we go further, let me reinstate my formal protest, and remind you of the immense danger…"

"_How many Shadow Games has this priestess known to have conducted?"_ asked the voice.

"Maybe a few…" said Fortunado.

He paused.

"Some…"

He paused again.

"Okay! A lot…"

"_Then she may yet be of some use…"_ said the voice.

Fortunado held his head.

"I don't believe I'm doing this…" he muttered, as he walked towards the sleeping girl. "I'm going to help bring back one of the darkest beings ever to set foot on this world…

"I'd better hope I can get immortality out of this deal…

"Cause if I can't, I'm gonna end up in the deepest pit of Hell…"

_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 5:01 PM _

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**TOON ROLLBACK (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A reel of colorful film coming out a spindle.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card if "Toon World" is active on your side of the field and the attack of one of your Toon Monsters is negated. End the current Battle Phase. Then, any one Toon Monster on your side of the field may repeat the Battle Phase.

_Note: "Toon Rollback" was used by Alister (disguised as Pegasus) in the anime episode "Deja Duel! (Part One)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

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**0**

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**DOPPELGANGER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A cartoonish, grinning, black cat with a serpentine lower body popping out of a book.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when "Toon World" is active on your side of the field. Remove five cards from the top of your deck from play to activate this card. Take one card from your opponent's Graveyard and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Doppelganger" was first used by Pegasus in the anime episode "Champion versus Creator". This version of the card is the version he used in the second season of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes. _

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**TOON KINGDOM (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Similar to "Toon World", but its pages depicting a castle flanked by flaming braziers.

**Card Description:** Remove from play the top five cards from your deck to activate this card. This card's name is considered the same as "Toon World" when it is face-up on the field. If one of your Toon Monsters would be destroyed as a result of battle, you may remove the top card from your deck from play to prevent it from being destroyed. (Battle damage still applies.)

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**SHADOW TOON (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Toon World shrouded in darkness, its pages opened to an evil castle.

**Card Description:** This card can only be activated when "Toon World" is active on your side of the field. Select one Monster on your opponent's side of the field. Inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to that Monster's ATK.

_Note: "Toon Kingdom" and "Shadow Toon" were first used by Pegasus in a second-season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

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**SOCIAL ORDER (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** An Opticlops and a Blindly Loyal Goblin bowing before Dark Ruler Ha Des, who is on a throne of skulls.

**Card Description:** Pay 500 Life Points during every one of your Standby Phases that this card is active. If you do not, this card is destroyed. Choose one Monster on your side of the field who has seven stars or less. If this Monster leaves the field, this card is destroyed. So long as this card remains on the field, Monsters with fewer level stars than the chosen Monster cannot attack.

**0**

**0**

**0**

_**I think I may have made a fanfiction first: I had a duelist defeat someone who was using a Toon Deck without Toon World (or in this case, its equivalent) being destroyed once.**_

_**Next:**_

_**Who will hold the power of the Dark Messiah? The next chapter will hold the answer, as one of the Chosen makes a choice, and finds that there is an unfortunate price. And there's one more duel to fight before going back to the surface.**_

_**The chapter is called "A Hero Emerges", coming soon.**_

_**And ten brownie points to the one who can identify the movie where the protagonist plays chess with the Grim Reaper. (Parodies don't count.)**_


	47. A Hero Emerges

_**I stand on a threshold…**_

_**On one side of me is the life I used to live…**_

_**And on the other is great power. Pure light…**_

_**No one is forcing me… I volunteered. No trickery is involved. I know every detail and condition. I'm willing to take what comes with this.**_

_**A sacrifice must be made, but it has to be done. After all, the fate of the very world is at stake. If this is not done, the world will be plunged into a thousand years of darkness. **_

_**So I'll take the next step…**_

…_**and hope for the best.**_

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**CHAPTER FORTY-SIX**

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**A Hero Emerges**

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_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 5:46 PM_

The Sage of Duelists walked down a long, wide passageway. Behind him walked Jason, Trisha, and Russell… And behind them, the four bodyguards walked silently. They were making the three teens very nervous.

"Uh…" muttered Trisha. "Is bringing your Mod Squad really necessary? They're creeping me out!"

"Heh, heh…" laughed the Sage. "Okay… From now on, my friends, let's keep no secrets from each other…"

The four bodyguards lowered their hoods. The three boys and one girl – they didn't look old enough to be addressed with adult terms – smiled with friendly expressions.

"Allow me to introduce Chazz, Alexis, Aster, and Tyranno, the most loyal members of this sect, and the best duelists. As far as dueling goes, they are perhaps equal to me.

"And they are necessary for the ceremony that we must perform. You see, they have been training for years for this specific event. The power of the Dark Messiah must be channeled, and they will act as the conduits through which the power will be summoned. The divine energy will go through them, and be fed into a… receptacle of sorts."

"In other words, they act as human lightning rods," replied Russell.

"Well, that's one way to dumb it down," answered the Sage. "However, it works like this. A human being has five parts to him. One part is Shadow, which we want no part of in this situation. The other four parts are each necessary for the ceremony, and my bodyguards will each channel a different one, the one he or she represents.

"Chazz represents Soul… Alexis represents Heart… Aster represents Mind… And Tyranno represents Strength.

"Of course… Some of them have improved in those aspects immensely since I first met them… long ago…"

They entered a wide, circular chamber that looked like a shrine of some sort. A long bench was built around the wall, and arcane runes were carved into the floor and walls.

"Everyone be seated…" ordered the Sage.

The three visitors and the four bodyguards sat on the bench.

"So when's the Dark Messiah coming?" asked Jason.

"Soon…" said the Sage. "But I think we'd best tell you what we know about the threat you are up against…"

He paused.

"Perhaps you have heard of Sartorious?"

The four bodyguards all scowled at the mention of the name. All except Aster, who looked a little sad…

"Uh…" started Russell. "Wasn't he one of Jaden Yuki's old sparring partners?"

"Heh…" answered Chazz. "That's like saying that Darth Vader was 'one of Luke Skywalker's old sparring partners'."

"Sartorious was a strange case, my friends," said the Sage. "He was possessed by an evil force, not a force of darkness, but a force of evil light, the Light of Ruin, who wanted to flood the world with pure light, purifying it of darkness… Which would have destroyed it. Maybe it wanted to destroy it and rebuild it, perhaps. His good side struggled with his evil side constantly, like Jekyll and Hyde…

"Though his evil side opposed Jaden more often than not, there were times his good side broke through, and actually helped Jaden. Slowly, Jaden and his allies struggled against him…

"…and eventually, it coalesced in a duel where the evil light was purged from him."

"We thought it was over…" muttered Tyranno, shaking his head.

"I certainly didn't!" interrupted Chazz. "I didn't trust that guy any farther than I could throw him.

"Not after what he did to me… What he made me do…"

"I trusted him…" muttered Aster. "At least I wanted to…"

He sighed.

"He had been a friend for a long time… Before he had gone nuts… I wanted to believe the evil in him was gone… Gone forever…"

Alexis shook her head.

"Regardless of what Chazz or Aster thought," she said, "we thought it was over. Sartorious's Society of Light disbanded, he did his best to make up for all the things he had done, and he even showed up the next year at Jaden's graduation to wish him well…

"But one month after that…"

They were all quiet.

Aster spoke up.

"Jaden got a dinner invitation from, of all people, Sartorious's little sister Mizuchi," he said. "He accepted, of course. He hadn't seen her in ages. He later told us that she was in a panic. She told him that Sartorious was contemplating suicide. Something about him losing control again.

"She begged Jaden to come to their estate to try to talk him out of it…"

"But we weren't going to let him go alone," interrupted Chazz. "Even Jaden wasn't that naïve, and we all smelled a setup. And the four of us had scores to settle with that psycho…"

"We just didn't know how dangerous the state of affairs had gotten…" muttered Tyranno.

"Keep going," said Jason. "This is just getting good."

Tyranno sighed.

"We soon found that it was an ambush," he continued. "Mizuchi met us at the entrance hall, and she had no intention of meeting us on even terms. She met us pointing a loaded gun at us."

The Sage shook his head.

"Something dire had happened," he added. "Sartorious had not only enspelled his own sister, but he had convinced her to lower her standards to that of a cold-blooded killer, using the one device she had despised all her life."

"Anyway," said Tyranno. "I did some quick thinking. I always knew how to think on my feet. I pleaded with her, and asked for a last request, hoping to reach some part of her fighter's spirit, hoping she even had one left. I wanted an honorable battle one last time – her versus me. I told her she could keep the gun, and was free to shoot as soon the duel was over, win or lose.

"Thankfully, she accepted. I guess every duelist has a little fighter's spirit.

"Now, I had never dueled her before, but I had witnessed her duel Jaden and him…"

He pointed to Aster.

"Know your enemy, that's one key to winning a battle. I knew her strategy pretty well. It was a complex strategy that required ten Monsters to be destroyed between both duelists.

"I tried to mount a counterattack by playing Dimensional Fissure. But she didn't really care. Apparently, the strategy didn't require the Monsters to go to the Graveyard. When five of my Monsters and five of hers were destroyed, she was able to use her Full Moon Mirror to activate her Magic Mirror of Endless Summons. That let her summon a powerful Monster called Dark God."

"Dark God?" gasped Trisha. "I've never even seen it and it frightens me."

"You think hearing about it frightens you?" asked Aster. "Try confronting it.

"It's not exactly a common card. It's a Fiend with 3,000 Attack Points, and it can't be destroyed in battle. And when it destroys a Monster, it costs the owner of the destroyed Monster 700 additional Life Points. Also, when used in combination with Magic Mirror of Endless Summons, it summons a token with the same stats and powers on each free space on the owner's Monster Zone. Its only weakness is, it can't attack directly."

"But I had a backup plan," said Tyranno. "Another key to winning a battle is to have a backup plan, or even a few. She had 2,000 Life Points left, and the six Monsters that my Dimensional Fissure had removed from play were all Dinosaurs. I summoned one of my most powerful Monsters… Tyranno Infinity."

"Wait…" muttered Jason. "That thing has 1,000 Attack Points for every Dinosaur removed from play. So it had…"

"6,000 Attack Points," answered Tyranno. "I declared an attack against the Dark God, and while it survived, Mizuchi's Life Points certainly did not."

Alexis spoke up this time.

"She fell to her knees and dropped the gun," she continued. "As we'd hoped, the defeat had broken the spell. She sobbed and pleaded with us, saying that her brother was possessed again, but not by a force of light anymore… It was a different evil, a force of pure darkness. And in case any duelist threatened him, he was constructing the ultimate deck, one that simply could not be beaten. She had heard him call it a Reckoning Deck."

There was a long pause.

"A Reckoning Deck…" answered Jason. "That means…"

"It was made in preparation for the event that now threatens you…" said the Sage. "The ultimate weapon of Evil…"

"We told Mizuchi that we could save her brother again," continued Alexis. "But she told us it was too late…

"She told us he was doomed…"

Aster continued the story.

"We searched that house…" he said. "We let Jaden conserve his strength, since he was the only one who had ever beaten him. I had tried… Those two had tried…

He pointed to Chazz and Tyranno.

"In the past, it seemed that Jaden was the only one with the right amount of skill, luck, and outright willpower to stand up to that guy.

"We won't share the atrocities that we saw, but Sartorious's henchmen went down…

"Finally, Jaden was fit to be tied when he confronted him…

"I nearly cried when we did. Mizuchi had been right. I knew just by seeing him, that unlike last time, the Sartorious I had known wasn't suppressed…

"He was dead… No good in him existed any more.

"Jaden was more than angry. He said that he was an imposter, and that he had murdered the true Sartorious.

"And Sartorious didn't deny it. He said that flooding the world with Light had been a failure… So instead he would do the opposite, and cover it with Darkness.

"Jaden issued a challenge on the spot…"

"I never saw Jaden like that before…" muttered Alexis. "He didn't have his jovial attitude this time… When he challenged Sartorious, there were no jokes, no catchphrases… He was just determined to end this once and for all…

"But strangely, Sartorious wasn't using any… Reckoning Deck. He was using his old one. Even so, he had made a few improvements on it.

"Anyway, Sartorious had a lot less luck with Jaden in this duel than he did the first time. It seemed that his ability to control destiny wasn't there any more, and he was relying mostly on chance. Most of the Arcana Force Monsters that he summoned wound up with their negative effects. Eventually, however, he was able to summon his most powerful Monster – at that point – a behemoth called The World."

"The World?" asked Jason. "That sounds… interesting…"

"You haven't known terror until you've been attacked by a walking planet," said Aster. "But even then he got the negative effect. Still, it had 3,100 Attack Points, so he thought it didn't matter. He wiped out Jaden's whole line.

"Here's how it stood at that point. Jaden had 2,500 Life Points remaining, and Sartorious had 3,300. Jaden summoned Winged Kuriboh in Attack Mode, and set a card facedown.

"Sartorious wasn't about to fall for _that_. He was certain that the facedown card was Transcendent Wings. So he simply played a Continuous Spell Card called Infernal White."

"Infernal White?" asked Russell.

"Why don't you explain what it does, Chazz?" asked Alexis.

Chazz rolled his eyes.

"It's a custom card he invented," he muttered. "We thought we had burned all the copies of it, but apparently a few survived. So long as it's in effect, you have to show your hand to your opponent, but your opponent loses 600 Life Points during each of his Standby Phases. Basically, Jaden had four rounds to either win or destroy it."

"Anyway," continued Aster, "due to The World's negative effect, Jaden had one advantage. During each of his Standby Phases, he got to add the top card from his Graveyard to his hand.

"On his next turn, he summoned Aqua Dolphin. On his turn after that, Groun Mole. The turn after that, Flare Scarab, who gained 800 extra Attack Points since there were two Spells and Traps on the field. And on what would be his last turn, Air Hummingbird, giving him a boost of 2,000 Life Points due to the four cards in his enemy's hand.

"Sartorious was upset, but that was the least of his troubles. Then Jaden activated the facedown card, which wasn't Transcendent Wings at all. It was Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan. He had never used it before, but I guess it makes sense."

"That was part of Jaden's strategy as a duelist…" added Tyranno. "He constantly changed his deck, so it never was truly the same twice. Some cards were always there, but most of them were interchangeable. That way, he always kept his opponents off guard. Another important key to winning a battle."

"Getting back to what I was saying," said Aster, "for Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan, he needed a Water, Wind, Fire, and Earth Monster on the field, and the conditions were right. Then he had four options. He used the one that let him destroy all of Sartorious's Monsters, including The World.

"Then he attacked directly with all four of the Neo-Spacians, although Flare Scarab had lost one Trap Card and was weaker. Sartorious laughed at him, saying he still had 100 Life Points left, and Jaden's Monsters were all weaklings. He would finish Jaden off next turn… I think he had some sort of Monster revival card in his hand…

"Then he realized that Winged Kuriboh could still attack…"

"Heh…" chuckled Chazz. "First time I was _ever_ grateful for that little ball of fluff…"

"I'd best finish," muttered the Sage. "Sartorious was not grateful in defeat. He mocked the five of them, saying they had only delayed the inevitable. Jaden truly lost his temper at that point. For the first time ever, he flew into rage! He grabbed the madman and forced him down. He demanded to know what was going to happen. Sartorious refused to tell them.

"Then Jaden walked over to a desk, and picked up the madman's _other_ deck… his Tarot deck. I'm not sure when he got a new one – he had thrown his original one away.

Jaden looked through the cards, found one specific one, and tossed the rest aside.

"This is what Jaden told him:

"'With all your mumbo jumbo, you loved comparing us to these cards and trying to tell the future. Want to know what the future holds now, Sartorious? I can tell you with one simple card…'

"And then he tossed the card to his foe…"

The Sage reached into his robe.

"It was _this_ one."

He held it up. It was a frightening card that bore the image of several disheveled men and women pleading for mercy before a divine figure…

It was Major Arcana XX: Judgment.

"Then Jaden grabbed him again, and said, 'About time it was passed…'

"If his four friends hadn't pulled him back, he might have killed him… He calmed down a little… But anyway, Jaden was confident that this time, the evil would not go unpunished…

"But it was all for naught… Because at that moment, from out of the shadows, someone pointed a gun at Sartorious, and fired.

"He was dead.

"They never found the killer, nor did they find the deck he had been working on. They thought that with him truly gone, it was over…

"I might as well say it, this was the service for which I rewarded my future bodyguards with immortality."

"Huh?" asked Trisha. "Then… why isn't Jaden here?"

The Sage shook his head.

"I made him the offer as well…" he replied. "But he turned it down. Whatever reasons he had, living forever did not appeal to him."

The four bodyguards bowed their heads sadly.

"But it didn't stop there, I'm afraid to say," said the Sage. "Over the years, reports have come in from those claiming to have seen cards used by the Society of Light. References have been made to this Reckoning Deck that he had been creating. We can assume now that it had something to do with the Orichalcos…

"My friends, I fear that these forbidden cards have been located… In Fortunado's base of operations. He oversees things from a penthouse at the top of a building on Madison Avenue called the Mastech Tower. From what I can discern, evil secrets lie within…"

There was a pause.

"So what are we waiting for?" asked Russell. "We need to bring the Dark Messiah here!"

"He's already here…" said the Sage, softly.

There was a pause again.

"The Dark Messiah isn't a person," he explained. "It's a title. It will be endowed on one of the ones who are already chosen…

"During every Reckoning, a champion is chosen to hold the title. Sir Issac held it last. Whoever holds it will face the Evil in the final battle.

"It will be bestowed on one of you…"

Jason, Russell, and Trisha looked at each other.

"We… can't share?" asked Trisha.

"Sadly, no," said the Sage. "All three of you will play important roles… But one of you must choose to take the power… And accept the price."

"Price?" exclaimed Russell.

"This ceremony requires a sacrifice on the part of the volunteer," said the Sage. "To receive the power of the Dark Messiah…

"One must give up… his sight."

They were quiet for a long time.

"How is someone supposed to duel if he's blind?" asked Russell.

"The power replaces physical sight with inward sight," said the Sage. "Of course, the power only lasts until the Reckoning is over. Once you are successful…"

There was another long pause.

"Can we have a minute?" asked Jason.

The Sage nodded.

The three of them huddled.

"Well, this is it," said Russell. "I think I can make that sacrifice…"

"No way!" answered Trisha. "You've already had your soul snatched. I'll do it."

"Trisha, no!" replied Jason. "I love you… I don't want you to be blind forever. Let me do it…"

They all looked at each other.

They lifted their Disks.

"There's one way to decide…" said Russell. "We each put out heart and souls into our decks. Each card was decided with care and precision. One draw should give us the answer…"

They each drew a card off the top of their decks.

Russell held his up.

Reinforcement of the Army.

Trisha held hers up.

Machine Duplication.

Jason held his up.

Vorse Raider.

"I guess that settles it," said Jason, shuffling his deck.

Russell and Trisha closed their eyes.

They couldn't deny that.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Russell and Trisha watched nervously. Trisha was holding Jason's Duel Disk.

Jason stood in the center of the shrine. The four bodyguards stood around him, Chazz in front of him, Tyranno behind, and Aster and Alexis to either side.

"Last chance to reconsider, Jason," said the Sage, who was watching from the side. "Are you sure?"

Jason paused for a minute.

He took a long look at Trisha and Russell. He guessed he had too… It would be the last time he would truly see them.

"Positive…" he said.

"Then let the descent of the Dark Messiah begin!" exclaimed the Sage.

A circle of glowing light connected the four bodyguards, and they started to glow.

Tyranno glowed with golden light, and Jason felt the rumble of the fault lines, and the tremors of the earth.

"Strength…" said Tyranno. "Health and vigor. Stand firm against oncoming force."

Aster glowed with green light, and Jason could feel the tides, and feel of sea spray on his face.

"Mind…" said Aster. "Wisdom and intelligence. Use every bit of it to find the solutions."

Alexis glowed with fiery light, and the Jason felt the warmth of the sun on a summer day.

"Heart…" said Alexis. "Emotion and faith. Let them guide you."

Chazz glowed with pure light, and Jason heard the howling of wind, and the rush of a gale.

"Soul!" he exclaimed. "Find the inner light inside you…"

"Combine as one…" said the Sage.

Four beams of light fell from the ceiling, striking the four bodyguards, and they cringed a little. They gestured, and focused the light onto Jason.

There was pain… But the pain gave way to a rush of great power, surging through him. He closed his eyes, as pure light seeped from his pores.

He fell to his knees, as the rush slowly subsided.

"Arise… Dark Messiah…" said the Sage.

Jason didn't move for a minute…

He slowly got up, not yet opening his eyes…

"Jason…" said Trisha, desperately.

She ran up to him.

Slowly, Jason opened his eyes…

His pupils and irises were gone. His eyes seemingly were replaced by glowing, golden orbs.

"Trisha…" he muttered. "You… You're beautiful!"

"You can see me?" asked Trisha.

"I… I can see your soul…" said Jason. "And it's even lovelier than your body is…"

He turned to Russell.

"Russell… You never looked stronger…" he said.

He took his Disk, and took his deck. He looked through the cards.

"I can see them too…" he said. "They never looked more alive…"

He paused.

"But…" he added. "Does this mean I'm a better duelist?"

"Why not test your abilities?" asked the Sage. "We can have a duel right here to try out your new skills."

"Well don't look at me," said Chazz with a smirk. "He saw my deck… Well, most of it…"

"I'll gladly duel him," said Tyranno.

"You wouldn't last five rounds," said Alexis with a smirk. "I volunteer."

Aster was about to step forward, but he was interrupted.

"No…" said the Sage. "I will be his opponent myself. After all, I don't get a chance to actually duel much in a true contest."

"Very well," said Jason, shuffling his deck. "I accept your challenge."

The four bodyguards sat down. Russell and Trisha sat down next to them.

"So…" muttered Trisha. "What sort of deck does the Sage of Duelists use?"

"Man, he could have some of the rarest, most powerful cards in existence," said Russell.

"Well he plays a… Drunken Boxing Deck," said Alexis.

Trisha and Russell were dumbfounded.

"A Drunken Boxing Deck?" asked Trisha. "Never heard of it."

"I know what Drunken Boxing is…" stated Russell. "It's a very rare form of Kung-Fu that can only be taught by a few sensei. Practitioners can become lethal fighters when they're intoxicated.

"But a deck based on it… This should be strange…"

"Prepare to set faces to stunned," said Aster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason stood facing the Sage in the center of the shrine. The Sage activated his Disk (which for all his status, was a standard model), and they both drew five cards.

"I've always been taught to respect my elders, Sage," said Jason, "so you may have the first move."

"Why thank you, Jason," said the Sage, drawing a sixth card.

**(Jason: 8,000) -------------------- (The Sage of Duelists: 8,000)**

"Here we go…" muttered Russell. "We'll soon see if this ritual took."

"I'm still wondering just how effective a Drunken Boxing Deck is," said Trisha.

"Prepare to be convinced," replied Chazz. "The four of us sure were."

"Okay…" said the Sage, looking over his cards. "I will summon a Monster in Attack Mode. Drunken Tiger."

He played a card, and a strange Monster materialized. It was a Beast-Warrior, from the look of it, and was indeed a tiger, and was dressed in a martial arts _gi_. Like his name suggested, he was clearly intoxicated, and he clutched a liquor bottle in his left hand. (1,800/1,000)

"Well, that's unpleasant…" answered Jason.

"Have a heart," said the Sage. "My Drunken Tiger can actually be quite a nice guy…"

Drunken Tiger let out a low growl.

"Well…" muttered the Sage. "At least he can be when he's sober. Heh, it's your move."

Jason drew a card, and held his hand up before him. He couldn't physically see the cards, but he could perceive them in his mind, just as he could perceive Drunken Tiger clearly on the field.

_I have nothing that can beat a Monster with 1,800 Attack Points,_ he thought, _but do have Mirror Force and Flat LV 4. They should work._

He fit two cards into his Disk.

"I'll place down two facedowns…" he said.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"And then, I'll summon Saggi the Dark Clown in Defense Mode."

Saggi appeared, and crouched in Defense. (600/1,500)

"And I'll turn it over to you," he said.

"Interesting…" said the Sage, drawing.

He surveyed the field.

"Well?" asked Jason. "Are you going to attack?"

"Heh, heh," chuckled the Sage. "My Tiger's vision may be impaired by all the sake he's had, but I'm perfectly sober, and I can see those two facedown cards quite clearly. Certainly, attacking right now would be a bad idea…

"But I can make it a good idea by summoning this little guy to the field. Come forward, Sasuke Samurai #2."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a small figure appeared. His head was a perfect sphere, with a red topknot. He wore leather armor, and a basket on his back. He held a sword that seemed too big for him to use. (200/300)

"Eh?" asked Jason.

"With only 200 Attack Points, this guy is immune to Bottomless Trap Hole, and even the ordinary Trap Hole," said the Sage. "But he has a useful effect. If I pay 800 Life Points, neither of us can activate Spells or Traps this rounds."

His Life Points dipped, and the little swordsman took two knives from his basket. He threw them, impaling the two facedown cards.

"Now then…" said the Sage, "Drunken Tiger, attack Saggi the Dark Clown with drunken punch."

Drunken Tiger lunged forward, and walloped Saggi, knocking him sky high. He shattered.

"Well, let's see…" muttered the Sage. "Attacking directly with my Sasuke would barely leave a scratch… but 200 Life Points could make a major difference later on.

"Sasuke, attack with scimitar swipe."

The little Samurai leapt up and slashed across Jason's chest with his sword. Jason frowned. It didn't seem like anything more than a tickle.

**(J: 7,800) -------------------- (S: 7,200)**

"Your move…" said the Sage.

Jason drew a card.

_There we go…_ he thought.

"I summon Slate Warrior in Attack Mode," he said.

He placed the card down, and the alien-looking Fiend in gold armor appeared. (1,900/400)

"Slate Warrior, send that Tiger to sleep it off," he ordered. "Fist of slate!"

Slate Warrior flew forward, and socked Drunken Tiger in the gut. The Beast-Warrior roared, and shattered into triangles.

"Eh, I don't get it…" muttered Russell. "He could have done more damage by attacking that Samurai…"

"I can't believe you beat me," said Chazz with a smirk. "What would have happened if his opponent had drawn Rush Recklessly or one of a dozen other cards that could have increased Drunken Tiger's Attack Points? Jason would have been up a creek."

"He has a point," said Trisha. "Jason has gotten better."

**(J: 7,800) -------------------- (S: 7,100)**

The Sage drew a card.

"Hmmm…" he said.

He played a Spell Card.

"I play… Monster Gate," he said.

"Monster Gate?" asked Jason.

"It's a tricky card, but useful if you use it right," said the Sage. "First I have to sacrifice a Monster on the field, so I'll use Sasuke Samurai #2. Farwell…"

Sasuke Samurai #2 vanished in a sparkle of light.

"Then, I pick up the cards on my deck until I reach a Monster that can be Normal Summoned, and then I Special Summon it.

"So let's see…"

He took a card off his deck.

"Trap Card…"

He took another one.

"Spell Card…"

He took another one.

"Ah, here we are. First I'll discard these two…"

He discarded a Sakuretsu Armor and an odd Spell (it was called "Bacchus's Compotation").

"Now I summon… Drunken Angel."

A new Monster materialized. It was a tall figure in a white leisure suit and fedora, with long, blonde hair. He had feathered wings on his back. He also carried a liquor bottle, but he didn't seem quite as intoxicated as the Tiger was… (1,800/1,000)

"Oh, great…" muttered Tyranno. "He's setting up… the combo."

"Combo?" asked Russell. "The only difference I see between that guy and the Tiger is Type and looks."

Tyranno shook his head.

"Drunken Tiger was a Normal Monster," he replied. "This is an Effect Monster…"

"Continuing my turn," said the Sage, taking two cards from his hand, "I play two of the same Spell Card… They're called simply One More Sake…"

He played the two cards, and two liquor bottles appeared in mid-air next to Drunken Angel. He eyed them slowly…

"What do they do?" asked Jason.

"By themselves, nothing," answered the Sage. "However, when destroyed, each one inflicts 500 points of direct damage to my opponent."

"I'll be sure not to use Heavy Storm," said Jason.

"There's still one more part of this combo…" continued the Sage.

He played a card.

"I play… Flipping the Table."

An eerie fog materialized around the arena.

Then Jason noticed what had happened. The whole arena had been turned into a low dining room table.

"Okay, I'm stumped…" he said.

"Let me explain…" said the Sage. "I can activate the effect of this card every round during my first Main Phase. And when I do, it destroys every card on the field except itself."

Jason stepped back at this…

"So…" said the Sage. "Let's give it a whirl, shall we?"

He grabbed the edge of the table, and hurled it upward! Slate Warrior flew backward, and shattered into pixels, as did Jason's two facedown cards…

The two sake bottles flew towards Jason and smashed against his face. He stumbled back…

The table wobbled back onto the floor, and then Jason noticed something…

Drunken Angel had survived. And now he was clearly drunk.

"I thought you said it destroyed _every_ card," accused Jason.

"That's Drunken Angel's effect," answered the Sage. "He isn't destroyed by the effect of this card."

"Super…" muttered Jason.

"Drunken Angel…" ordered the Sage, "attack directly with beer breath blast."

Drunken Angel stumbled forward and breathed a gout of alcohol-reeked breath at Jason, causing him to fall on his behind.

**(J: 5,000) -------------------- (S: 7,100)**

"It's just like my Wormhole and Stabilizer combo…" muttered Trisha. "But he can do it every round? And with no cost? It's… it's unfair!"

"No it isn't…" said Alexis. "The combo may look… well, broken, but it does have a weakness."

"A weakness?" asked Russell.

"Let me put it this way," replied Alexis. "All four of us dueled him a lot when we first joined this sect. Aster found the weakness the quickest – it took him three duels. Chazz didn't figure it out until the sixth…"

"Hey!" exclaimed Chazz.

He crossed his arms.

"All right fine, I was a little slow…"

"If Jason truly has the power inside him," said Alexis, "it will come to him in only a few turns…"

Jason groaned.

"Remind me never to get into a barroom brawl…" he muttered. "I have a question…"

"Yes?" asked the Sage.

"Isn't it a little hypocritical for the leader of a sect devoted to the holy powers to be a drinker?"

"Me?" asked the Sage. "I never touch the stuff."

"Then why…"

"…play a deck like this?" answered the Sage. "I'll gladly tell you…

"I wasn't always the Sage of Duelists. In the early days of Duel Monsters, I was just an ordinary duelist, and I played a powerful Fiend Deck.

"And I drank. I drank so much, it became a habit.

"I'll freely admit to you that I was an alcoholic, and I suppose I still am… Alcoholism cannot be truly cured. And like most alcoholics, I did bad things. I isolated friends, family… Becoming as despicable as the Fiends in my deck.

"Eventually, I met my predecessor. He said I didn't deserve it, but he'd help me. He'd rid me of the demon rum, but I'd have to take a great deal of responsibilities. I accepted.

"From that point, I never touched alcohol again. The withdrawal was hideous, but I survived. When I started to recover, I gave my Fiend cards away, and started work on a toolbox Warrior Deck – not as effective, but not as evil.

"As I said, no-one could ever be cured of alcoholism. So I needed a way to ensure I wouldn't relapse. I slowly collected rare cards with an alcohol theme, thinking that such a deck would be a constant reminder of what I once was, something I never desired to become again.

"And when my mentor retired and passed the role to me, it was complete. And it worked. Every time I use this deck, it reminds me of my tragic past, and makes me even more adamant about never touching wine, beer, or spirits ever again.

"So now that I have shared my secret…

"I believe it is your move…"

Jason paused for a moment.

He drew a card.

Vorse Raider.

_This guy can beat that Angel…_ he thought. _But he'll just use that table's effect again. _

_But then, what choice do I have?_

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode."

The Dark Beast-Warrior appeared on the table, hefting his axe. (1,900/1,200)

"Attack the Drunken Angel!" he shouted. "Send him to the drunk tank!"

Vorse Raider slashed with his axe. Drunken Angel toppled over, and shattered.

**(J: 5,000) -------------------- (S: 7,000)**

"Well, that's my move…" he said.

The Sage drew a card, and looked over the three cards in his hand.

"I summon someone whom Yugi Mouto was fond of using early in his career," he said. "Mystical Elf in Defense Mode."

He placed a card on his Disk, and the peaceful, blue-skinned elf appeared, kneeling in a praying position. (800/2,000)

"I'll end my turn with that," he said.

Jason raised an eyebrow. He drew.

"Why didn't you use the Table's effect?" he asked.

The Sage shrugged.

"I didn't want to," he said.

"Didn't want to…" muttered Jason. "Yeah… Right…"

He switched cards on his Disk.

"I sacrifice Vorse Raider…"

Vorse Raider vanished.

"To summon Luster Dragon #2!"

The giant, emerald Dragon appeared. Smoke poured from its nostrils. (2,400/1,400)

"Attack the Mystical Elf!" he shouted.

Luster Dragon shot a stream of flames forward. Mystical Elf was engulfed in fire, and she was incinerated.

"Didn't want to…" said Jason. "I get it now… That table has a weakness. If you use its effect, you can't summon a Monster after you do so.

"That isn't a problem if Drunken Angel is on the field, but since you can only have three in your deck, and you have twenty-eight more cards to go through, your odds of drawing another aren't too good.

"Your move…"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled the Sage. "Congratulations… Not many can pick up on that... NO one has picked up on it so soon."

He drew a card.

"Well then, I'll draw..."

"Eh…" he muttered, looking at his hand. "This might cost me, but…"

He grabbed hold of the Table and threw it upward. Luster Dragon was thrown backwards, and shattered into pieces.

"I'll end my turn there," he said.

Jason drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity," he said, playing the card.

The angel appeared, and he drew three cards from his deck.

He smirked, and discarded Ancient Lamp and Ryu-Kishin Powered.

"Let's take away that edge," he said, playing a card. "I play… Heavy Storm!"

The fierce wind tore across the field, and the Table was blown to pieces.

"Now that that's gone…" he said, "I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie or the Lamp in Attack Mode."

La Jinn appeared, and he seemed to be in a good mood for the first time in a long time. (1,800/1,000)

"And now…" said Jason, "attack directly!"

The genie breathed a gout of flames at the Sage of Duelists…

To Jason, Trisha, and Russell's surprise, the aged duelist didn't even flinch. He just stood like a statue as the attack plowed into him.

**(J: 5,000) -------------------- (S: 5,200)**

"Sheesh, he's tough…" remarked Trisha.

"It would take much more than _that_ to crack him," said Aster. "He's been taking direct attacks for a century… He's grown tougher from it than any normal duelist could."

Russell looked at Chazz.

He remembered that he hadn't reacted much from the direct attacks in their duel either. That must have been why. These duelists were immortal, and had been dueling for a _long_ time. After so many duels, they obviously no longer felt the pain from direct attacks that was likely the hardest part for any duelist…

"Uh… your move…" said Jason.

The Sage drew a card.

He rubbed his chin.

"I place a card facedown," he stated, "and also a Monster in Defense Mode."

He played the cards and two facedown cards appeared, one horizontal and one vertical.

"That will do…" he said.

Jason drew again.

"I play… Monster Reincarnation," he said, playing a card. "Now I'll discard this…"

He discarded Cyber Laser Dragon.

"…and recover my Luster Dragon #2.

"Now I'll sacrifice La Jinn to summon him again!"

La Jinn crossed his arms and nodded. He vanished in a gust of wind…

…and the huge Dragon rose again. (2,400/1,400)

"I activate my Trap Card…" said the Sage.

The facedown card lifted, showing the image of Freed the Matchless General at a table with a map spread on it.

"It's called A Feint Plan," he said. "And on the round this is activated, you aren't allowed to attack Monsters in facedown Defense Mode. And that means you can't attack at all."

Jason paused. Then he looked at the last card in his hand.

_I'll save this for when I need it…_ he thought.

"In that case," he said, "I end my turn."

Trisha sighed. This whole duel was bringing back a bad memory… about something that happened when she was a child.

Her dad wasn't much of a drinker, but he did drink beer on occasion. One summer when she was ten, she mistook his canned beer for soda, and drank one of them. It made her so sick she threw up.

Patrick had laughed at her like it was the funniest thing in the world. She forgave him then, and her dad made sure such a mix-up never happened again; he stopped buying beer in cans, and bought it in bottles. But the unpleasant memory lived on. She wasn't planning on drinking even when she reached the legal age.

The Sage drew a card.

He looked at it.

"I summon someone new…" he stated. "Meet Bacchus the Hard Drinker God."

He played the card. A burly, muscular man appeared, with long brown hair and a great beard. He was dressed in a toga, a laurel crown, and sandals. He carried a leather wine flask. (1,600/1,600)

"Impressive…" said Jason. "But he's far from strong enough."

"I also flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode," added the Sage, as his facedown card flipped. "Champagne the Foaming Beauty."

A tall, female figure appeared where the card had been. She was dressed in a flimsy breechcloth and a bikini top, and wore several bracelets, anklets, and a necklace. Her hair looked like the foam from a champagne bottle. (1,200/1,200)

Bacchus and Champagne looked at each other and nodded.

Then a burst of bubbles surrounded Luster Dragon, and he groaned.

"What?" asked Jason.

"Champagne's flip-effect," said the Sage. "She lowers the Attack of one Monster by 1,000."

Luster Dragon fell to an Attack of 1,400.

"Bacchus, attack the Luster Dragon. Curse of the vine."

Bacchus lifted his arm, and a swarm of grape vines shot out of the floor, constricting the Dragon. They squeezed, and he shattered into pieces.

"Champagne, attack directly. Bubbly blast."

Champagne blew Jason a kiss, and a blast of bubbles shot from her lips, striking him in the face.

"Ugh…" muttered Jason.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn…" said the Sage.

A facedown card appeared behind Champagne.

**(J: 3,600) -------------------- (S: 5,200)**

"All right…" said Jason, drawing. "Here goes…"

He looked at the card.

"I play Premature Burial," he said, "and I'll bring back Luster Dragon again…"

He played the card, and Luster Dragon appeared once more. (2,400/1,200)

"I activate… Staunch Defender," exclaimed the Sage.

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of Marauding Captain standing up to Despair From The Dark.

"Now all your attacks must be directed to the Monster I choose," said the Sage, "and I choose Champagne."

Jason paused.

"Well…" he said, "if that's what you really want…

"Luster Dragon, attack Champagne the Foaming Beauty!"

Luster Dragon breathed forth his fire. Champagne screamed before she was incinerated.

**(J: 2,800) -------------------- (S: 4,000)**

Trisha looked at the Staunch Defender card.

"You know…" she said. "It seems to me that Marauding Captain picks a lot of fights with folks that are stronger than him. There's the art on this card, Battle-Scarred, Assault on GHQ…"

"Yeah…" replied Russell. "He's a powerful Monster, but he isn't very bright."

"I don't see why you did that," said Jason. "If you had directed my attack towards Bacchus, you would have taken less damage."

"It's called a strategy, Jason," said the Sage. "And you might see what I mean, depending on my next draw…"

He drew a card.

Bacchus flexed his muscles, and his Attack rose to 1,900.

"Ah, yes…" said the Sage, noticing this. "He gains 300 Attack Points every round. Not that it really matters…

"I play Pot of Greed…"

He played the card, and drew twice.

"No, it really doesn't matter at all, because I just drew the cards I need to summon the rarest Monster in my deck, not to mention the deadliest…

"You wanted to know why I chose to have you attack Champagne? Well, to put it simply, I couldn't risk losing Bacchus at that point. Champagne was a Light Attribute Monster. Bacchus is a Water Attribute Monster. And in order to use the combo I'm about to use, I needed a Water Attribute Monster on the field.

"First, I play the Spell Card, Chalice of the Gods. This card can only be played when such a Monster is on the field."

He played the card, and Bacchus produced a bunch of grapes. He crushed them, and wine spilled on the ground, transforming into a golden cup of wine. (1,000/1,000)

"Uh oh…" said Chazz. "From the look of this, Jason's going to end up punch-drunk."

"It's called a Wine Token," said the Sage. "And now… I sacrifice it and Bacchus… Begone."

The Wine Token and Bacchus the Hard Drinker God vanished…

"…and I summon… Big Vintage Magnum!"

With a roar, a huge creature appeared on the field. It looked like an enormous, savage, St. Bernard with claws and fangs. Mounted on its back were two cannons that resembled wine bottles. It took a step forward, and the ground trembled. (2,500/2,500)

"Good lord…" muttered Jason.

"I don't take this guy out often," said the Sage. "It represents the darkest side of alcohol… the madness and violence that too much of the demon rum brings to those who overindulge. But I can control this Beast, and that is the all the proof I need that it can no longer control me.

"Big Vintage Magnum, attack the Luster Dragon with cognac cannons!"

The huge Beast shot twin blasts of red liquid from its cannons, and Luster Dragon was blown away.

**(J: 2,700) -------------------- (S: 4,000)**

"Your move…" said the Sage.

Jason drew a card. He looked at his other one.

_I'd say I definitely need this now…_ he thought.

"I play Card of Demise," he said, playing the card.

He drew five cards. He slowly looked them over.

"Eh…" he said. "I summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Defense Mode."

He played the card, and the sleepy Dragon appeared. (1,300/2,000)

"Your move…" he said.

"I draw…" said the Sage, drawing a card. "And due to his effect, Big Vintage Magnum gains 1,000 Attack Points."

Big Vintage glowed, and grew to an Attack of 3,500.

The Sage looked at the card he had drawn.

"You already met Sasuke Samurai #2," he said. "Well, now I summon a friend of his… Sasuke Samurai #4."

He played the card, and another diminutive Warrior appeared. He looked somewhat like the last Sasuke, but he was dressed more like a true Samurai, with full armor, a kabuto, and he carried a naginata as a weapon. He had a fussy little mustache which he twitched as he leveled his weapon in Jason's direction. (1,200/1,200)

"Let me explain how this guy works," said the Sage, holding up a coin. "When he attacks an opposing Monster, I toss one coin and call it. If I call it right, the opposing Monster is destroyed automatically, with no damage done to me.

"And now that you know… Sasuke Samurai #4, attack The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave with Daimyo's Blade."

The Samurai charged…

Trisha gulped.

"If that effect works…" she gasped, "Jason loses!"

"Heads!" exclaimed the Sage, flipping the coin.

He let it fall to the ground…

Trisha breathed a sigh of relief. It was tails.

The Dragon swatted the Samurai aside, and he toppled backwards.

"Ah, well…" said the Sage. "Big Vintage, you attack."

Big Vintage blasted its cannons, and the Dragon was blown away.

**(J: 2,700) -------------------- (S: 3,200)**

Jason sighed.

"My move…" he said.

He drew a card.

"And I play my own Pot of Greed," he said, playing it.

He drew two cards.

He looked at them. Rush Recklessly, and Draining Shield.

"I place one card facedown," he said, placing a card into his Disk. "Then I summon Luster Dragon #1."

The younger version of Luster Dragon appeared. (1,900/1,600)

"Attack Sasuke Samurai #4!" he shouted. "Sapphire flame!"

Flames appeared in the Dragon's mouth.

"Sorry, Jason," said the Sage, palming the coin, "but his effect works both ways…"

He tossed the coin.

"Heads!"

He let the card fall to the ground again…

He was shocked when he saw it was tails again.

The Samurai cringed as the flames struck him. He shattered to pieces.

**(J: 2,700) -------------------- (S: 2,500)**

"You are doing good," said the Sage. "Surely the blessings from above are with you. But now it's my move…"

He drew a card.

Big Vintage Magnum glowed again, and rose to an attack of 4,500.

"And you wouldn't have put that Dragon on the field in Attack Mode unless you had a powerful Trap to protect it. A good thing I just drew this…"

He played the card.

"Mystical Space Typhoon."

The Cyclone shot forward, and Jason's Draining Shield lifted up and shattered.

"Big Vintage, destroy his Dragon."

Big Vintage blasted his cannons, and Luster Dragon exploded into triangles. Jason cringed…

**(J: 100) -------------------- (S: 2,500)**

"And with that, I end my turn," said the Sage. "So what will you do now?"

Jason looked at the cards in his hand.

Polymerization, Tyrant Dragon, Rush Recklessly, and Monster Reborn.

Monster Reborn was the most powerful card in his hand, but there simply wasn't a Monster in either Graveyard that could have defeated that beast except for Sasuke Samurai #4, and that was too risky. The only card he had in his deck that could defeat it now was Cyber Laser Dragon, or Cyber End Dragon if he used Rush Recklessly, and there was no way he could summon either on this turn, no matter what he drew.

He drew a card…

Double Spell.

He looked hard at it.

"Thinking of giving up?" asked the Sage. "Come now, Jason. Sir Issac was the Dark Messiah before you, and he didn't give up when he faced a demon that was twice as nasty as Big Vintage Magnum. To him, this Monster would have been an insignificant bug that wouldn't have been worth his time.

"The Dark Messiah will always find a solution, no matter how overwhelming it seems."

"I'm not giving up…" said Jason. "I'm just thinking…"

He looked hard at the Double Spell card.

_There has to be some way I can use this to beat Big Vintage Magnum…_ he thought. _But how? Let's see, what Spells are in his Graveyard?_

He thought. He clearly remembered all the cards used in the duel, better than he ever could before.

His eyes turned to his Monster Reborn.

_Yes! I've got it!_

"I play… Monster Reborn!" he shouted, playing the card.

The glowing ankh appeared.

"And I'll recruit a Monster from _your_ Graveyard!"

In a flash of light, Drunken Angel appeared in front of Jason. (1,800/1,000)

Everyone looked confused, including the Sage.

"What?" asked the Sage. "Of all the Monsters you could have brought back, why him?"

"Because of his effect," answered Jason. "Next I play… Double Spell."

He played the card.

"Now, for the cost of one other Spell Card…"

He discarded his Polymerization.

"I can duplicate one Spell Card in your Graveyard. And choose to duplicate… Flipping the Table!"

In a swirl of mist, the low table reappeared under the two Monsters.

"I remembered that your Angel was immune to this thing's effect," said Jason. "But I don't think your Big Vintage is.

"So let's flip the table one more time!"

He grabbed hold of the edge of the table, and threw it upward. Big Vintage Magnum roared, and was thrown back before shattering into pixels.

The table wobbled and came to a rest. Drunken Angel stumbled… clearly he was past his limit.

"Don't pass out just yet," said Jason. "I play Rush Recklessly."

Drunken Angel rose to an Attack of 2,500.

"And now… attack directly with beer breath blast!"

Drunken Angel shot his lethal breath at the Sage, and he shielded himself from the blow.

"Heh…" he said with a smile. "Well done, Jason…"

**(J: 100) -------------------- (S: 0)**

The holograms vanished.

"That was the first time anyone has ever used such a combo against me…" said the Sage. "You truly are the Dark Messiah…"

He paused.

"Jason…" he said, his voice turning grim. "On midnight when the tenth turns into the eleventh, no matter what you do, no matter where you go, the Reckoning will occur. No matter what precautions are taken, the battle will occur. There is nothing you can do to stop it. Eons ago, forgotten gods of incredible power demanded that these contests between Good and Evil occur every millennia, and their rule cannot be appealed. And it is not just on this world… It happens in every reality.

"It is my job to give you… advice…

"Only a fool would wait to be attacked. You must take the initiative… You must make a preemptive strike, as many champions of Good before you did."

"So we have to invade his tower?" asked Jason.

"Yes," said the Sage, "but you'd be foolish to do it alone.

"The Swordsmen may be gone, but Fortunado will prepare. He will call his allies from wherever they are hidden. You'll be met with a practical army. And in that den of evil, any duel can become a Shadow Game, even without the Orichalcos.

"But Jason… In many Reckonings, the Dark Messiah had an army of his own. Since this war started, you have met others who have endured the Shadows.

"They can help you. Form an Army of Light to oppose the Army of Darkness.

"And now that you are the Messiah, you can access the Cards of Virtue. The Spells and Traps are all holy spells and incantations that have been used throughout the ages in struggles between Good and Evil, transformed into Duel Monsters cards.

"Monsters are a different story. There exist multitudes of celestial beings who might take an interest. They might send their avatars to aid you in the form of cards.

"You see… There is a difference between Good and Evil. Good is numerous and many in every conflict. They have many allegiances and allies. But Evil always stands alone. Minions do not count."

He walked up to Trisha and Russell.

"And you are his most important allies," he continued. "You are still Chosen Ones, and your roles in this are still vital.

"And by the way…"

He took two cards from his robe, and handed one to each of them.

"Take these," he said. "I sense that you will need them. Consider them parting gifts."

Trisha took the one he handed her and looked at it. She had heard of this Trap Card… It was quite situational, but could be incredibly effective if used right.

Russell looked at his. It was a Spell that also situational, but it could be useful in the right situation.

"All I can do now," said the Sage, "is wish you good luck…"

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The great doors of the Monastery opened, and the three teens walked out. They turned to the Sage and his four bodyguards.

"Simply go back the way you came," said the Sage. "Nothing will oppose you, I assure."

"Thank you," said Jason. "I hope to see you again."

"We might," said the Sage. "And we will look over you."

Jason turned and looked at the passageway ahead of him. It wasn't dark to him any more. His sight didn't perceive brightness or darkness. He could actually see better now than he did before.

"So what now?" asked Russell.

"What now?" replied Jason. "Now, we have work to do…"

_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 7:14 PM_

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**DRUNKEN TIGER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Beast-Warrior  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,800  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description**: This Beast-Warrior studied drunken boxing under a mysterious sensei. He is quite friendly when his senses are not impaired.

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**DRUNKEN ANGEL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,800  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description**: This card is not destroyed by the effect of "Flipping the Table".

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ONE MORE SAKE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A sake bottle smashing against a table.

**Card Description:** When this face-up card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, inflict 500 points of direct damage to your opponent.

**0**

**0**

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**FLIPPING THE TABLE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: An angry man upsetting a table.

**Card Description:** You can activate the effect of this card once per turn, during your first Main Phase. Destroy all cards on the field except this card. You cannot Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon a Monster after using this effect.

_Note: These are the original names of the cards used by Chumley's dad in the anime episode "Family Business". (I really did not feel like making the idiotic changes that the English dub did.) Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**BACCHUS THE HARD DRINKER GOD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,600  
**DEF: **1,600

**Card Description**: During each of your Standby Phases that this card remains face-up on the field, increase the ATK of this card by 300.

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**CHAMPAGNE, THE FOAMING BEAUTY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,200  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description**: Flip: Decrease the ATK of one face-up Monster on the field by 1,000.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BIG VINTAGE MAGNUM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **2,500

**Card Description**: During each of your Standby Phases that this card remains face-up on the field, increase the ATK of this card by 1,000.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CHALICE OF THE GODS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A golden chalice on a table with a red cloth.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when a Water-Attribute Monster is face-up on your side of the field. Special Summon one "Wine Token" to your side of the field (Aqua/Water/3 Stars/1,000 ATK/1,000 DEF).

_Note: The proceeding four cards were used by Sommelier Parker in a second season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**An Army of Light to defeat an Army of Darkness… Plans start to be made, and the new Dark Messiah starts to look for recruits.**_

_**And Chazz, Alexis, Tyranno, and Aster are not done with their part in this. See how they figure in as the final assault is planned. **_

"**_Order to Charge" is coming next._**


	48. Order to Charge

_**And so it begins…**_

_**Like the effect of Final Countdown slowly moves towards a duelist's defeat, like the cards of Destiny Board slowly move towards victory, like the hands of Clock Tower Prison move closer towards freeing its powerful inmate, time slowly ticks towards a battle that has repeated every millennia since man became civilized. **_

_**The choice of weapon is Duel Monsters.**_

_**I minded the Monastery for a long time, preparing for this day. I predicted that I would bestow the power of the Dark Messiah on one who would come.**_

_**But that is as far as my predictions went. I could prepare him for the war, but even I did not know if it would be enough to stem the evil tide that threatens to plunge the world into a thousand years of darkness. **_

_**The help I can give now is little…**_

_**But I can give some.**_

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**CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN**

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**Order to Charge**

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_Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 7:50 PM_

Deep within the Monastery was a locked door with the words, "Inner Sanctum; Authorized Members Only" on it.

The sign was really unnecessary. Only five people had the power to open this door, let alone come inside.

Immediately inside was a large chamber full of large, comfortable pillows piled up, forming surfaces more comfortable than any couches or chairs. Scented candles placed in alcoves burned in niches, and a soft glow from an overhead lamp illuminated the room.

Slumped on the soft pillows were the four bodyguards, their energy quite spent.

The Sage had warned them that the ritual would be exhausting. They had been training for it for years, but even so, they now felt like they had fought two Shadow Games in a row and lost both times.

Still, they didn't feel like going to their private quarters to sleep yet…

On a whim, Chazz took his deck out and looked through it. The others noticed him and did the same.

They were all thinking of the same person – Jaden.

They had lost track of him sometime about twenty years after becoming immortal. Friendships last, but they can drift apart when you have something that your friends don't. They knew that he had become a successful duelist in the Pro League, and had later married, had a couple of kids… They assumed by now that he had died of old age, as all men did…

…or maybe, according to one rumor, the spirits of his Monsters took him to Neo Space, where he achieved immortality on his own and was now their king… It sounded crazy, but they had been through a lot of crazy things.

They had all been shocked when he had refused the Sage's gift. They all had asked him why. Why give up a chance for eternal life, youth, and health?

His response?

"I don't want to live forever. Living a life as a normal duelist would be a pleasure after all that has happened."

They didn't agree with him, but it was his choice, and they had no right to force him.

Why did they accept? All of them had different reasons…

Tyranno Hasselberry… His was the most trivial. He was a guy who never got tired of thrills. He wanted to experience _everything_. And he couldn't see everything in one lifetime. Being immortal appealed to him. It would give him the chance to challenge every duelist who lived, and every one who would live. He'd experience every strategy and card that was ever made.

Alexis Rhodes… Her reason was deeper. No matter how good she got, very few folks took her too seriously. They respected her skills as a duelist, but little else. With no limit to her lifetime, she could truly become a legend, perhaps even a hero like the Trinity. And not just in dueling. During the first few decades, her time was spent doing what she could for the less fortunate. Her most powerful Monsters were Fairies of Light… She could be one too.

Chazz Princeton… He'd freely admit these days that his intentions at the time were a little selfish. He wanted to be the best there was, and become the next King of Games, a title that Jaden was primed for taking. If he had the Sage's gift, he'd have all the time in the world to hone his skills and climb to the top.

Aster Phoenix had the most complex reason. He had started dueling for one reason – to avenge the death of his father. And he had succeeded, destroying the man who had actually pulled the trigger (although Jaden was the one who pulled his butt out the fire when he went after the guy's accomplice, who happened to be Sartorious). The only problem was, after he had fulfilled his lifelong goal, what purpose would he have then? He figured that immortality would give him enough time to find one… Find a reason to exist.

And as the decades passed, it did them some good. Their arrogance and selfishness faded away, and true light shone on them. Not the evil Light of Ruin that Sartorious had preached about, but warm, life-giving light…

The Light of Virtue that came from far beyond.

Even though they had gone their separate ways, they eventually found each other, and they found the Monastery. They didn't know how… They were never given directions to it. They asked the Sage if he had any openings for four duelists who had seen the wonders of the world and wanted to see more.

He welcomed them…

"Man, I haven't felt like this since the first time I dueled Zane…" muttered Chazz.

"When was that?" asked Hasselberry.

"My first year at Duel Academy," answered Chazz. "Not something I wanted to repeat…"

"Let me guess…" said Aster. "Power Bonded Cyber End Dragon?"

Alexis smirked.

"Zane actually wanted to take Chazz down a notch further," she said. "He also used Limiter Removal."

There was a pause.

"Ouch…" said Hasselberry.

As they looked though their cards, the Sage entered.

"I'm afraid our part in this is not done, my pupils," he said.

"I have news for you," muttered Chazz, "we are DONE for today."

"Begging the general's pardon," said Hasselberry, "but after a routine like that, it's usually time for them to play Taps and for everyone to turn in."

"Perhaps," said the Sage, "but starting Monday, you'll have to aid them with what little help you can.

"Listen closely.

"I know your binders have a great amount of rare and powerful cards…"

"Of course," said Alexis. "We've won and collected more stuff over the years than a card store has."

"Then you all need to go to the Academy and do some serious trading," said the Sage. "The Messiah is already thinking of allies to recruit, and their decks could use improvements.

"And once his allies are prepared… You are to guard them."

"Guard them?" asked Aster. "From what?"

"Fortunado plans to send assassins," said the Sage. "Trained killers who will be armed with the Orichalcos. They must not reach the Messiah or his two partners. If you cannot turn them away with a peaceful negotiation, Aster, you four must defeat them.

"I warn you, they will not hesitate to use the Seal."

"Aw, I ain't afraid of no Seal!" laughed Hasselberry. "I've faced the screwiest curses and hexes this side of Stonehenge and beaten them all. I even beat Exodia…"

"Genius, you only beat Exodia because I told you that the guy had Exodia…" muttered Chazz. "You'd have been toast if I didn't."

"That was your job, Chazz," said the Sage. "You _are_ the Espionage of the bodyguard.

"And a word of advice. The Seal cannot be destroyed, and that includes being displaced by other Field Spells. So those of you who have them, you'd best make some switches. They'll be worthless."

Alexis and Hasselberry paused a little, but Aster gave a look of shock…

"Now, you'd best sleep. Monday, you'll make the sojourn onto the surface…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason was in bed, but he wasn't ready for sleep yet.

Trisha was in his arms, and she hugged him tightly.

"Mmm…" she said, kissing him. "Jason… You know… There's a possibility that we'll lose. What will happen to us?"

Jason lowered her down and held her tightly against himself.

"Then until the time my soul is snuffed out," he said, "I'll profess my love for you. Whatever happens, it will still have been great…"

They kissed deeply.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The next morning, Jason got up.

After getting dressed, he picked up a long bandana, and wrapped it around his head, covering his eyes.

"What's that for?" asked Trisha, who was watching him.

"I saw this in an old video game," replied Jason, with a sigh. "On one hand, it will keep folks from freaking when they look me in the eye.

"Plus… It looks kind of cool.

"Now, let's get started."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was still early…

The clash between brother and sister continued, as Randy and Nadia were dueling each other on the Green.

**(Randy: 2,000) -------------------- (Nadia: 7,100)**

Randy had Wildheart in Defense Mode – he didn't have a choice, due to Nadia's Level Limit Area B – and a card facedown. Nadia had one Fire Princess, two Currans, and one Pikeru, as well as Solemn Wishes.

"You're in trouble now, Randy," said Nadia, drawing. "First I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes, then 1,600 more from Pikeru, then you lose 600 from my Currans, and 1,000 from Fire Princess!"

The two young Spellcasters and the Pyro zapped him, and he staggered backwards.

**(R: 400) -------------------- (N: 9,200)**

"You going to humiliate yourself some more?" she asked.

Randy drew a card.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he shouted.

He played the card, and Level Limit Area B shattered.

"And now…" he said, "I'll play Polymerization, to fuse Wildheart with Bladedge to form Elemental Hero Wildedge!"

The two Heroes swirled together, and the helmeted, gauntleted Hero appeared. (2,600/2,300)

"And what keeps him on the edge of being wild is his ability to attack all opposing Monsters at once. Wildedge, attack with scimitar slash!"

Wildedge roared, and leapt up. He shot three blades from his gauntlet, slashing through the Pikeru and the two Currans.

Then he drew a huge sword, and swiped at Fire Princess, destroying her.

"I'm… still… standing…" said Nadia in fear.

Randy's facedown card lifted.

"I activate De-Fusion!" he shouted.

Wildedge glowed, and split into Wildheart and Bladedge. (1,500/1,600), (2,600/1,800)

Nadia screamed as Wildheart slammed his sword into her…

She screamed even more when Bladedge slashed at her with his knives.

She collapsed to her knees.

**(Randy: 400) -------------------- (Nadia: 0)**

She looked up, and saw someone offering her a hand. At first, she thought it was her brother.

But it was Trisha.

"Trisha?" asked Randy. "Hi, what's up?"

"Guys," she said, "I know you probably want to forget that awful Shadow Game you had with Lumis and Umbra…

"But, uh…"

She paused.

"I wondered if you'd be interested in helping us save the world?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later, at breakfast…

"Heavy dudes?" asked Ansel. "As in guys with machine guns?"

"No," said Jason. "Shadow Games."

"Huh…" said Sean. "That _is_ heavy…"

"I'm in no way forcing you," said Jason. "But we need all the help we can get."

"I can help," said Sean. "I need there to be someway to remember Sean Kishore, and this might be the perfect way."

"I'm in too," said Ansel. "My family knew I was destined for great things, and this might be it."

"Well then," said Jason, "here's the deal…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the same time, Russell was at the Slifer dining hall, at a table with Amanda and Nathan.

"It isn't exactly what I signed up for," muttered Amanda, "but I guess I'll go…"

"I will too," said Nathan. "The Shadows don't scare me. I use vampires, after all."

"You guys are pretty brave…" said Russell.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Jason walked from the dining hall, he heard someone call his voice.

"Hey, Jason!" shouted Malvolio.

Jason turned.

"I heard you were recruiting for an assault on some stronghold," he said.

"Uhm, yes…" said Jason. "I guess word spreads…"

"Well, count me in too," said Malvolio. "I owe you for getting my deck back from that creep, and I always keep my promises."

"It will be risky," said Jason. "You lost to that creep…"

"Hey, I won that duel!" shouted Malvolio. "Despite his creepy Dark Magician. But somehow he was able to attack me with him one last time, and knock me out.

"I'm a Lark, Jason. Fighting bad duelists is something I can handle. Demetrius did his share in his time…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Are you certain?" asked Trisha. "You have no experience with Shadow Games, after all…"

"Trisha," said Janus, "I've lived with Omaly shadowing over me all my life. It was like living under a curse. I can handle a little evil."

Trisha looked at him.

"Besides," said Janus, "I'm packing my most powerful deck ever. I won't be beaten."

"Okay…" she muttered. "You're in…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So how many do we have?" asked Jason.

"So far, eleven…" said Trisha, as they compared notes. "Silver, Karen, and Ami just signed on…"

"And now you have twelve!" said an angry voice behind them.

They looked and saw Sersei there.

"Sersei, no…" pleaded Russell. "You lost your soul once before, I won't let you risk it again."

"Russell, I can do it," she pleaded. "I beat Cleo. I've gotten better. I want to stand by your side when you fight this evil.

"I'm going whether you like it or not."

There was a pause.

"Cleo…" said Jason, "welcome to the fold."

Cleo smiled.

"Jason…" said Russell, protesting.

Jason pulled him aside.

"You want her to go off alone instead?" he whispered. "She's going to do that if we don't let her come. I can sense it. Her desire to help is too great. And if she goes alone…"

"I see what you mean…" said Russell, sadly.

"All right…" said Russell. "Look, I think I know how we can get one more…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

That night, at the Lazy Q Bar and Grill, Russell sat at a table with a youngster he had met two months ago.

"Bugsy…" he said, as he dipped a mozzarella stick, "remember when you said you owed me a favor?"

"I'll do it if I'm able," he replied.

"Well, I won't mind if you refuse…" said Russell. "But it's like this…

"If you accept, and we're successful, you, me, and some other students are going to save the world from a force of pure evil."

Bugsy paused.

"Well, that certainly sounds interesting," he said. "So who are we fighting? Aliens?"

"Uh, well no…" said Russell. "At least I don't think so…"

"Aww…" moaned Bugsy. "Aliens would have been cool. But it still sounds kind of fun…"

"It isn't supposed to be fun," said Russell. "Listen…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Jason?" said Russell, over his cell. "Bugsy is in."

"Good," replied Jason. "I reserved Meeting Room B for Friday evening, and I told everyone it's a pot luck."

"Okay, I'll tell him that," said Russell.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Early the next morning, the four bodyguards emerged from the street out of a secret entrance. A simple gesture, and their robes transformed into casual clothes.

They started to walk towards NYC Duel Academy.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Randy placed four cards on the library table: Avian, Burstinatrix, Sparkman, and Clayman.

"Good cards," said a voice.

He looked up and saw Aster.

"Uh hi," he said. "You like Elemental Heroes?"

"Sort of," said Aster. "But they were in my old deck. Come to think of it, I have a rare Hero card that I really don't need any more, and if you were interested in trading…"

"Well… What is it?" asked Randy.

Aster placed a binder on the table and opened to a page.

He pointed to a card.

"Whoa…" said Randy. "That looks… Interesting… Where did you get it?"

"Uhm… a friend gave it to me after he got a second copy," replied Aster. "It's no use to me, so if you have any cards that might be universal for Warriors, I might trade it."

"Well…" said Randy, putting his binder on the table. "I have a few… How about…"

"I'll trade you for that one," said Aster.

He pointed to a Trap Card – Hidden Soldiers.

"Why that one?" asked Randy, taking it out. "Not exactly universal for Warriors."

"My Warriors are all Dark," said Aster, handing over the card. "You never know…"

"Dark Warriors?" asked Randy. "Like Dark Blade Unions?"

"Uh…" said Aster. "Well, something more… unique…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the other side of the library…

"I dunno…" said Nathan, looking at a card, "this seems awfully situational."

"Hey, son," said Hasselberry, "it saved my butt more times than I care to count. Trust me, you'll find a use for it."

"Well, all right…" said Nathan, as they swapped cards, "you talked me into it."

_Besides…_ thought Hasselberry, _I can sense that you'll need it… Call it a hunch…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You have a powerful deck… Ansel was it?" commented Alexis, as she watched him place his cards on the table. "It only needs one thing…"

"You have something I can use?" asked Ansel.

Alexis placed a card on the table.

"I have several copies of this," she said, "so I can spare one."

"Wow…" muttered Ansel. "It would be perfect!"

He started to look through his binder.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You know about Winged Beasts?" asked Sersei.

"Not really," said Chazz, "but I know a bit about Wind Monsters. Well, Dragons, mostly. But I got this one gal a long time ago… I never thought I'd ever use her, and I guess I was right."

He placed the card on the table.

"I've… heard of that one…" said Sersei.

"Tell you what," said Chazz. "You have anything that would be good for Normal Monsters and I'll make a trade."

"Well…" said Sersei, looking through her binder. "I have Order to Smash…"

"That's a good one…" he replied.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"What do you think Jason has in mind, sis?" asked Randy, looking at his new card.

"Well, what he said sounded scary," said Nadia. "More Shadow Games? That last duel hurt…"

"Hey…" said Randy, getting up.

He held her shoulders.

"Just stay close to me, sis. I'll keep you safe."

Nadia smiled.

"Well, Jason said this was pot luck…" she muttered.

She thought for a minute.

"Randy, do you know the muffin man?"

"You mean the one who lives on Cherry Lane?" asked Randy.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

That evening, Aster, Hasselberry, and Alexis were sitting on the benches of the Green. Technically, they weren't supposed to be there, but they knew ways to hide themselves from the security systems.

Aster took two cards from his deck and looked at them…

Clock Tower Prison and Dark City.

He knew that the sensible thing would be to swap these Field Spells with ones in his side deck, but he had never swapped these two before. He'd feel naked without these two cards in his deck…

Maybe he could keep them in just as good luck…

Then he came to his senses. They'd be dead draws, and he couldn't have that in an Orichalcos duel.

He took two other cards from his deck (Terraforming and Eternal Dread) and then started to look through his side deck.

Chazz walked out of the shadows.

"So what did the Espionage of the Sage's Bodyguard find out this time?" asked Aster.

"Lots," said Chazz, taking out a notebook. "Listen up, I had to duel four jerks to get this info, one of which used a Final Countdown Deck."

"Nasty," said Hasselberry.

"Ah, I took care of him before he got to ten," said Chazz. "Fortunado is sending four hired gun duelists from the Society of Assassins to crash their meeting, and Russell and Trisha are the targets. Basically, if they get to them, they'll have to survive two Orichalcos duels in a row."

"IF they get to them," said Alexis. "We aren't going to let them."

"Well, here's what I learned about the assassins themselves," said Chazz. "The first one is strange… Marcus Idi, and his deck is called a… get this… Triple Attack Deck."

"What in tarnation does that mean?" asked Hasselberry.

"Guess we'll find out," said Chazz. "Another one's name is Hector Mails, and he specializes in Monsters that can attack multiple times…"

They looked at each other.

"Then there's Natasha Sloan, aka the Black Widow. She specializes in Insects…"

"I hate bugs…" said Tyranno.

"I wasn't able to find out the real name of the last one," said Chazz. "The Society simply calls him Z. No one knows why. But I found out a lot about his deck. It seems be Fiend Aggro-Beatdown, and his kill-card is Relinquished."

"Ho boy…" said Alexis. "Someone else can duel him. I don't want Benten to be swallowed by that one-eyed abomination a second time…"

They knew what she was talking about. Alexis had dueled someone with Relinquished before, and it had captured Cyber Angel Benten. Fortunately, the fact that it had left the user wide open to an attack by Cyber Tutu.

"Four of them and four of us," said Tyranno. "We can take them."

"If we have to," said Aster, shuffling his deck. "Leave it to the Negotiator first. I doubt these members of the Society can be talked into turning back, but I have to try…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On Friday night, Jason watched as the students came into the meeting room, placing the food they had brought on a table.

_You're officially committed, Jason,_ he thought. _They're all your responsibility now… How am I going to phrase this?_

He got up in front of everyone. Russell and Trisha were sitting behind him.

"I think everyone is here," he said. "If anyone wants me to explain this…"

He pointed to the blindfold.

"Let's just say it's the reason I'm so committed. And before I start, I'm going to put this in simple terms…

"I invited you all for an assault where you'll be required to duel against possibly unfair odds, where losing a duel might be the last duel you ever lose.

"I will say this, however…

"If we are victorious, you will be guaranteed a spot in Heaven, because we will be facing ultimate Evil. This is a battle between Good and Evil that happens every millennia that decides the fate of the world.

"If that's too much for anyone, they are free to leave."

There was nothing but silence.

"Very well…" said Jason. "I'll give the details."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Four dark shapes loomed outside the entrance to the campus. One of them picked up a cell phone.

"We're moving in," said one of them.

"Good," said Fortunado's voice. "Remember the instructions."

They walked towards the front gates.

"Eh?" said the one in the lead.

"Sorry," said a voice. "The chancellor doesn't allow solicitors, loiterers, or assassins."

Aster appeared in front of them, and Chazz, Alexis, and Hasselberry were behind him.

"Out of the way," said one of them.

"Sorry," said Aster. "We're not letting you get to Russell and Trisha."

"We aren't asking permission," was the response.

The four assassins reached into their coats, and pulled out four handguns.

"Oh, please…" muttered Aster.

He waved his hand, and the weapons flew from the assassins' hands.

"I can do more than that," he said, as they looked in surprise. "Maybe now you'll be willing to talk…"

"You…" said the leader of the assassins. "So, you're alive."

"And you four can live too," said Aster, "if you simply turn back. The only way you'll ever get to your quarry is to get rid of the four of us, and we can only be defeated by dueling.

"And we're much better than you in that regard."

"Heh, heh…" said the assassin. "We've been given the Orichalcos! You're out of your league this time, Phoenix. In this sort of contest, your soul is at stake."

"Oh really?" asked Aster. "Let me tell you something…

"Our mentor promised us that our souls would be protected, and so far, they have been. Did your employer make you the same promise?

"It's time to ask yourself, what do you truly believe in?"

"I believe, we're going in there!" demanded the assassin.

They reached into their coats and pulled out new weapons.

Aster waved his hand, and this time they burst into flames! They dropped them and held their hands.

"I could have made them backfire," said Aster. "Strike three, and you're out.

"So will you walk away, or will you duel us? Those are your only two options, I assure you. Other than trying to shoot us again and having the guns take your hands off."

Another of the assassins walked up to the first.

"Z," she said, "we have some time, and a warm up might be a good idea…"

"Fine…" said Z. "Choose a target, people!"

Eight duelists faced off in four confrontations, and eight Disks activated…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Now before we get into details…" said Jason.

He paused.

The door in the back of the room opened, and Dr. Artemis walked in. Old Ben was behind her.

There was dead silence.

"Evening, Chancellor…" said Jason, nervously.

"Jason…" said Artemis, "I realize this meeting was approved… However, I found out about your intentions."

Jason sighed.

"Dr. Artemis…" he said. "I would never do anything involving other students without your approval. If you want this called off…"

Artemis looked at him.

"Jason," she said, "when I accepted the job as chancellor of this school, I figured a time might come when my students would have to act as soldiers.

"I don't like it… So I have a choice to make."

She sat down.

"I could let you continue with your plans, in which case these students would be put at risk…

"…or I could forbid them, in which case the enemy would come looking for you, not caring who they'd mow down in order to get to you.

"I'm going to let these plans commence for now, but I have one condition…

"I want you to include Ben in your plans. He will chaperone this undertaking."

There were a lot of whispers.

Jason nodded.

"Very well…" he said. "Ben, welcome to the group…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the meantime, four simultaneous duels were underway.

**(Chazz: 4,000) -------------------- (Marcus: 5,000)**

Chazz wasn't in the best shape right now. His only Defense was a facedown Monster, and a facedown card, and his opponent had, of all things, Clown Zombie on the field. (1,350/0) –) (1,850/0). His whole deck seemed to be made up of two star Monsters with no effects, and this was the second Clown Zombie so far. With the enhancement of the cursed Field Spell, it was a potent weapon.

"Attack his facedown Monster!" shouted Marcus. "Acrobatic daggers attack!"

Clown Zombie produced three knives and did a handstand, throwing them with its free hand. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and cackled before blowing to pieces.

"Aw, will you look at that?" said Chazz. "Now we have to ditch the cards in our hands and draw new hands."

"Fine by me," said Marcus, discarding his hand. "I didn't have much anyway."

"I had something," said Chazz. "Ojamagic. Since I'm tossing it, I actually get eight new cards. But the three extra ones are specific."

He discarded his hand, then pulled the three Ojamas from his deck. Then he reshuffled, and drew five.

The Spirits of the three Ojamas appeared above his head.

"Boss…" muttered Ojama Yellow. "This is really creeping me out… Did you draw Hurricane yet?"

"Oddly enough, no," he replied. "Maybe I'd draw it faster if you guys would _quit asking me that!_"

He looked at his hand.

"Guys, we're gonna have to use Maneuver C," he said.

"NOOO!" they shouted.

"I hate Maneuver C!" cried Ojama Black. "I hate it even more than Maneuver B."

"Look guys, you see this weird, glowing circle that's around us?" asked Chazz.

They looked down.

"Uh huh…" they said, nodding.

"I'll use small words," he said. "Because of this circle, if I don't win this duel, I'll never see you three again."

There was a pause.

"Hey, I love Maneuver C!" laughed Ojama Green.

"Yeah, it's my favorite!" laughed Ojama Yellow.

"Who the heck are you talking to?" shouted Marcus. "Are you going to move or not?"

"Yeah, yeah…" said Chazz, drawing a card.

"I play Ojama Ride."

He played a Spell Card that depicted the three Ojamas riding on the front of a truck.

"Now, I just have to ditch these three goons…"

He discarded the three Ojamas.

"…and I can summon up to three Machine-Type Union Monsters from my deck in Defense Mode. First, Y-Dragon Head."

The red, dragon-like robot appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"Next, Z-Metal Tank."

The yellow, bulky caterpillar-tank appeared. (1,500/1,300)

"Then, W-Wing Catapult…"

What looked like a blue, double-engine jet with large wings appeared. (1,300/1,500)

"Eh, you got the whole formula wrong…" said Marcus. "If you were able to summon X-Head Cannon, I'd be impressed, but…"

"Oh, do you mean this Monster that I have in my hand?" asked Chazz, showing it to him. "I haven't Normal Summoned yet, you know…"

He played the card, and the legless, helmeted robot with guns on its shoulders appeared. (1,800/1,500)

"Now let's complete the set…" said Chazz, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Call of the Haunted."

In a flash of light, V-Tiger Jet materialized. (1,600/1,800)

"That wasn't in your Graveyard!" shouted Marcus.

"Yes it was," said Chazz, "remember my Morphing Jar?"

"All right! V and W, you're up first."

The two Machines' engines roared, and soared into the sky. Two points of light flashed, and the larger VW-Tiger Catapult appeared. (2,000/2,100)

"X! Y! Z! You three too."

The three Machines lined up, and changed shape. They fused together with an explosion of flames and a burst of steam, and the XYZ-Dragon Cannon arose! (2,800/2,600)

"Don't tell me you're going to…" muttered Marcus.

"Oh, but I am," said Chazz with a grin.

The two Machines separated into their component pieces…

"Presenting the lethal, five-Monster-in-one combo known as… _VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!_"

In a flash of light, a giant robot that seemed to be made up of the five Machines pieced together appeared. (3,000/2,800)

"Well… I've got him, and you have a Clown Zombie… Or do you…"

Clown Zombie shimmered and vanished…

"Nope, guess you don't, since my Cannon removed it from play."

"You don't have the guts…" said Marcus.

The huge robot aimed its guns at him.

"Okay… I guess you _do_ have the guts…" he said nervously.

KA-ZAPPO! A barrage of blazing, fiery death plowed into him, and he was propelled backwards.

**(Chazz: 4,000) -------------------- (Marcus: 2,000)**

"If you can still hear me," said Chazz, "I'll place a card facedown, and that will be my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

"Three-thousand attack points, huh?" asked Marcus, getting up. "Well, frankly, I'm not impressed…"

He drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn, to bring back someone who I discarded – Fiend Scorpion."

A small scorpion apparently made of metal appeared on the field. (900/200) –) (1,400/200)

"You ever see a duelist hurl in the middle of a duel before?" asked Chazz. "Because you're coming awfully close to seeing it."

"You'll be a believer soon, just like all the others I killed with this combo," said Marcus. "I next play Inferno Reckless Summon to summon my other two."

Two more Fiend Scorpions appeared.

"I truly doubt you have two more of those things in your regular deck," said Marcus, pointing to the huge robot, "especially since it's a Fusion Monster. Next I play Thousand Energy…"

He played the card, and the three Scorpions rose to 2,400 Attack.

"Still not gonna do it," said Chazz.

"Your Machine isn't the target, Chazz," said Marcus, "you are. Thanks to my next Spell Card…"

He played the card, a card showing the image of three Fiend Scorpions in a triangular pattern.

"Delta Attacker. This card can be activated when I have three of the same Normal Monster on my side of the field, and it lets them all attack directly.

"Do the math… you're through!"

"No I'm not!" shouted Chazz. "I activate… Auto Destruct Sequence!"

His Quickplay Spell Card lifted, showing the image of XYZ-Dragon Cannon bursting into flames.

"To activate this card, I have to destroy a Machine-Type Fusion Monster on my side of the field, but I also get to destroy Monsters whose total level stars equal its level. And this Machine has eight stars."

VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon exploded in a fiery burst of energy, and the three Fiend Scorpions were blown away.

"Crud…" muttered Marcus. "I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

Chazz drew a card.

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Marcus.

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of three Monsters in a line: Mokey Mokey in back, Celtic Guardian in the center, and Dark Magician in front.

"The Power of Normality," he said. "Now I can bring back all the Normal Monsters who were destroyed last turn by card effects, for only 800 Life Points."

The three Fiend Scorpions returned.

"And guess what, Chazz? I have another Thousand Energy right here."

"Then I guess I'd better finish you off this round…" said Chazz. "You aren't the only one who can summon three Monsters at once. I play Ojamandala."

He played the Spell Card, and the three Ojamas leapt onto the field. (0/1,000 x3)

"Now, Polymerization! Bring em together guys."

"Why soitenly…" said Ojama Green.

The three Ojamas leapt up…

In a burst of light, Ojama King appeared. (0/3,000)

"Thank you… thank you very much…" said the huge Beast.

"Finally…" said Chazz, "I play Ojama Alpha Tornado."

"What the?" shouted Marcus.

"Since Ojama King is the only card on my side of the field," said Chazz, "and he's in Attack Mode, and his Attack and Defense Points are at their base, I can pay half my Life Points to destroy all cards on your side of the field."

Ojama King's eyes glowed…

"Pity that can't break the Seal…"

A furious tornado whipped across the field, and the three Fiend Scorpions were swept up and blown to splinters.

"So what are you gonna do?" asked Marcus. "Attack me with a Monster who has… zero… Attack… Points…"

He looked…

Ojama King's score was now (1,200/3,000).

"Forgot to mention," said Chazz. "Tornado also raises his Attack by 400 for every card it destroys. He'd be destroyed when I ended my turn… Not that it matters…"

"NO!" screamed Marcus. "I will NOT be defeated by that buffoon!"

"As if you have a choice…" said Chazz. "Don't say we didn't warn you."

Marcus screamed as Ojama King bull-rushed him…

**(Chazz: 1,500) -------------------- (Marcus: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Here's the basic idea," said Jason.

He cleared his throat.

"The tower we'll be assaulting has a practical army of duelists inside. We can assume that Fortunado and his most important henchmen are at the top. Also, there likely won't be a way to go straight to the top.

"Trisha, Russell, and I will have to take care of him and his big guns. But we won't be able to do it if we have to duel every duelist in the tower first.

"Thus, we need you to, to put it bluntly, clear the path. We need you to duel. We need you to engage the lesser forces and take them out so that we have a direct line to the greater enemies.

"Before anyone raises their hands to volunteer, I will say right now, I will not accept volunteers to duel Fortunado and his right-hand men, whoever they may be. His lesser henchmen will be dangerous enough, and I am risking a little bit of myself sending you all against them. So please, content yourself with his lesser duelists.

"I don't know how many duelists are lurking in that tower. They may outnumber us, or we may outnumber them.

"Since a lot is unknown to us, I'm keeping a lot unknown to him. If any of you were captured, or God forbid, forcefully recruited, you might be forced to reveal our plans, and we can't have that. So our actual assault plans will be kept secret until we actually start."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"You think you can win, child?" asked Natasha.

**(Hasselberry: 2,400) -------------------- (Natasha: 4,000)**

The female assassin, dressed in tight black leather with her hair tied back in a ponytail, eyed Hasselberry.

"Child?" he asked. "I've been dueling since before you were trick or treating!"

Natasha had Neo-Bug on her side of the field. (1,800/1,700) –) (2,300/1,700). Hasselberry's side was clear, but it was his turn.

"You think you can win with Dinosaurs?" she said. "Anytime I lose to evolutionary dead ends is the day I turn in my Duel Disk."

"Eh…" said Hasselberry, drawing a card.

He played it, and Pot of Greed appeared.

"That's everyone's problem," he said, bringing his hand size up to seven. "Everyone underestimates dinos."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

Then he fit another card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Well, my troops may be old-fashioned," he said, waving his hand, "but you know that old saying… 'Old soldiers never die, they just fade away'."

Natasha drew a card.

"Neo Bug, attack!" she shouted.

Neo Bug scurried forward…

And it slammed into a huge Machine that looked like a mechanical platform on tank treads. (0/2,300)

"Sorry, lady," said Hasselberry. "Looks like that was a draw, due to my Dino Base's powerful defensive shield."

"Ugh…" muttered Natasha, placing a card in her Disk. "I'll place one card facedown, and that will be my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

Hasselberry drew a card.

"Perfect," he said. "I invoke the special ability of Dino Base. By sacrificing it and one Dinosaur from my hand, like Black Tyranno here, I get to Special Summon something powerful from my Fusion Deck. He's part soldier, part war machine…"

Dino Base vanished…

"Dino Tank, front and center!"

A huge Monster appeared, resembling an armored carnivore dinosaur riding a tank like it were a go-cart. (2,600/1,800)

"All right!" he shouted. "Dino Tank, mow down that Neo Bug! Primal rage!"

With a roar, fames appeared in Dino Tank's huge mouth…

"I activate… Sakuretsu Armor!" shouted Natasha, as her Trap lifted.

"I thought that might have been the case," said Hasselberry, with a grin. "Now I can activate Dino Tank's special effect. When it's targeted by a card effect, I can reroute that effect to an enemy Monster."

Natasha gasped, and Neo Bug burst into fragments.

"And now that it's gone," continued Hasselberry, "my tank can switch targets… to you."

Natasha screamed as flames shot forward and struck her, sending her falling on her behind.

"Ooh…" she muttered.

**(H: 2,400) -------------------- (N: 1,400)**

"Well, that's enough for one turn," said Hasselberry, "so I'll defer to you."

"You think you're so smart," said Natasha, drawing.

"See this card? I have a Pot of Greed too."

She played it, and drew two cards.

"I play Dark Core," she said. "Now, by discarding one card, I can remove one Monster on the field from play, and your tank has nothing to redirect it to this time."

She discarded a card, and Dino Tank was sucked into a black hole.

"Bummer…" said Hasselberry.

"Next…" she said, "I'll summon Pinch Hopper."

She played the card, and a large grasshopper appeared. (1,000/1,200) –) (1,500/1,200)

"Next," she said, "another Spell Card… Multiplication of Ants."

She played the card, and Pinch Hopper transformed into two large, green ants. (500/1,200 x2) –) (1,000/1,200 x2)

"Lovely…" muttered Hasselberry. "Like I haven't seen _this_ before."

"And now I use Pinch Hoppers effect to summon…" said Natasha. "Here she comes… _Insect Queen!_"

In a dark shadow, the enormous, hulking, matriarch of Insects appeared, and let out a fierce roar! (2,200/2,400)

"In case you don't know how she works," said Natasha, "she gains 200 Attack Points for every Insect on the field, herself included, plus the 500 from the Orichalcos…"

(3,300/2,400)

"…and what that basically means is, I win!

"Feed and grow strong, my Queen!"

Insect Queen grabbed one of the Army Ant Tokens and stuffed it into her jaws. Her Attack fell to 3,100, but she glowed with energy.

"Now attack him directly!"

Insect Queen drooled.

"I activate my facedown card!" shouted Hasselberry.

His Trap Card lifted.

"What?" said Natasha. "Survival Instinct?"

"That's right," said Hasselberry. "I get to remove from play any Dinosaurs in my hand that I want. And for each one that I toss, I gain 500 Life Points."

He held up Element Saurus, Dark Driceratops, Gilasaurus, and Black Stego.

"These will do," he said. "So I gain a buffer of 2,000 Life Points."

Insect Queen was undeterred. She blasted a beam of vile venom, striking Hasselberry.

**(H: 1,300) -------------------- (N: 1,400)**

"You've only managed to survive one round," said Natasha. "Might I add, you threw away every Monster in your hand to do that, so you'll be defenseless next turn."

Hasselberry gave her a long look…

She stepped back… Something wasn't right with his eyes…

"You are so stupid," he finally said. "I wasn't dumb enough to toss _every_ Monster in my hand. I kept the most important one."

He drew a card.

Then he played one.

"Tyranno Infinity, report for duty."

In a flash of light, a huge, carnivorous Dinosaur with multicolored scales, huge claws, and teeth like swords appeared!

"Like him?" asked Hasselberry. "Let me explain how he works. His Attack Score is 1,000 for each of my troops that has been removed from play. You took out one of them with that Dark Core, and I removed four with Survival Instinct."

(5,000/0)

Natasha stepped back in fear.

"Mercy, please…" she squeaked.

"Mercy?" said Hasselberry. "Strange… I wonder how many times you yourself heard that… from your victims?

"Tyranno Infinity, forward march!"

The huge Dinosaur charged, making the ground tremble, and chomped its jaws on Insect Queen, biting her in half…

**(H: 1,300) -------------------- (N: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason placed on his pedestal the Orichalcos Disk that he had taken from Cleo before the paramedics had come to get her.

"Most of you have seen one of these already," he said, "but probably not up close. In case you were wondering, this style is not of KaibaCorp design. It's a special Disk used by minions of the Orichalcos. We assume that these weird Disks are enchanted in some way, so we don't dare try to use them. Just how they help the minions is not exactly known.

"This is how you'll identify your enemy. However, we have seen some duelists with custom-made Disks. If you see one of those, be very careful. If you see someone with a normal Disk, be careful anyway.

"Now, for all of you except Sersei, who knows about this part, the Orichalcos itself is incredibly dangerous. It can be technically defined as a Field Spell, and as far as game mechanics go, it increases the user's Monsters' Attack Scores by 500, turns them all Dark Attribute, and lets him use his Spell/Trap Zone for Monsters, and vice versa."

"That's broken!" exclaimed Ami.

"Evil forces don't play fair, Ami," commented Silver.

"Exactly," said Jason. "But there are a few other things you should know. No card that we know about can destroy the Seal once it is played, so don't waste your cards trying. Also, once the Orichalcos is played, the duelists can't escape until a winner is decided. And the loser…"

He paused.

"The loser's soul is forfeit.

"I repeat what I said earlier. Anyone who wants to leave is free to do so."

There was dead silence.

"A few other things…" continued Jason. "No good can ever come from this card. Usually, the duelist will play it as soon as he draws it. However, if that is not the case, do NOT try to take this card from him. It is a tempter and a seducer, as Russell nearly found out. If you have no choice in the matter, dispose of it as quickly as possible. Losing is preferable to using this card.

"Now, along with the Orichalcos itself are several evil cards that we've encountered called Cards of Sin. Most of them are broken as well, but they aren't indestructible. As far as we know, they need the Seal to function. Do not take these cards from your opponent either. Again, if you have no choice, do not play them.

"Now then…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(Alexis: 4,200) -------------------- (Hector: 4,000)**

Alexis surveyed the field. Her foe had Chain Thrasher on his side. (1,000/600) –) (1,500/600)

But she had him outmatched. In front of her was a fearsome, feminine, muscular creature, with dark pink skin, dressed in black spandex. She had fire in her eyes. (1,600/2,000)

"Cyber Angel Idaten…" she shouted, "attack Chain Thrasher!"

Idaten charged forward and socked the Warrior, blowing him to shards.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," she said, setting a card.

**(A: 4,200) -------------------- (H: 3,900)**

"I almost forgot to tell you, Alexis," said Hector, drawing. "Most members of the Society get cold feet when the target is a woman. That's when I come in. I don't mind killing them… That's my specialty. I was intending to duel Trisha, and I will once you're disposed of."

"You make me sick…" said Alexis.

"We'll see…" said Hector. "I summon Mataza the Zapper!"

The dark ronin appeared on the field, holding up his katana menacingly. (1,300/800) –) (1,800/800)

"The Orichalcos gives him 200 more points than your Angel, and he can attack twice," said Hector, "so once he's done with her, he can go straight for you."

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Alexis.

Her Trap Card lifted.

"Hallowed Life Barrier," she said, discarding a card. "Now you can attack all you want, but I won't lose any Life Points this turn."

"Okay, fine…" said Hector, as Mataza charged. "You may be safe, but your Angel isn't."

Mataza struck Idaten with his weapon, and she shattered.

"My move…" said Alexis.

She drew a card.

"I play Pot of Greed," she said.

She played the card, and drew two cards.

"Next, I'll play Fulfillment of the Contract, giving up 800 Life Points to bring Idaten back."

She played the card, and Idaten appeared in a flash of light.

"This activates her effect, allowing me to reclaim one Spell Card from my Graveyard. And I choose Machine Angel Ritual.

"Now I play it…"

She played the Spell, and Idaten became all silvery and metallic…

"…and I sacrifice Idaten to summon her sister… Cyber Angel Benten."

Thunder crashed, and a tall form appeared. She was dressed in a red, black, and silver bodysuit, with a waistband just below her chest, fingerless gloves, and a ceremonial headdress. She carried what appeared to be a nunchaku connected by a long chain.

She did a flip, and the "nunchaku" opened, revealed to be a pair of fans. Her eyes glowed green. (1,800/1,500)

"Her Attack is the same as Mataza's," said Hector. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking of using this," said Alexis, playing a Spell Card. "Rush Recklessly."

She played the card, and Benten's Attack rose to 2,500.

"Benten, attack Mataza the Zapper with Angelic Turn!" shouted Alexis.

Benten hollered a war cry, and flew at the Warrior, smacking him with her fans. He screamed and shattered into shards.

"Eh, I only lost 700 little Life Points," said Hector.

"Benten has a special ability," added Alexis. "When she destroys a Monster, you lose Life Points equal to its Defense Score. Be glad the Orichalcos only boosts Attack."

Hector groaned as a burst of energy shot up around him.

**(A: 3,400) -------------------- (H: 2,400)**

"Okay…" muttered Hector. "Nothing I can't handle…"

He drew a card.

"Heh, heh, heh…"

"I summon Monk Fighter," he said, playing a card.

A man with white hair dressed in an orange shirt and trousers with a muscular frame and rocky, grey skin appeared. (1,300/1,000) –) (1,800/1,000)

"But he won't be staying for long, only long enough so I can sacrifice him…"

Monk Fighter vanished in an aura of energy…

"…to summon Master Monk."

A new Monster who might have been Monk Fighter's father appeared. He had the same grey, rocky skin, but with longer hair and a beard, and was dressed only in ragged trousers. (1,900/1,000) –) (2,400/1,000)

"So…" asked Hector. "Think your Angels can beat me? I think not… Especially since my Monk can also attack twice.

"Master Monk, crush Cyber Angel Benten with Shaolin Fist."

Master Monk flew at Benten, throwing a punch that blew her to shards.

"And now that she's gone, he's going to take care of you. Attack directly, my Monk!"

Hector grinned, as Master Monk charged at Alexis, fist-first…

She simply raised her hand, and caught the fist in her palm. Master Monk was a little confused as she looked him in the eye.

**(A: 400) -------------------- (H: 2,400)**

"What in the name of?" he muttered.

Her Life Points had taken the hit, but he could honestly say, _that_ had never happened.

"Oh, were you expecting me to scream in horror and pain like all the other girls you killed?" asked Alexis. "Sorry Hec, that ended with the last one…"

"You think so?" he said, placing a card in his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

Alexis drew a card.

"Yes," she said. "Because no more blood is going be spilled by your hands. Your career ends tonight."

"I summon Cyber Petit Angel."

She played the card, and a small, pink sphere with a smiling face and wings appeared. (300/200)

"This little guy has a nifty trick," she said, taking her deck. "He lets me search for another Machine Angel Ritual card."

She got the card and put her deck back.

"And now I'll use it, and sacrifice him and Cyber Prima from my hand to summon the eldest of the Cyber Angel sisters…"

Cyber Prima appeared on the field. The Fairy and the Warrior turned silver and metallic and vanished into light…

"Cyber Angel Dakini!"

Thunder flashed again, and a more powerful looking female appeared. She had blue skin, was dressed in a halter, briefs, boots, and a helmet, and most notably, had four arms. Her upper arms held two sharp nodachi, while her lower ones held a two-bladed yari.

"HAI!" she cried, twirling the yari above her head. (2,700/2,400)

"Impressive…" said Hector. "But I'll live…"

_Especially since my facedown card is my own Rush Recklessly,_ he thought. _That Angel is nothing compared to my Monk._

"No you won't," said Alexis, with a grin, "because when Dakini is summoned, she forces you to destroy one of your Monsters."

"WHAT?" shouted Hector. "But I only have one!"

"Then it's an easy choice," said Alexis.

A glimmer of light appeared in Dakini's eyes, and Master Monk exploded into pixels!

"And I still have her normal attack," said Alexis. "Dakini, attack with Angel Rage!"

Cyber Angel Dakini flew forward… Hector howled as he was slashed with four savage blades…

His last thoughts as the Seal started to glow were shock and surprise…

Shock that the end could come so suddenly…

And surprise that after targeting women for so long as an assassin, the end had come at the hands of one who had fought back… Using a female Monster…

**(A: 400) -------------------- (H: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Everyone line up," said Jason. "That is, everyone who still wants to come with us."

Everyone except Artemis got in a line, as Jason produced a small set of cards.

"I'm going to give each of you a little addition to put in your decks," he said. "These are special cards… The reflections of the power we're using. There should be one for each of you.

"Do not sell them, do not trade them, do not give them away. They'll only work for you anyway. Protect them. Treat them as you would your rarest cards."

He handed one to the first person in line, Bugsy.

"These are reflections of your virtues."

"Cool," said Bugsy, looking at it.

"Yes, cool," said Jason. "But they are quite serious. Sadly, I don't believe they will last past our assault, even if we are victorious. But they will give us some help during it."

Jason started to hand them out. He paused for a second before giving one to Ansel. This one would be worthless if he faced the Orichalcos…

But something was telling him it would be necessary.

Eventually, the cards were handed out, and there were just enough.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(Aster: 4,500) -------------------- (Z: 3,400)**

Aster stared at his opponent…

Destiny Hero Defend Guy stood in front of him in Defense Mode (100/2,700), while his opponent confronted him with Opticlops in Attack Mode (1,800/1,700).

"You know Phoenix," said Z, "a lot of folks wondered what ever happened to Aster Phoenix. Some would have killed for his unique Destiny Hero Deck.

"Who'd have thought you would still be around? Now people will know me as the one who brought you down."

"You won't be able to get to me until you get past Defend Guy," replied Aster. "It's your move."

"Then I draw…" said Z, drawing. "And I draw again due to Defend Guy's effect…"

He looked at his cards.

"And I sacrifice Opticlops to summon the mighty Summoned Skull."

Opticlops vanished, and the horned, winged demon appeared in a burst of lightning. (2,500/1,200) –) (3,000/1,200)

"One of Yugi's Monsters?" asked Aster. "He must be rolling over in his grave…"

"Say what you will," said Z. "Defend Guy may have a great defense, but this should crack it. Summoned Skull, attack with lightning strike!"

Summoned Skull blasted lightning bolts, blowing Defend Guy to shards.

"So now what?" asked Z. "You'd need a pretty powerful Monster to defeat mine."

Aster drew a card.

"One powerful Monster, coming up," he said.

"First, I play the Spell Card D-Spirit, to Special Summon Destiny Hero Diamond Guy to the field."

He played the card, and the diamond-studded Hero appeared. (1,400/1,600)

"Now I'll use his effect, to look at the top card on my deck…"

He took the card.

"The mighty Smashing Ground," he said, as he discarded it. "That means it activates next round. If it even has to.

"Next, I activate Destiny Draw. By playing this Spell Card and tossing one Destiny Hero in my hand…"

He discarded one card.

"…I get to draw twice."

He drew two cards.

"Next I play, Over Destiny," he said, playing another Spell Card. "I choose one Destiny Hero in my Graveyard, and then I can Special Summon one from my deck who has half of its star level or less.

"And by the way, that one that I discarded to play Destiny Draw was Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy, and he has six stars, meaning I can now summon Destiny Hero Diehard Guy, who has three."

Diehard Guy appeared, bearing his shelled arms. (800/800)

"Next, I activate Diabolic Guy's special ability. By removing him from play, I can Special Summon a second Diabolic Guy from my deck."

A demonic, winged, horned, tailed Hero appeared on the field. (800/800)

"And finally…" said Aster, "I sacrifice all three of them…"

The three Destiny Heroes vanished.

"…to summon Destiny Hero Dogma Guy!"

In a dark shadow, the lord of the Destiny Heroes appeared, his wings spread wide, and his blade shimmering. (3,400/2,400)

"Attack the Summoned Skull!" he shouted. "Dogma strike!"

Dogma Guy roared, and blasted a beam of dark energy. Summoned Skull groaned, and shattered.

"Yugi…" muttered Aster, "wherever you are, don't hold this against me…"

**(A: 4,500) -------------------- (Z: 3,000)**

"Not bad…" said Z. "But all for naught… You're finished, Phoenix…"

He drew a card.

"And now Dogma Guy's effect kicks in," said Aster. "He cuts your Life Points in half."

Dogma Guy glowed, and a burst of energy erupted around Z. He shrieked.

**(A: 4,500) -------------------- (Z: 1,500)**

"So be it…" gasped Z. "But I'll have the last laugh… You see, I was _waiting_ for you to summon that Warrior…"

He played a card.

"I play the Black Illusion Ritual!"

A creepy altar with the Eye of Wdjat appeared in the middle of the cursed Seal.

"So goodbye Winged Minion…" he said.

Winged Minion appeared, and vanished.

"And hello Relinquished."

The altar burst, and the horrid, one-eyed, winged abomination perched on a spire appeared, and was branded by the Seal. (0/0) –) (500/0)

The foul thing inhaled, and absorbed Dogma Guy into its maw! Its Scores rose to (3,900/2,400)!

"Attack him directly!" shouted Z. "Pilfered power attack!"

The energy beam that shot at Aster was enough to make even him cringe. He had taken a lot, but _that_ had been a lot even for him.

**(A: 600) -------------------- (Z: 1,500)**

"Have you forgotten about Diamond Guy?" asked Aster, catching his breath. "On my next turn, Smashing Ground will activate, and your Relinquished will be destroyed."

"Only if Smashing Ground is actually in your Graveyard at that time," replied Z, taking a card. "I play Soul Release. I'll remove your Smashing Ground from play. And I think I'll remove Diamond Guy, Defend Guy, Diehard Guy, and Devil Guy too, just for kicks."

He played the card, and the five cards fell out of Aster's discard slot.

"Your move…"

Aster drew a card. He smirked when he saw what it was.

"I'm not finished yet!" he shouted. "I just drew the card I used to bring down a beast not unlike Relinquished… I summon Destiny Hero Divine Guy in Attack Mode."

A new Destiny Hero appeared. It was an armored, masked Warrior with a metal, spiked discus on his back. (1,600/1,400)

"That's weak!" laughed Z.

"Is he?" asked Aster, with a grin. "Well, let me explain his effect. When he attacks, he can destroy one Equip Spell Card, and deal 500 points of damage to the owner of the Equip.

"Don't forget, a Monster trapped by Relinquished is considered an Equip. Much as I hate to do this to Dogma Guy, I'm sure he'll understand."

Z stepped back in fear.

"Divine Guy, attack Relinquished with Destiny Divine Strike!"

Divine Guy's fist glowed with white fire, and he flew forward. Dogma Guy was freed from Relinquished, and shattered, and Relinquished burst into flames…

**(A: 600) -------------------- (Z: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Well," said Jason. "We have a lot of food here. I'd like to thank you all for bringing it…"

He raised a can of soda.

"I commend you all for your bravery.

"After class, on Tuesday, we will approach the tower, and begin the preemptive strike. Prepare all you can. I've given all the help I'm able to.

"I'm counting on you. Here's to victory."

"Here, here," said Trisha.

"Indeed," said Sean.

"We're all with you," said Malvolio.

Jason glanced out the window in the direction of the front gates.

_Thanks guys…_ he thought. _I did not want to deal with them, and I'm sure Trisha and Russell didn't want to either…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Chazz, Hasselberry, Alexis, and Aster looked at the soulless bodies of their four foes.

They sadly shook their heads, and walked off into the darkness.

On campus, the students retired to their rooms.

Jason cuddled up with Trisha again, knowing now that he loved her more than anything.

In the girl's wing of the Obelisk dorm, Russell cuddled with Sersei. He was worried about her now. He didn't want her to go, but he knew there was no stopping her.

Jason and Russell weren't the only ones who were holding their girlfriends. Everyone needed a pick me up…

They were about to enter a den of evil, and they didn't know if they would leave intact.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

For Jason, Trisha, Russell, and their volunteers, it was hard to pay attention in class that Tuesday.

It was the 10th of November… The night of the Reckoning.

At four o'clock, after class had ended, the three friends stood at the campus gates. Slowly, their small army gathered around them.

"So now what?" asked Bugsy.

Jason took a card out of his pocket.

The Yami Field Spell.

He placed it in his Disk, and slowly, a dark fog started to form in the sky.

"The spell I'm casting will cover the city with a shroud of darkness," he said. "We should be able to get there unseen. I hope.

"So let's go…"

Dr. Artemis watched in silence from the background as they strode off.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The thick fog lingered over the city, as the ominous form of the Mastech Tower loomed over them.

Jason boldly walked up to the entrance, and threw the doors open.

"No locks?" asked Ami. "No guards?"

"Maybe he's expecting us…" said Karen.

They looked around. There were no elevators.

What there was were four weird machines, that looked like silvery things shaped like Christmas trees.

"Those are Interdimensional Matter Transporters," said Janus.

A lamp flashed, and then burst!

Two piles of Duel Monsters cards fell in front of them.

Then a note fell on top of them.

Russell picked it up and read.

"Yeah, he was expecting us," he said. "Looks like he's making the rules."

He read:

_The Non-Effect Monster Cards lead to the vital places of this building… and elsewhere. But if you use the wrong one, you might end up in a place where you can't survive. _

_To find the right one, you're going to have to gain information from my men. The Effect Monster Cards will take you to some safer places where they're waiting._

_Note that by "safer" I do not mean "safe"._

_Good luck, I look forward to seeing you._

"Short and sweet, and to the point," said Trisha. "There's a ton of Non-Effect Monsters here, and most of them likely lead to dead ends."

"Emphasis on the word 'dead'," added Ben.

Jason turned to them all.

"Well…" he said, "it's now or never, everyone…"

Everyone except Jason, Russell, and Trisha picked up one of the Effect Monster Cards. Randy and Nadia chose one, hoping to stay together.

Four at a time, they approached the Transporters. They hummed, and vanished, swept to a different part of the building. When Nadia and Randy approached, it apparently didn't mind transporting them together.

"Good luck…" said Jason. "Because soon, the Reckoning will begin…"

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 4:50 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**OJAMA RIDE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: The three Ojamas riding on the front of a truck.

**Card Description:** Discard one "Ojama Green", one "Ojama Yellow", and one "Ojama Black" to the Graveyard from your hand. Special Summon from your hand or deck up to three MACHINE-Type Union Monsters that have four stars or less in face-up Defense Position. The battle position of these Monsters cannot be changed.

_Note: "Ojama Ride" was first used by Chazz in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Champion or Chazz-Been". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**AUTO DESTRUCT SEQUENCE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: XYZ Dragon Cannon bursting into flames.

**Card Description:** Destroy one MACHINE-Type Fusion Monster on your side of the field. Destroy Monsters on your opponent's side of the field who's total star levels are equal to or less than the star level of the destroyed Monster.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**OJAMA ALPHA TORNADO (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Ojama King amid a maelstrom of furious energy.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have one "Ojama King" on the field in Attack Position, no other cards on the field, and its ATK and DEF Scores are at their base scores. Pay half your current Life Points. Destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field. Increase the ATK of "Ojama King" by 400 for each destroyed card, and decrease its DEF by the same amount. Destroy the "Ojama King" at the end of the turn you use this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**THE POWER OF NORMALITY (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Mokey Mokey, Celtic Guardian, and Dark Magician standing in a line.

**Card Description:** Pay 800 Life Points. Special Summon from your Graveyard all Normal Monsters that were destroyed by card effects on your last turn.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**SURVIVAL INSTINCT (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Several dinosaurs huddling inside a cave with a fire burning outside..

**Card Description:** Remove from play any number of DINOSAUR-Type Monsters from your hand. For each Monster you remove from play with this card, increase your Life Points by 500.

_Note: "Survival Instinct" was first used by Hasselberry in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Curry Worries". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DINO BASE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **2,300

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on your side of the field, you may Special Summon one "Dino Tank" from your Fusion Deck by fusing this card and one DINOSAUR-Type Monster on the field or in your hand. (You do not use "Polymerization". This is considered a Fusion Summon.)

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DINO TANK (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dinosaur/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **?  
**DEF: **?

**Card Description:** _"Dino Tank" plus any Dinosaur-Type Monster_

The ATK and DEF of this card are equal to that of the DINOSAUR-Type Monster used in the Fusion. If this card is targeted by a card effect, you may redirect the effect to an opposing Monster.

_Note: "Dino Base" and "Dino Tank" was first used by Hasselberry in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Source of Strength". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MACHINE ANGEL RITUAL (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Ritual  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A feminine form running from a huge, blazing cauldron.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon any Ritual Monster with the words "Cyber Angel" in its name. You must offer as Tribute Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels are equal to or more than that of the Monster you are summoning.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CYBER ANGEL BENTEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **1,800  
**DEF: **1,500

**Card Description**: This card is Ritual Summoned with "Machine Angel Ritual". You must offer Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels equal six or more. If this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, inflict damage to the Life Points of the owner of the destroyed Monster equal to the destroyed Monster's DEF.

_Note: "Machine Angel Ritual" and "Cyber Angel Benten" were first used by Alexis in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Chazz-a-Nova". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CYBER PETITE ANGEL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **2  
**ATK: **300  
**DEF: **200

**Card Description**: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, search your deck for one "Machine Angel Ritual" and add it to your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CYBER ANGEL IDATEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **1,600  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description**: This card is Ritual Summoned with "Machine Angel Ritual". You must offer Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels equal six or more. When this card is successfully summoned, take one Spell Card from your Graveyard and add it to your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CYBER ANGEL DAKINI (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **2,700  
**DEF: **2,400

**Card Description**: This card is Ritual Summoned with "Machine Angel Ritual". You must offer Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels equal eight or more. When this card is summoned, your opponent chooses one Monster on his side of the field. That Monster is destroyed. When this card attacks a Defense Position Monster with lower DEF than this card's ATK, inflict the difference to your opponent's Life Points.

_Note: "Cyber Petite Angel", "Cyber Angel Idaten", and "Cyber Angel Dakini" were first used by Alexis in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Pop Goes the Duel". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DESTINY HERO DIABOLIC GUY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **800  
**DEF: **800

**Card Description**: When this card is in your Graveyard, you may remove it from play to Special Summon one "Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy" from your hand or deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DESTINY DRAW (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Bird's-eye view of a Duel Disk with the owner drawing, while shadowy shapes surround it.

**Card Description:** Discard one Monster Card with the words "Destiny Hero" in its name from your hand to the Graveyard. Draw two cards from your deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**OVER DESTINY (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Destiny Hero Dread Guy looming in the shadows over Destiny Hero Diamond Guy in the forefront.

**Card Description:** Select one Monster in your Graveyard with the words "Destiny Hero" in its name. Special Summon one Monster from your deck with the words "Destiny Hero" in its name that has half the level stars or less of the selected Monster. A Monster Special Summoned by this effect is destroyed at the End Phase of the turn it is Special Summoned.

_Note: "Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy", "Destiny Draw", and "Over Destiny" were released in Japan in the Edo Phoenix Duelist Pack. The same pack is planned for release in the United States soon. All three cards were used by Aster in a second season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX"._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DESTINY HERO DIVINE GUY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **800  
**DEF: **800

**Card Description**: This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card attacks an opposing Monster, you may destroy one Equip Spell Card on your opponent's side of the field. When you destroy an Equip Spell Card with this card's effect, inflict 500 points of damage to the Life Points of the destroyed card's owner.

_Note: "Destiny Hero Divine Guy" will be used by Aster in a second season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**The invasion begins, and Bugsy faces the first opponent.**_

_**Remember the first Orichalcos duelist? The amateur with the Beast Deck? Well, he was only copying a much better duelist, and wait until you see HER!**_

**_The chapter is called "Ancient One of the Deep Forest", coming soon._**


	49. Ancient One of the Deep Forest

_I never told anyone. The movie where the guy plays chess with the Grim Reaper is "The Seventh Seal"._

_And now that that's out of the way…_

**0**

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**0**

_**I didn't want much. When I first met Russell, I wanted a recommendation from him so it would be easier to get into NYC Duel Academy. So I dueled him…**_

_**I lost, and I ended up owing him a favor.**_

_**That was two months ago, and recently, he asked me if I wanted to repay that favor, although I didn't have to. He explained it would involve storming this fortress and maybe getting into a Shadow Game.**_

_**It sounded dangerous, but Jason told all of us that if we were successful, we'd practically have earned our way into Heaven. Who could say no to that? **_

_**So that's it. In this duel, no more holograms. Real Monsters, real Spells, and if I lose all my Life Points, I might lose a lot more. **_

_**Boy…**_

_**Talk about a school that's been hard to get in to…**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Ancient One of the Deep Forest**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 5:00 PM_

As Bugsy floated through the portal of the Transporter, his mind thought back to a DVD he had seen – a recording of an old tournament.

He saw the final match. On one side was a guy named Louis… A guy in jeans, a leather jacket, and shades. He had 3,000 Life Points remaining, and a Berserk Gorilla on his side of the field.

His opponent was a young man wearing a blazer similar to that worn by the Obelisk students of the Academy. His blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, and he was wearing earrings that seemed meant for a girl. The Monster on his side of the field was Ancient Gear Soldier in Defense Mode, he had a facedown card, and had 4,000 Life Points.

"You've been lucky so far, Vellion," said the guy with the Gorilla, "but I'm going to take you down…"

He made a draw.

"I play Tribute to the Doomed to destroy your tin man!"

He played a Spell Card, and then discarded one from his hand. A swarm of wrappings grabbed the Machine, and pulled it under.

"Now my Gorilla, attack him directly!"

The furious Gorilla leapt forward and clobbered the young man, sending him sprawling with a cry of pain.

He slowly got up…

"That was… excruciating…" he muttered. "But I've still got a few tricks left, Louis!"

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Damage Condenser!" he shouted. "Now, I simply have to relinquish one card from my hand…"

He discarded one of his cards.

"…and I can summon any Monster from my deck whose Attack Score is equal to or less than the amount of Life Points I just lost. In other words, the harder you hit, the harder I can hit back!"

He took his deck.

"And I choose to summon The Trojan Horse."

A huge horse made of wood appeared on the field, and neighed.

"Well then," said Louis. "I'll place a card facedown and end my turn…"

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

Vellion drew a card.

"Here it comes, Louis!" he shouted. "In case you don't know, when The Trojan Horse is sacrificed to summon an Earth Attribute Monster, it counts as two Monsters. So I sacrifice my Horse… to summon the incredible… Ancient Gear Golem!"

The Trojan Horse vanished, and one of the mightiest Machines in Duel Monsters arose.

"Now, my Golem…" ordered Vellion, "attack his dirty, flea-ridden ape with mechanized melee!"

Ancient Gear Golem lunged forward and threw a punch, flattening Berserk Gorilla.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Louis, as his Life Points fell to 2,000. "Thank you… Since you destroyed one of my Beasts, I can pay 1,000 Life Points…"

His score dipped to 1,000, and he placed a card on his Disk.

"To summon Green Baboon, the Forest Guard!"

Another ape appeared in front of him. This one had green fur, a mane of black hair, and was dressed in skins. It wasn't as angry as the last gorilla, but it had bigger muscles and a broader physique.

"What?" asked Vellion. "Where did you get such a rare card?"

"Maybe the same place you got that hunk of junk," answered Louis.

"Yes, good point…" said Vellion, looking at the two cards left in his hand.

"Well," he continued, "my turn isn't over… Since I have an Ancient Gear Monster on the field, I'll play Ancient Gear Drill."

He played a card and then discarded his other one.

"This lets me take any Spell Card from my deck I desire and place it facedown on the field."

He took a card from his deck, and placed it in his Disk. It appeared behind the Golem.

"And that's my move."

"Perfect," said Louis, drawing. "And I've got just the combo I need to finish you!

"I play Wild Nature's Release."

He played a Spell Card, and Green Baboon roared. Its Attack Score rose to 4,400.

"Destroy his Golem!" he shouted.

Green Baboon leapt at the Machine.

"Not so fast!" shouted his opponent. "I activate Limiter Removal!"

His facedown card lifted, and the Golem's gears started to pound like crazy!

"It doubles my Golem's Attack Score, from 3,000 to 6,000."

Ancient Gear Golem walloped the Baboon, and it was smashed to pieces.

Louis fell to his knees as his Life Points fell to nothing.

The referee went up to the victor as the Machine vanished.

"Vellion Crowler is the winner!" he shouted, lifting his hand in the air.

The crowd cheered.

"Thank you…" said the duelist. "You're all too kind…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On the fifteenth floor, a Transporter hummed to life in a large room.

In a flash, Bugsy appeared, then he stumbled and fell.

"Somehow…" he muttered, "I prefer an elevator… Why did I suddenly think of _that_ old DVD? I don't use Beasts or Machines…"

He thought.

"Whatever killer combo that guy was going to pull, that Crowler guy had a better one. It finished his opponent before he could complete it. I wonder what he was going to do?"

He shrugged.

"Guess I'll never know…"

He looked around.

It appeared to be an art gallery of some sort. Paintings lined both sides of the walls.

He looked at one painting. It depicted two fauns at a peaceful forest spring. He looked at the one next to it. It depicted a bear scooping fish out of a mountain stream.

Another painting depicted chipmunks chewing on acorns. Yet another depicted a pride of wolves with the alpha male in the foreground. A large picture depicted a snowy-white owl on a tree branch.

There was a definite theme to these paintings…

_Nature… and animals…_ thought Bugsy.

"Enjoying the exhibits?" said a sweet voice.

Bugsy turned, and saw a lovely woman walk into the room. She wore a low-cut blue dress, and her hair was tied in a ponytail.

But Bugsy wasn't fooled by the beautiful woman. She held an Orichalcos Disk on her left arm.

A Beauty that hid a Beast.

"Who are you?" asked Bugsy.

"Cassandra," she replied, "the last opponent you'll ever face. The Dark Messiah's invasion is ending as we speak, little boy. Right now, your allies are falling one by one, and once you are beaten in this Shadow Game, your soul will be condemned to the shadows just like theirs."

"You're bluffing," said Bugsy. "None of them could have been beaten already. And I can beat you too."

"Oh?" said Cassandra. "I taught many of Fortunado's duelists how to duel."

She smiled sweetly.

"One of them who called himself Fang was so impressed by me that he tried to emulate my deck. But he failed miserably. He got drunk on the power that was given him, and…

"Ah, I won't bore you with that. So, you consider yourself a follower of the Dark Messiah? Duel me in this Shadow Game, little boy, and see if you are worthy of following him."

"I'm starting to like you less and less," said Bugsy, shuffling his deck. "Not that I did in the first place. I'm in this too deep… I came here to duel, and I will if I have to…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado watched as Bugsy faced Cassandra.

"So the battle is well joined," he muttered. "Cassandra is one of my more… eccentric henchmen, but she's a pretty good duelist. She should give that one a challenge."

He took a deck out of his pocket, and started going through it.

"It's been a long time since I got a chance to duel myself," he said, "and I've never truly used this deck in a serious situation. The Council has forbidden these cards from ever being used… Ordered them burned when found…

"But they seem easy enough to use. I take to new things easily."

The microwave oven next to him dinged, and he opened it. He removed a bag of popcorn.

"All I need to do now," he said, replacing the deck in the holder on his belt, "is watch as the Messiah's disciples fight their way past my troops. If he and his two partners can get up here, I'll have my best face them…

"And if need be, I'll take him down myself. The grand conclusion to my film masterpiece!"

He opened the bag of popcorn, and then grunted as steam flew in his face.

"Until then…" he muttered, "I'll just watch the fun…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So, little boy," said Cassandra, "do you have a name?"

"Folks call me Bugsy," answered Bugsy.

"Bugsy," replied Cassandra. "As in bugs, as in Insects. A very rural theme. Well, I like rural Monsters too, of a different type."

Her blade-like Disk activated, and Bugsy activated his.

**(Bugsy: 8,000) -------------------- (Cassandra: 8,000)**

"Well, little boy," purred Cassandra, drawing five cards. "I'll let you move first."

Bugsy drew six cards. He looked them over.

"I place this Monster in Defense Mode," he said. "Gokipon."

He played the card, and the cute, cartoonish Insect appeared, crouching in Defense. (800/800)

"That will be all for me," he said.

Cassandra drew a sixth card.

"I can summon a much better Monster than that," she said, playing a Spell Card.

"I use Polymerization, to fuse Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts with Berfomet, to create Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast."

A lion-like creature with a unicorn-like horn appeared next to a horned Fiend with four arms.

The two Monsters swirled together into a blur, forming into a two-headed, horned lion with feathered wings! (2,100/1,800)

"Attack!" she shouted. "Pummeling pounce!"

Chimera flew forward, and slammed into Gokipon, smashing it flat.

"Well," said Bugsy, "when Gokipon is destroyed in battle, I get to search for an Insect with a low Attack Score…"

He took his deck and leafed through it.

"And I choose Silent Insect," he said.

"And I choose to place a card facedown, and end my turn," said Cassandra.

She placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

Bugsy drew a card.

"Your opening powerhouse is pretty good," he said, "but I have a better one. I summon Chainsaw Insect."

He placed a card on his Disk, and the roar of chainsaws proceeded the appearance of the huge beetle with lethal mandibles. (2,400/0)

"Attack the Chimera!" he shouted. "Buzz cut!"

Chainsaw Insect scurried forward, and its mandibles slashed the Chimera in two! The pieces shattered.

**(B: 8,000) -------------------- (C: 7,700)**

Strangely, Cassandra only grinned.

"Well," said Bugsy, "now you draw one card…"

"I can do more too," said Cassandra, making a draw. "When Chimera is destroyed, I get to summon one of the Monsters that I fused to summon him. So I bring back Gazelle in Attack Mode."

The lion-like Beast appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,500/1,200)

"And that's not all," she said. "You see, living in my deck is a powerful Beast that I can summon if one of my other Beasts is destroyed, so long as I pay 1,000 Life Points."

_Wait a second…_ thought Bugsy. _It can't be…_

"So I'll pay 1,000 Life Points, to summon this charming creature. Say hello to Green Baboon, the Forest Guard."

Another Beast appeared in front of her, the same one he had seen that Crowler guy take down. (2,600/1,800)

"Quite a hunk, isn't he?" she asked.

"Hunk of what?" asked Bugsy. "I end my turn with two cards facedown…"

He played two cards, and they appeared behind Chainsaw Insect.

**(B: 8,000) -------------------- (C: 6,700)**

Cassandra made a draw.

"I set one Monster in Defense Mode," she stated.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Now, Green Baboon, smash his Chainsaw Insect!"

Green Baboon leapt forward...

"I activate Draining Shield!" shouted Bugsy.

One of his Trap Cards, lifted and Green Baboon slammed into an invisible barrier.

**(B: 10,600) -------------------- (C: 6,700)**

"Very nice…" said Cassandra. "I'll simply end my turn there…"

Bugsy drew, and considered.

_Let me think,_ he thought. _I could attack Gazelle, but she'd be getting more cards. If I moved Chainsaw Insect into Defense Mode, I'd take a lot more damage…_

"I'm simply going to pass," he said.

"Very well," she said, drawing a card. "Green Baboon, let's try this again. Destroy Chainsaw Insect!"

Green Baboon pounced, and tore Chainsaw Insect to shreds.

"And since your Insect engaged in battle," she said, "I get to draw again."

She drew a card.

"Now, Gazelle, make me just as proud. Attack him directly!"

Gazelle leapt forward and raked his claws into Bugsy! Bugsy hollered.

**(B: 8,900) -------------------- (C: 6,700)**

"You're move, little boy," she said.

Bugsy got up.

"Yes, and I should thank you," he said, drawing. "You see, I needed two Insects in my Graveyard to summon my most powerful creature…

"I remove Gokipon and Chainsaw Insect from play to summon my Doom Dozer."

He placed a card on his Disk, and the enormous centipede burst out of the floor. (2,800/2,600)

"Attack the Green Baboon!" he shouted. "Jagged jaw chomp!"

Doom Dozer scurried forward, and crushed the huge ape in its jaws.

"And now," said Bugsy, "you lose the top card from your deck."

Cassandra took the top card from her deck and frowned. She discarded it.

"Very well," she said. "But I guarantee you haven't seen the last of that Monster."

"Even if you summoned it again, I'd just destroy it again," said Bugsy.

"Not if I destroy Doom Dozer first," answered Cassandra.

**(B: 8,900) -------------------- (C: 6,500)**

She drew a card.

"I sacrifice Gazelle and my facedown Soul Tiger to summon Behemoth, the King of All Animals!"

She switched cards on her Disk, and the huge, savage Beast that Old Ben kept in his Deck rose upon the field. (2,700/1,500)

"And simply by summoning him," said Cassandra, "I can return to my hand from the Graveyard one Beast for every Monster I sacrificed to summon him."

Two cards slipped out of her discard slot. She showed them to him – they were Green Baboon and Soul Tiger.

"So welcome back, my Green Baboon.

"Now I'll play a Spell Card, Wild Nature's Release. Watch… as my Behemoth's Defense Score is added to his Attack Score."

She played the card, and an aura of flames surrounded Behemoth! His Attack shot up to 4,200!

"Attack his Doom Dozer!" she shouted. "Savage swipe!"

_Good lord…_ thought Bugsy.

Behemoth made a slash with his mighty claw, and Doom Dozer was sliced into pieces.

_My best card…_ thought Bugsy, aghast. _Oh, it was a NOMI! I have no way to get it back!_

"On an interesting side note," said Cassandra, "since I played that Spell Card, Behemoth would be destroyed when I ended my turn. Oh well…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"Guess I'll have to use my Trap Card, Beast Soul Swap. This little trick returns a Beast to my hand, so long as I swap it for one who has the same number of stars, and my Green Baboon also has seven stars…"

Behemoth vanished, and Green Baboon reappeared on the field. (2,600/1,800)

"And my Battle Phase continues, meaning he can attack _you_, little boy.

"Primal rage!"

Bugsy screamed as Green Baboon slammed its fist into him, and he tumbled backwards.

He moaned.

**(B: 4,900) -------------------- (C: 6,500)**

"That… that hurt!" groaned Bugsy. "What sort of hologram is this?"

"Hologram?" laughed Cassandra. "This is no hologram, little boy. When you play in the shadows, it's all very real…

"And it's your move… I'll send your soul to languish in the shadows soon enough."

_I'm beginning to get the picture,_ thought Bugsy, getting up. _This isn't just about my Life Points…_

…_this is about my life!_

_And that must have been the combo that Louis planned to use on Crowler… Except in that one, he intended to start with his Green Baboon, and finish with his Behemoth. Unfortunately, there are no Insect versions of Limiter Removal._

"I have a question Cassandra…" he muttered.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Why Beasts?" he asked. "You don't seem like the type who'd use such brutal and primitive creatures…"

"Why?" she asked. "Because I'm a beautiful woman? Are all such duelists limited to Harpies, Amazons, Fairies, and cutsey-cute Monsters?"

She smiled sweetly.

"I'll answer your question gladly," she continued. "My favorite Monster is a Beast, but she's just as beautiful as I am, unlike most who are 'brutal and primitive', as you put it. And her powerful effect necessitated the use of other Beasts and Beast-Warriors.

"You'll meet her soon, assuming you survive long enough for me to draw her. Now make your move."

_Okay…_ thought Bugsy, _my best card has been defeated, and her best is still to come. Can this get worse?_

He drew.

"I play Pot of Greed," he exclaimed.

The jar appeared, and he drew two cards.

He looked over the eight cards in his hand. A strategy was starting to form.

He placed a card in his Disk.

"I play Nightmare's Steelcage!" he exclaimed.

Cassandra flinched a little, as the spire-ridden cage formed around her and the Baboon. She gave Bugsy a dirty look.

"Whatever," she said. "Like I care."

"I'll summon Silent Insect in Defense Mode, and place a card facedown," continued Bugsy.

A small bug resembling a flat, white tick appeared in front of him. (200/300) Then a facedown card appeared.

"That's my turn."

"I draw one card…" said Cassandra, making a draw.

"And my Trap activates!" shouted Bugsy. "Ojama Trio!"

The Trap lifted, and the three Ojamas materialized in front of Cassandra. (0/1,000 x3)

"Ugh…" she muttered. "I'll play my Graceful Charity…"

She played the card.

She made three draws.

Then she discarded two (one of which was Soul Tiger).

Then she placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That will be it for me," she said.

Bugsy made another draw.

"I'll summon a second Gokipon in Defense Mode," he said.

Another Gokipon appeared. (800/800)

"And it's your move."

Cassandra drew. She looked at the Field Spell Card.

_I almost have all I need to bring out the key point of my strategy,_ she thought. _This fool doesn't know that his Trap has actually helped me._

She placed a card in her Disk, and another facedown card appeared.

She waved her hand to signal the end of her turn. The Cage vanished into mist.

"All right!" shouted Bugsy, drawing a card. "I activate… Two copies of a Spell Card called Multiplication of Ants. One is in my hand, the other is on the field."

The facedown card he had been using as a bluff lifted.

The two identical Spell Cards glowed, and his two Insects vanished.

"Each one lets me sacrifice an Insect to summon two Army Ant Tokens in Defense Mode."

Four large, green ants appeared on his side of the field. (500/1,200)

"And now…" he said, "I'll summon Parasitic Ticky in Attack Mode."

He threw the card on his Disk, and the grotesque humanoid tick carrying a quiver of javelins appeared.

"This Monster's Attack and Defense is 500 for every Token Monster on the field. There are seven, four on my side, and three on yours…"

(3,500/3,500)

"Thirty-five hundred," said Cassandra with a grin. "Oh, whatever will I do…"

"Attack the Green Baboon!" shouted Bugsy. "Javelin sting!"

Parasitic Ticky hurled one of its weapons, spearing Green Baboon. It fell over, and shattered.

"I activate my facedown card…" said Cassandra, as her Trap Card lifted. "Animal Trail. Since my Monster was destroyed, it lets me bring another Beast right to my hand. And I know just what one I want."

She took her deck, and quickly found the card she wanted.

**(B: 4,900) -------------------- (C: 5,600)**

"Your move…" said Bugsy. "So now what?"

Cassandra drew a card.

"I'll show you," she said, as her Field slot opened.

"Oh no…" gasped Bugsy. "You're going to use the Orichalcos…"

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Cassandra. "Well, I'd love to use the Orichalcos against you, but I can benefit better from a much more basic, old fashioned Field Spell Card. This is simply the Forest card."

She placed the card in the slot, and quickly, trees sprouted around the room, and the floor grew into an underbrush. The room had turned into a sylvan woodland.

"What?" asked Bugsy. "You do know that while Beasts gain an advantage in this field, so do Insects? Insects feed off of the plant life of the forest and its environs, you know. This is their habitat."

Parasitic Ticky rose to (3,700/3,700), and the Ant Tokens rose to (700/1,400)

"It won't matter," said Cassandra. "Now my best Monster can strut her stuff. And I'm going to bring her out by using the Ojama Tokens you gave me."

"What?" asked Bugsy. "You can't sacrifice them."

"That's only partially true," replied Cassandra. "They can't be sacrificed for a Tribute Summon. Special Summons are exceptions. Such as Rituals."

She played a card.

"I play the Ritual Spell Card, Forest Shrine."

An elaborate, decorated shrine covered with vines and leaves appeared behind her.

"For this ceremony, I need six stars worth of Monsters, so your three Ojama Tokens will be just enough. And even better, since this doesn't destroy them, I don't lose any Life Points.

"You see, little boy, these tokens are Beasts, and there is NO Beast that I can't handle."

The three tokens vanished. Parasitic Ticky's stats shrunk to (2,200/2,200)

"And as a result, I summon Unicorn Princess!"

With a galloping of hooves, a beautiful, pure white unicorn with a golden horn on its forehead leapt out of the shrine. She neighed, and Cassandra put her arms around her neck, gently stroking her mane. (2,100/2,000) –) (2,300/2,200)

"You ever hear legends about unicorns?" asked Cassandra. "It is said that they were the protectors of old and ancient forests, and were savage fighters who fought off anyone who dared despoil their home. They could only be tamed by virgin maidens with pure hearts… People like me."

"You're a virgin?" asked Bugsy.

Cassandra nodded.

"Does that surprise you?" she asked.

"I'm not sure if I believe you," said Bugsy. "And you certainly don't have a pure heart."

Cassandra frowned as she let go of Unicorn Princess.

"Now I activate my facedown card," she said, as the facedown card lifted. "The lethal Poison Fangs!"

The card depicted a set of fanged mandibles.

"Now, whenever one of my Beasts damages your Life Points, you'll lose an additional 500 Life Points.

"Unicorn Princess, attack his tick! Lunging lance!"

Unicorn Princess charged at Parasitic Ticky, horn-first, and speared it in the chest. It shattered to bits.

Bugsy held his chest, as the Poison Fangs card glowed.

**(B: 4,300) -------------------- (C: 5,600)**

"Make your move, little boy…" said Cassandra.

"Stop making fun of me!" shouted Bugsy. "The name is Bugsy! Bug-sy! And I will defeat you!"

He drew a card. Then he placed one on his Disk.

"I summon Neo Bug in Defense Mode."

Neo Bug appeared, shielding itself. (1,800/1,700) –) (2,000/1,900)

Cassandra drew a card.

"HA, HA, HA!" she laughed. "Allow me to explain to you Unicorn Princess's powerful effect.

"When she's on the field, all of my Winged Beasts, Beast-Warriors, and Beasts, other than herself, gain 300 Attack Points. And since she's the guardian of the forest, that bonus grows to 800 if the Forest Field Spell Card is active, which it is.

"So I summon Enraged Battle Ox…"

She played a card, and an angry-looking minotaur holding an axe appeared. (1,700/1,000)

"So he gains 800 Attack Points from my Princess, and another 200 from the Forest itself."

(2,700/1,200)

"And let's not forget his own effect. He gives all Beasts, Beast-Warriors, and Winged Beasts on my side of the field a trampling effect. You can't protect your Life Points by putting Monsters in Defense Mode."

Bugsy stared at the two Monsters in fear…

It was the perfect combo…

"Enraged Battle Ox, stomp his Neo Bug!"

The minotaur slashed with his axe, chopping Neo Bug in half.

"Unicorn Princess, take out one of his Tokens!"

Unicorn Princess charged, and her horn speared one of the ants…

…then it followed through, spearing Bugsy in the chest. He fell over.

"And don't forget the effect of Poison Fangs…"

**(B: 2,200) -------------------- (C: 5,600)**

"See how futile it is, little boy?" asked Cassandra. "One more round, and you'll join the rest of your allies in eternal darkness. Your invasion was doomed from the start."

"I don't believe you…" muttered Bugsy. "I don't believe that they've been beaten…"

"Believe it," said Cassandra. "And it isn't only here. More of Fortunado's men are taking down your allies at the school. The Messiah's defeat will be total."

Bugsy sank to his knees.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Bugsy!_ said a familiar voice. _Get on your feet! Don't let this bitch deceive you!_

"Jason?" asked Bugsy.

_Listen to me Bugsy,_ said Jason's voice. _She's been feeding you lies. The shadows haven't claimed any of your allies yet. We aren't even close to being beaten. And I assure you, she is NO virgin!_

"Well, she wasn't far off," said Bugsy. "One more attack, and I'm dead…"

_You can defeat her!_ said Jason. _There must be something you can do. _

_Burn the whole forest down if you have to._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Bugsy got up.

He looked at the three cards in his hand.

_Burn the whole forest down…_ he thought. _Now that's an idea… I could do it…_

He drew a card. It was a Quickplay Spell.

_And now I could do it and take out that Unicorn._

"Watch this…" he said. "I toss three cards facedown…"

He fit three cards into his Disk, and they appeared.

"And now I sacrifice two of them…"

His Greed and Scapegoat card lifted up, and vanished…

"…to summon my Anteatereatingant!"

A fierce-looking, giant ant crawled out of the ground. Vile liquid dripped from its mandibles. (2,000/500) –) (2,200/700)

"And I activate its effect," said Bugsy. "So long as I don't attack with it during a round, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card…

"So, even though I'm an environmentalist at heart, I'm going to destroy the whole Forest!"

Anteatereatingant sprayed a stream of acidic mist, and the trees and shrubs around them melted into dust!

"Now all our Monsters lose 200 Attack and Defense Points," said Bugsy, "and your Battle Ox loses 500 more."

The Ant fell to (2,000/500), Battle Ox fell to (2,000/1,000), and Unicorn Princess fell to (2,100/2,000)

"You seem awfully happy for someone who's about to lose…" said Cassandra, angrily.

She drew a card.

"Unicorn Princess, attack the Anteatereatingant!"

Unicorn Princess charged at the ant…

"I activate… Rush Recklessly!" shouted Bugsy.

His last facedown card lifted, and the ant rose to an Attack of 2,700. It grabbed Unicorn Princess in its mandibles and squeezed, crushing it into pixels!

Cassandra gasped…

Enraged Battle Ox fell to his base Attack of 1,700.

"I move Enraged Battle Ox into Defense Mode, and end my turn…" she muttered.

The Beast-Warrior crouched in Defense Mode.

**(B: 2,200) -------------------- (C: 5,000)**

Bugsy drew a card.

"I summon… Insect Knight!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the tall mantis warrior holding his sword appeared. (1,900/1,500)

"Insect Knight, attack Enraged Battle Ox with mandiblade!"

Insect Knight flew forward, and made a slash with his weapon, cutting Enraged Battle Ox in twain.

"Anteatereatingant, attack Cassandra directly! Marabounta maul!"

Cassandra shrieked as the huge ant lunged at her. It grasped her by the waist with its mandibles and squeezed…

She fell over.

**(B: 2,200) -------------------- (C: 3,000)**

"Ugh…" she gasped, getting up. "Not bad… But you're still far from winning…"

She drew a card.

"It will be a cold day before my noble creatures are defeated by vermin. Behold as my divine creature makes her return!

"I play Fulfillment of the Contract. This lets me raise one Ritual Monster from my Graveyard so long as I pay 800 Life Points and Equip it with this card."

She played the card, and Unicorn Princess reappeared. (2,100/2,000)

"Destroy his ant!" she shouted.

Unicorn Princess rammed her horn into the giant ant's thorax, and it screamed before shattering to bits.

The Poison Fangs card glowed again, and pain ripped through Bugsy again.

_Super…_ he thought. _Maybe I should have destroyed that instead of attacking… _

**(B: 1,600) -------------------- (C: 2,200)**

"All right, my draw…" he muttered.

He drew a card.

_Dreadscythe Warrior?_ he thought, looking at the Monster. _Nuts, this guy is plenty strong enough, but he's an eight-star Monster. I'd need to make two sacrifices, and my Tokens don't count. _

"I move Insect Knight to Defense Mode…" he said.

Insect Knight knelt and leaned on his sword.

"And I'll end my turn.

Cassandra drew a card.

"I summon Pitch-Black Warwolf in Attack Mode," she stated.

She played the card, and a new Beast-Warrior appeared. She called it a "Warwolf", but it was clearly a werewolf, with black fur, holding a nasty sword. (1,600/600) –) (1,900/600)

"And what can he do?" asked Bugsy.

"As long as he's on the field," she replied, "you can't activate Traps or Spells during a Battle Phase. Yours or mine.

"Unicorn Princess, attack Insect Knight."

Unicorn Princess speared the mantis, and it shattered.

"Pitch-Black Warwolf, swat one of his Tokens."

The lycanthrope slashed one of the ants in two with his blade.

"Next, I'll play Emergency Provisions, to send Fulfillment of the Contract to the Graveyard.

She played the card, and the Spell Card vanished.

"This not only gives me 1,000 more Life Points, it frees Unicorn Princess from her link to that card, so you can't destroy her by destroying it.

"Your move…"

**(B: 1,600) -------------------- (C: 3,200)**

Bugsy drew a card.

_Huh…_ he thought, looking at it.

It was the card that Jason had given him. He didn't really understand Cards of Virtue, but this would help a lot… if his luck was better than hers.

_I have to pray…_ he thought. _Pray that her next draw isn't a Monster she can summon… _

He placed the card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Heh, heh…" laughed Cassandra. "All I must do is draw any Monster, and the shadows will savor your soul…"

She drew a card.

The Big March of Animals.

_Hmm, I'll save this,_ she thought.

"You're very lucky, little boy," she said, "but now you can only watch as I wipe out your last defenses.

"Attack!"

Unicorn Princess and Warwolf made short work of the two Army Ants.

"I'll destroy you on my next turn…"

"Not gonna happen," said Bugsy, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

_Oh well…_ he thought. _Not like I have much use for a Skull-Mark Ladybug now anyway…_

His facedown card lifted.

…_Justice… _

"I activate… The Eighth Plague!"

The Trap Card showed a swarm of locusts flying over a desert city.

"What sort of card is that?" asked Cassandra.

"A Card of Virtue," said Bugsy. "A Justice card, so it's fitting I use it against one like you who lies and deceives. I merely have to discard one card…"

He discarded the card he had just drawn.

"…and I can summon from my Graveyard three Insects who have four stars or less."

First Gokipon appeared. (800/800) Then, Neo Bug. (1,800/1,700) And finally, Insect Knight. (1,900/1,500)

"The only catch is, they're destroyed if the Trap leaves the field, but I'm going to sacrifice Gokipon and Neo Bug…"

The two Insects vanished…

"…to summon Dreadscythe Warrior!"

A large Insect appeared in a gust of wind. It looked like a man-sized praying mantis with dexterous forearms, and in them, it held a huge scythe that seemed to be made from part of its exoskeleton. (2,300/1,600)

"Go, my Warrior!" he shouted. "Attack Unicorn Princess!"

Dreadscythe Warrior flew forward, and slashed with its scythe, blowing Unicorn Princess out of existence.

"Insect Knight, attack the Pitch-Black Warwolf!"

Insect Knight flew forward, and cut the werewolf down with his sword.

**(B: 1,600) -------------------- (C: 2,700)**

"It's your move…" said Bugsy.

Cassandra nervously drew…

She placed three cards into her Disk, and they appeared in front of her.

She glared at him.

He drew a card.

_Giant Trunade!_ he thought, looking at it. _If I used this, she'd be helpless… Every duelist's dream!_

_But there's one problem. It would return The Eighth Plague to MY hand, which would destroy Insect Knight. Attacking her directly with Dreadscythe Warrior wouldn't finish her, and I don't know what other tricks she has up her sleeve. _

He paused.

_Of course…_ he thought, looking at Dreadscythe Warrior. _The answer is right in front of me… _

"I activate Dreadscythe Warrior's special ability," he said. "By sacrificing one other Insect, I can increase its Attack by 500 points for one round."

Insect Knight and The Eighth Plague vanished. Dreadscythe Warrior rose to an Attack of 2,800.

"And now I play… Giant Trunade!"

Cassandra watched in horror as her three facedown cards were blown off the field…

"Go!" shouted Bugsy. "Attack her directly!"

Dreadscythe Warrior flew at Cassandra, and slashed at her with its mighty scythe. She screamed, and fell backwards.

And then she fell on her back.

**(B: 1,600) -------------------- (C: 0)**

Bugsy looked at The Eighth Plague.

"What a great card…" he said.

He walked up to his foe.

"Well, that, as they say, is that," said Bugsy. "So now maybe I can get some info that I can use, unless you want me too…"

He looked at her. Her eyes were staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Cassandra?" he said, snapping her fingers. "Cassandra?"

He paused. He looked at her.

"She threatened to condemn my soul to the shadows if I lost…" he muttered. "But I won… So does that mean her own soul has been condemned?"

He shuddered.

"So much I don't know about Shadow Games… This is… Hello?"

He noticed something on her dress.

He picked it up and looked at it. It was a square made of red metal, with the letter S on it.

He picked up his cell phone.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Hello?" said Jason, answering his phone. "Bugsy?"

"Russell, please tell me that everyone is all right…" said Bugsy.

"Did your opponent tell you that your teammates were losing?" asked Jason. "Relax. That's common psyche-out warfare. Don't believe these thugs."

"Well, I won," muttered Bugsy. "And my opponent… Well, she's alive, but there's no-one home. What happens if you lose a Shadow Game?"

"Shadow Games can't be one-sided, Bugsy," answered Jason. "She's obviously suffering whatever dark fate she meant to inflict on you."

"It's horrible…" muttered Bugsy.

"Listen close, Bugsy," said Jason. "You ever hear the expression, 'live by the sword, die by the sword'? These shadow duelists dug their own graves a long time ago. Feeling sorry for them isn't a good idea."

"Well, I might have gotten a clue of sorts," said Bugsy. "She had something on her… a red letter S."

"A red letter S…" said Jason, writing it down in a notebook.

"Does that mean anything to you?" asked Bugsy.

"It might," said Jason. "Take a break, Bugsy. Try not to get caught in another duel so soon.

"Be very careful…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado hadn't watched the end of Bugsy's duel. Once The Eighth Plague had been played, he had decided that Cassandra was best left to her fate. Right now he was going over some cards.

A buzzer rang.

"Enter," he said.

A young man walked into the room.

"Ready to handle Trisha?" he asked.

"It would be my pleasure," he replied.

"Well let's see the deck," said Fortunado, holding out his hand. "I want to make sure this isn't a repeat of what happened the last time…"

The young man handed him a deck, and his boss leafed through it.

"Mm-hmm," he said. "Mm-hmm… Well, you have some good ideas, but still… I think you need a major change of strategy…"

He handed him fourteen cards.

He looked at them. It was five different Monsters, three copies of four of them, two of the last.

"I've… I've never even heard of these…" he said, looking at them.

"They were special edition cards that were only released in Europe," said Fortunado. "Very few folks in America even know about them.

"Win this duel, and you can consider them a bonus.

"You have one hour to adjust your deck around them. This duel is vital. If Jason's henchmen are taken out, he'll lose confidence and morale, and be more vulnerable.

"When I finally face him, I'd rather his allies be gone."

"It's as good as done…" said the youth.

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 5:45 PM _

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**BERFOMET (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,400  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description**: When this card is successfully Tribute Summoned, you may search your deck for one "Gazelle, The King of Mythical Beasts" and add it to your hand.

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**CHIMERA, THE FLYING MYTHICAL BEAST (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Beast/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,100  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description**: _Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts plus Berfomet _

When this card is destroyed after it has been Fusion Summoned and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon either "Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts" or "Berfomet" from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Berfomet" and "Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast" are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States. They were used by Yugi many times in the anime, originally in "Yugi versus the Rare Hunter (Part One)". _

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**FOREST SHRINE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Ritual  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: An ancient, vine-covered shrine deep within a primeval forest.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon "Unicorn Princess". You must also offer Monsters as a Tribute from the field or your hand whose total star levels equal six or more.

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**UNICORN PRINCESS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Beast/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,100  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description**: This card is summoned via use of the Ritual Spell Card "Forest Shrine". You must also offer Monsters as Tribute from the field or your hand whose total star levels equal six or more. When this card is face-up on your side of the field, all BEAST- (except this one), BEAST-WARRIOR- and WINGED BEAST-Type Monsters on your side of the field gain 300 ATK. If "Forest" is active, Monsters that benefit from this effect gain an additional 500 ATK.

_Note: "Forest Shrine" and "Unicorn Princess" first appeared in "City of Souls". _

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**GREEN BABOON, THE FOREST GUARD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,600  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description**: When a BEAST-Type Monster on your side of the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you may pay 1,000 Life Points to Special Summon this card from your deck.

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**0**

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**DREADSCYTHE WARRIOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Insect/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **2,300  
**DEF: **1,600

**Card Description**: You can offer one INSECT-Type Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute to increase the ATK of this card by 500 until the End Phase of the current round.

_Note: "Green Baboon the Forest Guard" and "Dreadscythe Warrior" are Japanese promotional cards that have not been released in the United States. _

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**0**

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**THE EIGHTH PLAGUE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Virtue**: Justice

**Image:** A swarm of locusts flying over a desert city.

**Card Description:** Discard one card from your hand. Special Summon three INSECT-Type Monsters from your Graveyard, each of which has four stars or less. If this card leaves the field, all Monsters Special Summoned with this card are destroyed. If the Monsters Special Summoned by this card leave the field, this card is destroyed.

_Note: In Exodus, the eighth Plague of Egypt was the Plague of Locusts, one of the most dangerous. Since the Plagues were used as divine retribution, I've modeled a Card of Virtue involving Insects after one of them. _

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_Coming up next:_

_As you saw, Randy and Nadia decided to stay together to give each other support. But next chapter, support may not be enough for Nadia, as her opponent is a guest star from GX whose deck had some of the creepiest creatures in the anime. Who is this duelist who has been brought from the GX era? It isn't one of the Puppeteer's specters, I'll tell you that. Revealing the name of the chapter will give it away, so I'll just end on that note._


	50. Rogue Doll

_**I can't say Randy and I weren't warned. We were told that this building was full of duelists waiting to trap us in deadly Shadow Games.**_

_**I didn't think my current opponent was one of them. She didn't seem at all like she fit the profile of an evil Shadow Duelist. I felt a little sorry for her perhaps… Maybe I thought that she was one of Fortunado's victims – that would have explained her amnesia. **_

_**But now that I've agreed to this duel, it's gotten scarier. It's turned into a creepy frightshow. **_

_**Maybe this is a Shadow Game after all. Maybe the shadows wear many faces, and what looks like a face of pure innocence can hide an evil mind. **_

_**And now I have to find a way to win, because if it is, my soul is at stake!**_

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**CHAPTER FORTY-NINE**

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**Rogue Doll**

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_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 5:10 PM_

In a wide hallway somewhere on the eighteenth floor, one of the Transporters hummed to life.

A beam shot out of it, and both Nadia and Randy appeared in front of it, with Randy holding his head.

"Man…" said Randy, shaking the fog out of his head. "Is this what the guys in _Star Trek_ felt like after every transport?"

"Be glad our molecules didn't fuse and we didn't bond into one body," muttered Nadia.

Randy gave her a shocked look…

"Keep on guard," she continued. "There must be some duelists somewhere around here, and our job is to take them down."

They looked around. It was a wide hallway, with a few doors here and there.

Nadia tried one of the doors.

Locked.

Randy tried another one.

Also locked.

"Hmm…" said Randy. "You hear that?"

They paused.

Music was playing. It sounded like very soothing piano music.

Handel's _Water Music_.

They went to another door and found it unlocked.

What they entered seemed to be a child's playroom of some sort. The music was coming from an old-fashioned vinyl record player, and stuffed animals and toys were placed about neatly. A very fancy and very big (and likely very expensive) dollhouse was in the corner, occupied by female dolls.

Above the dollhouse were several other dolls in glass cases. The twins assumed they were expensive collectables.

But the most remarkable feature was the room's occupant.

A little girl who seemed to be about eleven or twelve sat at a small table in the center of the room with a child's tea set and two stuffed animals. She was a child that you couldn't help but love. She had long, wavy black hair that held two purple ribbons, and had large, blue eyes, that seemed to take up half her face. She wore a very fancy black dress with lace and ribbons, white stockings, and black shoes.

"More tea, Mr. Huggikins?" she asked one of the stuffed toys.

_Who's this?_ thought Randy. _Fortunado's granddaughter?_

The girl noticed them.

"Hi!" she said with a sweet smile.

"Uhm… hullo," said Nadia. "Eh… who're you?"

The girl paused.

"Gee, uhm…" she said. "Not sure… I can't remember much lately…"

She paused.

"My name…" she said with a frown. "I remember it begins with an A…"

"Uhm… Amanda?" said Randy. "Arlia? Andorra? Alice?"

"Wait!" shouted the girl. "That's it! Alice! That's my name… Alice."

"Poor thing…" muttered Nadia to Randy. "Something made her lose her memory…"

She turned to Alice.

"Uhm, Alice," she said. "Why are you in this place?"

Alice's face fell.

"I'm not sure," she said. "But… I know I'm supposed to be here."

Nadia rubbed her chin.

"Do you know where we can find any duelists?" she asked.

"Duelists?" asked Alice. "Uhm, gee, no… Sorry, I haven't seen any…"

Nadia pulled Randy aside.

"What do we do with her, Randy?" whispered Nadia.

"Well," said Randy. "Maybe we can find her parents once this is over, but until then…"

"WAIT!" shouted Alice's voice.

They turned to her.

"I just remembered!" she said with a laugh. "_I'm_ a duelist!"

Nadia gave her a strange look.

"Seriously…" she said, "we can't…"

"No, really!" insisted Alice.

She reached under the table and picked up a Disk.

"Can we duel?" she asked. "Please? I mean, I haven't been able to in a while…"

Nadia motioned to Randy.

"It's obvious what happened, bro," she said. "One of Fortunado's men caught her in some Shadow Game and she lost. It left her with amnesia. I heard these things carry all sorts of punishments for the loser. This poor kid likely never had a chance."

"Are you certain?" asked Randy. "How do we know _she_ isn't the Shadow Duelist?"

He looked behind him. Clayman was standing there.

The Hero had a worried look on his face. He shrugged.

"Her Disk is a normal Disk, not one of those Orichalcos ones," replied Nadia. "And there's no way someone this sweet could summon the shadows.

"And I think I have to do this. Whatever curse was inflicted on her might hurt her more. I think another duel might cure her."

Randy just shrugged.

"Okay, Alice," said Nadia, turning to her. "I can duel you."

"Super!" she laughed.

Then to Nadia's shock, she wrapped her arms around her in a great hug.

"Come on, I know a great place!" she said with a laugh.

"Just don't do _that_ again…" said Nadia, catching her breath.

_How hard could it be?_ she thought. _She's just a kid… Her deck probably doesn't even have any strategy to it…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado poured brandy from a flask as he watched Alice lead Nadia and Randy down the hallway.

"_Fortunado,"_ said the voice in his head. _"Is that little girl who I think she is?"_

"Yes," said Fortunado, sipping the brandy. "Diabolical, isn't it?"

"_Diabolical?"_ said the voice in a contemptible tone. _"More like STUPID. Recruiting one of Jaden's Yuki's old allies for our forces will give us just what we don't need – a minion who will betray us! I thought you didn't like spirits."_

"Relax," said Fortunado. "One, when I brought Alice back after buying her true form through an intermediary, I used some mental tampering to induce partial amnesia. She only remembers bits and pieces of her past life.

"Second, even if she doesn't start a Shadow Game, and she likely won't on her own, the deck of cards I gave her will do so anyway. The key card is enspelled with a dark curse.

"Alice may not desire to take Nadia's soul, but if she wins the duel, it will be ours anyway. And if Alice turns against us, she'll be easy to do away with."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Nadia couldn't quite see the purpose of the room that Alice had led them to.

It was a plain, white room, with colored stripes painted on the walls. Several colored cubes were stacked against the walls. Randy sat on one of them and watched as they shuffled, trying hard to hide how worried he was.

"Well…" said Nadia, activating her Disk, "I guess here is as good a place as any."

Alice giggled.

"Well, let's duel then!" she laughed.

The Disks activated, and they both drew five cards.

The instant they did so, Alice's expression turned more serious…

**(Nadia: 8,000) -------------------- (Alice: 8,000)**

"Game on!" they both said at once.

Alice drew a sixth card, and looked over her hand.

"Okay…" she said. "I'm going to summon this Monster in Defense Mode… Mystic Tomato."

She placed a card on her Disk, and the silly-looking, oversized fruit appeared. (1,400/1,100)

"Your move," she said.

Nadia made her first draw.

_I know what that Monster can do,_ she thought. _I have a couple in my own deck. Maybe she does have a bit of a strategy… But I have Gravity Bind right here… Maybe that will be enough to protect Pikeru from whatever she intends to summon._

"I place one card facedown," she said.

She played the card, and a facedown card appeared.

"Then I summon White Magician Pikeru in Attack Mode."

In a beam of light, Pikeru appeared, holding her scepter aloft. (1,200/0)

"Pikeru, squash that tomater!" she shouted. "Sparkle blast!"

Pikeru shot a blast of stars forward, and the Mystic Tomato was blown into tomato sauce.

"I activate Mystic Tomato's ability," said Alice, taking her deck. "Which, as you likely know, lets me summon a Dark Monster with a low Attack Score.

"And I summon this one… Alice the Wandering Doll."

She placed a card on her Disk, and an ominous form appeared in front of her. It looked like a Barbie doll in a blue dress with blonde hair… But something… well, something just wasn't right about her. Her blue eyes gave Nadia chills as she looked into them.

Then those eyes glowed for a second… (1,000/1,000)

"Uh… that's… certainly interesting…" said Nadia. "I end my turn…"

Alice licked her finger, and then drew a card.

"First I'll move Alice into Defense Mode," she said.

The Doll crouched in defense and shielded herself.

"Next, I'll place down two facedowns…" she said, fitting two of her cards into her Disk.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Someone I used to know used to talk like that…" she said with a short giggle, "but I forget who at the moment. And now…"

Her Field Slot opened.

"NO!" screamed Randy. "Not the Seal of Orichalcos!"

Alice paused.

"Orichalcos?" she asked. "What's that?"

She showed him the card. It was a Field Spell Card called The Haunted Dollhouse.

"Uh, heh, heh…" muttered Randy, somewhat embarrassed. "You, uh… you really had me worried there for a second… Uhm… We were just told to watch out for Field Spell Cards."

"Uh, yeah…" said Alice, giving him a look. "Well, I don't know about any Orichalcos, but as I was saying, I activate The Haunted Dollhouse."

She placed the card in the slot, and the room turned into a dark void. Then walls rose around them, and strange furniture materialized. Mist covered the floor.

They were in a decrepit mansion, surrounded by ancient, worn, dusty furniture. Mist filled the air. The cube Randy had been sitting on transformed into a worn and moth-eaten couch.

Nadia swore she heard an evil chuckle coming from somewhere…

She got the idea quickly… They were inside an oversized, derelict dollhouse. Apparently, they and their Monsters were supposed to be the dolls.

"Uh…" muttered Randy. "Somehow, I really don't think this is much better…"

Pikeru was also starting to get a little nervous.

"What does this Field do?" asked Nadia.

"Nothing, at the moment," replied Alice. "I'll end my turn with that…"

"Then I draw…" said Nadia, drawing a card. "And I gain 400 Life Points from Pikeru's effect…"

Pikeru raised her scepter, and she glowed.

"Now I'll summon Ebon Magician Curran in Attack Mode."

Curran appeared on the field in a shadowy cloud. (1,200/0)

The two sisters cast cold glares at each other, and then turned towards their opponent.

Nadia sighed. Would these two ever get along?

_Let's see…_ she thought. _She has two facedown cards, and a Monster that I've never seen before… Not to mention the fact that I'm in the middle of a creepy oversized dollhouse._

_I'm gonna regret this, I just know it… But if I can clear away that doll, I can move in for a direct attack._

"Pikeru, attack her Doll!"

Pikeru shot a blast of sparks, and Alice the Wandering Doll cringed as it hit her…

…but to Nadia's surprise, she simply shook it off.

"Huh?" said Nadia. "Pikeru's Attack was stronger than her Defense…"

"Alice can't be destroyed in battle," said Alice. "And that isn't her only effect…"

Then the Doll's eyes glowed…

…and then two ghostly arms reached from behind Nadia and grabbed her! She screamed as what seemed to be chilling claws dug into her flesh!

"What happened?" she gasped.

"When Alice is attacked, the duelist who ordered the attack loses 500 Life Points," explained Alice. "And there's more… She isn't called the Wandering Doll for nothing…"

The Doll disappeared.

"…also, you get control of her."

Nadia jumped as the Doll appeared on her side of the field, still in Defense Mode.

She looked at Nadia with an evil smile…

"What?" shouted Nadia. "I don't want her!"

"By the way, that activates the effect of The Haunted Dollhouse," continued Alice. "When Alice the Wandering Doll switches owners, the one who had her last gets to Special Summon a certain type of Monster from her deck…"

Alice took a card from her deck. A chilling laughter echoed through the whole Dollhouse…

"So I summon Doll-Part, Blue, in Defense Mode," she continued.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a weird creature appeared. It was the decapitated head of a doll, its eyes staring blankly. (0/0)

Nadia grinned.

"My Battle Phase isn't over!" she exclaimed. "Curran, attack Doll-Part, Blue!"

Curran fired a wave of dark energy, and the head smashed to pieces.

"I activate a Trap!" exclaimed Alice, as one of her cards lifted. "Necro Doll Meister."

The strange Trap showed the image of a mysterious old woman looking at a broken mannequin.

"Necro Doll who-ster?" asked Randy.

The chilling laugh, somewhat louder than before, echoed through the Dollhouse…

"This Trap can be activated when one Doll-Part is destroyed in battle," Alice continued, "and it lets me summon two others from my deck in Attack Mode. So I summon Doll-Part, Gold, and Doll-Part, Pink."

Two more strange pieces appeared. One looked like a doll's legs (wearing heels), and the other looked like a naked torso, both floating in the air. (0/0 x2)

"Uh…" muttered Nadia. "Oo…kay… Think I'll play a card facedown, and turn it over to you…"

She placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared next to her other one.

_This is weird,_ she thought. _First a head, now a torso and legs? Can these Doll-Parts come together in some way?_

_Maybe this was a bad idea…_

**(N: 7,900) -------------------- (A: 8,000)**

"Gee, this is fun," said Alice, drawing a card.

"I activate Solemn Wishes," said Nadia, as her Trap Card lifted. "Now, I gain 500 Life Points each time I draw."

Alice frowned.

"Well I'm gonna play Pot of Greed," she said, playing the card. "So I get to draw right now…"

The smiling jar appeared. She made two draws.

"Next I'll activate my facedown Call of the Haunted, to bring Doll-Part, Blue back to the field."

The card lifted, and the doll's head reappeared.

"Then I'll summon Doll-Part, Red."

The sinister laughter echoed through the room again. She played the card, and a doll's disembodied arms appeared on the field. (0/0)

"Now think I'll have it attack Alice the Wandering Doll."

The two arms flew forward. The Doll frowned and swatted them aside with a backhand.

"Are you nuts?" said Nadia. "You just lost 1,000 Life Points!"

"1,500, actually," replied Alice. "Remember Alice's effect? But the important part is…"

The Doll vanished.

"…I gain control of her again, due to her other effect."

The Doll appeared back on her side.

**(N: 7,900) -------------------- (A: 6,500)**

Nadia looked at the four Doll-Parts. Four Monsters with zero Attack and zero Defense… But from the look of them, there were enough now to make a whole doll… There had to be something to them that worked when they were all together…

"And that leads to me playing this…" said Alice, holding up a Spell Card. "Burial of the Marionette."

"What does that do?" asked Nadia, getting nervous.

Now the laughter was truly maddening…

And finally, Nadia and Randy could see who it was who was laughing…

It was coming from Alice the Wandering Doll. She was enjoying this immensely, as if she was anticipating Nadia's imminent doom…

"It's kind of like a Ritual Spell Card," replied Alice, "but I need the Wandering Doll on my side of the field, and unlike most Rituals, where any Monsters will do, I have to sacrifice four _specific_ Monsters… My four Doll-Parts.

"So, I sacrifice my Doll-Parts… Blue, Gold, Pink, and Red, to summon Doll Chimera!"

The Haunted Dollhouse started to shake and warp. The four Doll-Parts started flying around in a chaotic pattern. Then the head bonded to the torso, the arms attached to the shoulders, and the legs fused to the hips…

The result was a naked mannequin with a ghostly expression, which appeared to have been broken to pieces and then pieced together haphazardly. Its limbs were spread out in an awkward manner. It crouched on all four limbs like a cat ready to pounce. (0/0)

"I've dueled a guy who used Headless Knight and The Earl of Demise…" muttered Randy. "I dueled someone who used Helpoemer… I even went up against a guy who dared me to duel him in a cemetery at midnight, and he sprung Dark Necrofear on me… And even so, I think this breaks the record for creepiest Monster I have ever seen…"

Nadia looked at her opponent, and was shocked to see her eyes briefly glow purple for a minute.

"How'd you do that?" gulped Nadia.

"Do what?" asked Alice, as her eyes returned to normal.

"Uh…" said Nadia.

She was _really_ starting to think now that this duel had been a bad idea…

"Doll Chimera is the vengeful spirit of every child's toy that has been cruelly tossed aside by spoiled brats who didn't want them after getting better ones," said Alice. "Such brats eventually neglect _those_ toys when they get even newer ones, and the cycle continues, and Doll Chimera gets angrier and angrier. The grief of every neglected plaything is focused in its anger.

"Tell me, Nadia, did _you_ ever toss away your toys when you got bored with them?"

"NO!" protested Nadia. "I even have the same teddy bear now that I had when I was three! I loved that little guy…"

She got nervous. From the look in its eyes, she had the feeling that this Doll Chimera wasn't going to believe her.

Alice shrugged.

"In case you're wondering about its Attack Score," she continued, "Doll Chimera starts out with zero, but it gains 400 for every Doll-Part I have in my Graveyard. And right now, I have four. That will change soon, I assure you."

(1,600/0)

"I'll end my turn by throwing one card facedown…" she said.

She played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

Nadia nervously drew a card. A shower of gold rained down on her.

"First I gain 800 Life Points from Pikeru," she said. "Then 500 more from Solemn Wishes, then you lose 600 from Curran…"

Pikeru and Curran cast their spells, and the scores changed.

Nadia looked at the card she had just drawn.

_Trial of the Princess! _she thought. _Now Pikeru can take down that… thing, and then evolve into Princess Pikeru._

"I Equip Pikeru with Trial of the Princess!" she exclaimed.

She played the card, and Pikeru's Attack shot up to 2,000.

"Pikeru…" she ordered, "attack the Doll Chimera!"

Pikeru fired a beam of light, and Doll Chimera broke into pieces…

But it didn't shatter into triangles. The pieces fell to the floor with a clatter.

"So much for that…" said Nadia.

"Don't be so sure…" replied Alice.

Then, the pieces of Doll Chimera rose up again, surrounded by an aura of black fire!

"What's going on?" asked Randy.

"Doll Chimera won't be trashed like so many other toys," said Alice, slipping two cards into her discard slot. "You see, if it would be destroyed by battle or a card effect, I can prevent its destruction by discarding two Doll-Parts from my deck. So I'll discard another Doll-Part, Blue and Doll-Part, Gold."

The hideous thing sprouted an extra set of legs, and then a second head formed on its shoulders!

"And even better, since that increases the number of Doll-Parts in my Graveyard by two, it gets stronger."

(2,400/0)

Nadia considered for a minute.

**(N: 9,200) -------------------- (A: 5,500)**

_That thing is a five star Monster,_ she thought, _and I still have Gravity Bind ready to spring. But just in case…_

"I'll move Curran into Defense Mode, and end my turn," she said.

Curran crouched in a kneeling position.

Alice giggled.

"Moving Curran to defense?" she asked. "As if she has any…"

She drew a card.

"I'll play my Foolish Burial card," she said, playing a Spell Card. "Now I can take any Monster from my deck and discard it. And I'm discarding Doll-Part, Red."

She slipped a card into her discard slot…

Doll Chimera started to strain, and a second set of arms burst out of its shoulders.

"I'll follow up with a second Spell Card," continued Alice, playing another. "Flute of Hamelin. Now I can discard all remaining copies of Doll-Part, Red."

She discarded another card. The Chimera strained again, and a third set of arms burst out from behind the second set. Then its fingernails grew into sharp claws.

"Even better…" said Alice, "with two more Doll-Parts in my grave, it gets stronger."

(3,200/0)

"Good lord…" muttered Nadia. "It's even stronger than Kaiba's Dragon now…"

"And it keeps getting uglier!" shouted Randy.

"Doll Chimera, attack Pikeru!" she shouted. "Curse of the broken!"

Black flames surrounded Doll Chimera… It skittered forward like some demented spider…

"I activate Gravity Bind!" shouted Nadia.

Her Trap Card lifted.

"I activate Seven Tools of the Bandit!" replied Alice, as her last facedown card lifted.

The jackknife flew across the field and shattered the Gravity Bind.

Doll Chimera slashed at Pikeru with its nails! She let out an unearthly scream, and was blown into pixels.

"Pikeru…" muttered Nadia.

She closed her eyes. Then she opened them.

"And I'm not the only one who lost Life Points, Alice," she said with a frown. "You played Seven Tools of the Bandit, and that costs 1,000 Life Points. You're being awfully careless about spending your Life Points in this duel."

"You ever hear that you have to give in order to receive?" said Alice. "Sometimes the opposite is true… You have to give up in order to take.

"It's your move…"

**(N: 8,000) -------------------- (A: 4,500)**

Nadia drew, and a shower of gold rained on her. She couldn't deny that Alice was right… The most powerful cards did come with costs attached, and if you wanted to win by using them, you had to pay them. Pikeru and Curran were prime examples. They had great power, but they would die quickly unless you took steps to protect them.

"You lose 600 Life Points from Curran…" she said, "I gain 500 from Solemn Wishes. Then I play my own Pot of Greed."

The jar appeared, and she drew two cards. The shower of gold rained on her again.

_Here we go,_ she thought, looking at them.

"I place one card facedown," she said, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

"And now I summon… Injection Fairy Lily!"

In a flash of light, a cute looking nurse with feathered wings, carrying a huge syringe appeared. (400/1,500)

"Now, by paying 2,000 Life Points, I can increase her Attack Score by 3,000!"

Lily shot up to an Attack of 3,400!

_There has GOT to be a limit to how many times she can bring that thing back…_ she thought.

"Attack the Doll Chimera!" shouted Nadia. "Stabbing syringe strike!"

Lily laughed, and held her syringe above her head. She threw it into the Doll, smashing it to pieces again.

"I discard one Doll Part, Blue and one Doll-Part, Gold to keep it," said Alice, discarding two cards.

Doll Chimera rose up again, looking even more hideous than before. It grew a third head, and its eyes glowed with red fire. Then it sprouted two more legs, and its fingers on all six hands looked more like knives. It was truly starting to look like a "chimera" more than ever. (4,000/0)

"That's all I can do…" muttered Nadia.

**(N: 7,000) -------------------- (A: 3,700)**

Alice drew a card.

"Doll Chimera, slice and dice Lily up nice!" she shouted.

"I activate Desert Sunlight!" yelled Nadia, as Doll Chimera loomed up. "This moves my Monsters to Defense Mode!"

Her Trap Card lifted, casting beams of light on the arena. Lily crouched in defense.

Then all Nadia could do was watch in sheer terror as the Chimera flew at Lily and sliced her up with its claws as the Spellcaster screamed…

Alice the Wandering Doll laughed with glee…

"I'll end my turn with one card facedown," said Alice, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

"What do I do?" muttered Nadia. "How do I fight a Monster who's… immortal?"

"Nadia!" shouted Randy. "That thing is NOT immortal! Think about it for a minute! It will come to you."

Nadia paused.

_He has a point…_ she thought.

She drew a card. The healing shower rained on her again.

"Again, I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes, and you lose 600 Life Points from Curran…" she said.

Curran's rings glowed.

"Now, I'll I move Curran to Attack Mode…" she continued.

Pikeru stood up.

"And I play… Level Limit Area B!"

She played the Spell Card.

"It doesn't affect Curran," she said. "She only has two stars. But since your Chimera has five, it's forced into Defense Mode…"

Doll Chimera's limbs bent at impossible angles as it crouched in Defense.

"And Chimera has a major weakness… You can bring its Attack up to tremendous levels, but no matter how strong it gets, its Defense remains at zero.

"Curran, attack!"

Curran cast her spell, and Doll Chimera was smashed to pieces for the fourth time.

"I discard two Doll-Parts, Pink to keep it on the field," exclaimed Alice, discarding two more cards.

Doll Chimera rose again, blazing with even more intense flame. No trace of a humanoid form remained. Now, it was a mess of limbs and other pieces that looked like it had been glued together without rhyme or reason, blazing with black fire that radiated evil like a furnace. (4,800/0)

"And that will be the final time," said Nadia.

"What do you mean?" asked Alice.

"It's only immortal to a certain point," said Nadia. "You can only save it from dying if you discard those Doll-Parts. But Alice, you can only have three copies of a card in your deck. And as of right now, you've sacrificed or discarded three copies each of Doll-Part, Blue, Doll-Part, Gold, Doll-Part, Pink, and Doll-Part, Red. You don't have any more to discard.

"And by the way… Your Chimera is still trapped in Defense Mode, so it will be a sitting duck on my next turn.

"I end my turn."

**(N: 7,500) -------------------- (A: 3,100)**

Alice drew a card from her deck, which was beginning to thin. She looked at it.

"You know, Nadia…" she said, "it's ironic that you played Level Limit Area B. You see, by doing so…"

She showed her the card she had just drawn.

"You saved me the trouble of playing it myself."

The card was indeed Level Limit Area B.

"What?" asked Nadia. "But your key Monster would be helpless if you used that card!"

"Well, see," said Alice, "almost all of my Monsters are low level. The reason I have a Level Limit card is so I could combo it and Doll Chimera with this Equip…"

She showed her the other card in her hand. It was a card with the image of Dark Ruler Ha Des pointing at someone who was screaming.

"Demotion?" gasped Nadia.

"Yes," said Alice, playing it. "By Equipping it to Doll Chimera, it decreases its star level from five to three, letting her function normally with such a lockdown card."

Doll Chimera rose up into Attack Mode…

"And you know something else?" said Alice. "I can tell that my other Monster is really starting to feel left out…"

Alice the Wandering Doll grinned wickedly as she stood up in Attack Mode.

"Doll Chimera, attack Ebon Magician Curran!" shouted Alice.

Doll Chimera flew forward, and Curran screamed as she was chopped to bits.

_Here it comes…_ thought Nadia, nervously.

"Alice…" said Alice to her namesake, "attack Nadia directly! Dark curse!"

Alice the Wandering Doll's eyes glowed red. She put her hands together, and a ball of black fire formed in them. She smiled evilly at Nadia, and then hurled the dark flame. Nadia screamed and fell to her knees.

It had only cost her 1,000 Life Points, but that _hurt_.

**(N: 2,900) -------------------- (A: 2,500)**

"That's enough for me for now," said Alice.

_All right…_ thought Nadia, sweating. _I'm up against something that could defeat Kaiba's Ultimate Dragon now, my lockdown cards are worthless, and I've got nothing on the field…_

_And she'll just attack me again next round, and I don't want to go through _that_ again!_

_And with Curran out of the picture, I can't drain her Life Points any more…_

_Even worse, I overlooked a few things when I said that she couldn't prevent it from being destroyed again. She likely took that into consideration. Her deck might have Pot of Avarice, or even Exchange of the Spirits!_

_I've got to find some way to destroy it before she finds a way to transfer those cards back to her deck…_

She drew a card. The rain of gold fell on her again.

_This will help…_ she thought, looking at it, _but for how long?_

She looked at her hand.

_Oh, what the Hell was I THINKING putting this Spell Card in my deck? Just because one jerk brainwashed all of my Monsters at once with that Fiend doesn't mean it's going to happen again…_

_Hold on… Wait a second…_

"Alice?" she asked. "A question…"

"Hmm?" asked Alice.

"Uh…" said Nadia. "Just what ARE these Monsters of yours? Fiends? Warriors? Dark Fairies of some sort?"

"Oh, uh," replied Alice. "They're classified as Spellcasters, actually."

Nadia was surprised.

She placed a card on her Disk and grinned.

"I summon Fire Princess…" she said.

Fire Princess appeared, and crouched in Defense. (1,300/1,500)

"Now I play… Last Day of Witch!"

She played a Spell Card.

"This Spell wipes out all Spellcasters on the field!"

Doll Chimera and Alice the Wandering Doll drew back in sheer terror. As a wave of energy rippled over the field, their skin started to crack and chip like plastic, and then melt like wax…

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Alice.

As her two Monsters were blasted into dust, her facedown card lifted, showing a frightening picture of Alice the Wandering Doll sitting in the lotus position, as evil energy flowed from her…

A tremendous wave of dark energy shot out of the center of the room, seemingly absorbing Alice, Nadia, and then the whole arena…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Curses…" muttered Fortunado. "That last move wiped out the dark side of Alice's deck. All that remains is the more benign, light side…

"The Shadow Game is still underway, but I no longer have any control of it.

"Even if Alice wins, it will be up to her to decide what fate to inflict on Nadia…

"So the only question is, how much did that last blast do? It might have simply done what the card is supposed to do…

"But it might have done much, much more…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Alice and Nadia lay sprawled on the floor, holding their heads. The blast from the strange Trap had vaporized Fire Princess, the Level Limit card, Solemn Wishes, and even the whole Haunted Dollhouse, returning them to the room full of colored cubes.

**(N: 2,500) -------------------- (A: 2,200)**

"Sis?" said Randy.

"I'm all right!" muttered Nadia. "Man, do I have a headache…"

"Trust me…" groaned Alice, "it's nothing compared to mine…"

"Why in the name of Slifer the Sky Dragon did you put Last Day of Witch in your deck?" shouted Randy. "It would have destroyed Pikeru and Curran!"

"That's the reason I did it!" replied Nadia. "I dueled a guy three weeks ago who used a Monster called Possessed Dark Soul. If you sacrifice that Monster, you take control of all your opponent's Monsters who are three stars or less. He stole my two Pikerus, my Curran, and Injection Fairy Lily, and I had no way to get them back! I lost the duel… And I swore I'd get something to keep someone from using them against me again."

She looked at Alice.

"Alice, what kind of a broken Trap was that?" she protested. "It wiped out everything!"

"It was…" muttered Alice. "It was called The Curse Unleashed. It can only be activated when Alice the Wandering Doll is destroyed. It destroys every card on the field, and both players lose 300 Life Points for each card that's destroyed.

"I had The Haunted Dollhouse, and you had Fire Princess, Solemn Wishes, and Level Limit Area B.

"I… I didn't mean too… It was… it was an instinct…"

She held her head.

"Nadia…" she said, getting up and picking the card she had dropped. "I'm starting to remember!"

"Time out, then…" said Nadia. "How did you get in this tower? And what's with all the evil dolls?"

Alice held her head.

"I… I am a doll…" she finally said.

She paused.

"I'm a Doll Spirit… A member of a group who acts as the souls for toys."

"Like in _Toy Story_?" asked Randy, suddenly remembering that movie he had seen on a Disney Classic special.

"Sort of…" muttered Alice. "It's complicated…

"I was once an expensive antique collector's piece who some students kept in the Obelisk Blue Dorm of the original Duel Academy. Back then I couldn't do much except watch them. I saw them build their decks and go over their cards…

"Then one student… a spoiled brat, like the kind I mentioned… tried using a deck like mine. But he had no talent – I think his parents bought his way into the best dorm. He tried using a deck with Doll Chimera, but the strategy was so complicated and hard, he always lost.

"Eventually, he got frustrated. He blamed the card for his inability to use it right. And then he ripped it in half!"

"That _is_ pretty callous…" answered Randy. "You can't blame a card for being difficult. Being hard to use isn't the cards' fault. I mean, I use fusions… You can't get much harder than that, and I never blamed the cards."

"In case you didn't notice, Doll Chimera is an… evil creature," continued Alice. "And its spirit became full of rage at being thrown away. It asked me for help getting its revenge, and I had become pretty disgusted with the duelists I had seen anyway.

"With the Chimera's spirit helping me, I became… this…"

She pointed to herself.

"And I started looking for victims, hoping to duel them and cast them into the Shadows of Despair. But then I met Jaden Yuki. He defeated Doll Chimera just like you did… Destroying it again and again until it stayed dead. And during the whole duel, his smile never wavered, and he actually enjoyed himself…

"He helped me see the light… The good side of duelists…

"After that, I reverted to doll form, and I thought I'd never be anything but. And I was for decades – spirits of toys never get bored. But last month, someone claiming to be a collector offered an incredible price for me…

"And a week ago, I met Fortunado…"

She shivered.

"The instant he handed me my old deck, the darkness came back, and I lost my memory. He must have put some evil spell on that Chimera to create a Shadow Game without me knowing… He filled my mind with evil thoughts again, and I can't get rid of them!"

She held her head. Tears appeared in her eyes.

"What can I do?" asked Nadia.

Alice paused.

"We have to finish the duel, Nadia…" she pleaded. "Please… I have to see the light again!"

"Okay…" said Nadia, as they got up. "But I'm going to try my hardest to win…"

**(N: 2,500) -------------------- (A: 2,200)**

_I've got no Monsters on the field,_ thought Nadia, looking at her remaining two cards. _And my Life Points aren't too pretty. She Special Summoned that Chimera with a Spell Card, so it might be a NOMI, but then again, it might not be. So I need some protection…_

She fit her last two cards into her Disk.

"I place two cards facedown, and end my turn," she said.

Alice drew a card. She looked at it.

_Jaden defeated this move with his Winged Kuriboh LV 10,_ she thought. _But Nadia doesn't seem like the type who has such a destructive card._

"I play this," she said. "The Door to Mirrorland."

She played a Spell Card, and a silvery mirror appeared in front of her.

"This card can only be used when Alice the Wandering Doll is in my Graveyard," she explained, "and it lets me summon Ecila the Dainty Doll from my deck, in Attack Mode."

A new doll leapt out of the mirror, and it vanished. She seemed the polar opposite of the Wandering Doll, with smiles and rosy cheeks, wearing a sunbonnet and a peach-colored dress. She glowed with a radiant light. (1,000/1,000)

_Okay, this is clearly no Dark Monster,_ thought Nadia. _But any duelist knows that Light Monsters can be just as dangerous as Dark ones. If not more so._

"So what can she do?" asked Nadia.

"As you know," said Alice, "there are four Doll-Part Monsters, Blue… Gold… Pink… and Red. The four of them make a set. And for each complete set in my Graveyard, Ecila gains 1,000 Attack Points."

"That's 3,000 more!" gasped Randy.

Ecila glowed with golden energy… (4,000/1,000)

"Attack Nadia directly!" shouted Alice.

Ecila threw up her arms, and then blasted a beam of pure light at Nadia…

"I activate Draining Shield!" shouted Nadia.

One of her Trap Cards lifted, and a dome of energy formed around her. Ecila's blast stuck it, and energy flowed into Nadia! Her tired muscles became stronger, and an invigorating surge shot through her.

"That was close…" she said, wiping her brow.

**(N: 6,500) -------------------- (A: 2,200)**

"Okay…" muttered Alice, somewhat disappointed. "I guess it's your move…"

Nadia paused.

_No cards left in my hand,_ she thought. _My facedown card will help, but this next draw better be something good…_

She drew.

Monster Reborn.

_Well, here goes nothing…_ she thought. _If this doesn't work, I'm dead meat…_

"I activate Reckless Greed," she said, as her last facedown card lifted. "I have to skip my next two Draw Phases, but I get to draw two cards now."

She drew two cards, and looked at them.

Sisters of Chaos, and…

…_Charity…_

She looked at the Monster Card.

_Hey…_ she thought. _It's the card that Jason gave me… And just at the right time. I never should have doubted him._

_If this guy doesn't let her see the light, nothing will!_

"I play Monster Reborn to bring back Fire Princess," she said.

She played the card, and the Pyro appeared on the ankh. (1,300/1,500)

"And now…" she continued, "I'll sacrifice her…"

Fire Princess smiled. She rose off her feet, as an aura of light surrounded her. She closed her eyes and stretched her arms out…

Then she was consumed by the light, and a new form started to appear. It was a powerful, male figure, dressed in rich blue robes covered with runes, with glorious feathered wings on his back. His eyes were pools of golden light, his skin was pearly white, and his long hair was golden blonde. He carried a long, beautiful, silver quarterstaff, one end of which was wreathed in flames and the other of which was covered with frost. (0/0)

"Meet Erathaol the Angel of Mercy," said Nadia.

"But…" said Alice, confused.

"I know," said Nadia. "You're wondering why he has zero Attack Points and zero Defense Points. Well, Erathaol is a pacifist… He could never hurt anyone."

"I'm guessing his effect is pretty spectacular…" commented Randy.

"It is," said Nadia. "By paying 2,000 Life Points, I can Special Summon two Spellcasters or Fairies from my Graveyard. That's his first effect."

Erathaol started to chant. He held up his staff and it glowed. Two shapes started to form under him, and White Magician Pikeru and Ebon Magician Curran reappeared. (1,200/0 x2)

"I can't attack with them this turn," said Nadia, "so I'll place this last card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

**(N: 4,500) -------------------- (A: 2,200)**

Alice nervously drew a card.

The two cards in her hand were Dark Factory of Mass Production and Level Limit Area B. Neither were of any use.

_Can't attack with them?_ she thought. _Even together, their Attack Score doesn't match Ecila's score of 4,000. _

_Wait! She said that was his first effect! He has another… Could he make them stronger? Let them attack directly? Can't risk it…_

"Ecila, attack Erathaol!" she shouted.

Ecila cast her beam of energy, and Erathaol was blasted into mist.

Nadia cringed…

**(N: 500) -------------------- (A: 2,200)**

"Perfect," she said. "You did just what I needed you to do to activate his other effect, Alice. Erathaol, do your thing!"

"But…" said Alice. "I destroyed him…"

Then Erathaol, now in a more phantom-like form, appeared behind Alice.

He smiled, and gave her a gentle hug…

"What's happening?" said Alice, starting to panic. "What… hey… That feels kind of good…"

"This is a Card of Virtue, Alice," said Nadia. "And the Virtue he represents is Charity. His second effect affects my opponent herself, but it only works if that opponent is not yet beyond redemption – Erathaol cannot help those who have embraced evil.

"You destroyed him, but he forgives you. And he's going to wipe out all of the evil thoughts that Fortunado put in you."

"Oh yes…" said Alice, as she glowed with energy. "Yes… they're going away…"

"Okay if I take my turn?" asked Nadia.

Alice closed her eyes, and nodded.

"All right!" said Nadia. "I skip my Draw Phase, I gain 800 Life Points from Pikeru, then you lose 300 from Curran…

"And now I activate my most powerful Trap Card… Sisters of Chaos!"

Her Trap lifted, showing the image of the ogre on the Trial of the Princess card being blasted by burning energy from Pikeru and Curran – clearly, the two sisters were winning the fight.

Pikeru glowed with golden energy, and Curran glowed with black flames…

They nodded to each other, seemingly in agreement for the first time in a while.

"Now, by sacrificing both Pikeru and Curran," explained Nadia, "I can destroy one Monster, and inflict damage to my opponent equal to that Monster's Attack Score! Get her, girls!"

Pikeru and Curran flew at Ecila the Dainty Doll, trailing paths of burning magic. They slammed into the Doll, and a bright explosion lit up the center of the arena…

Alice made no reaction as Erathaol simply held her close…

**(N: 1,300) -------------------- (A: 0)**

"Ah…" moaned Alice, happily.

"Never saw a duelist who was so happy to lose…" said Randy with a shrug.

The holograms shut down. Erathaol smiled, and vanished.

Alice opened her eyes.

"Thank you, Nadia," she said, walking up to her. "The light never seemed brighter…"

"So what will happen to you now, Alice?" asked Nadia.

Alice paused.

"In a minute or two, I'll just be a fancy doll again," she said. "But my old owner gave me up, and Fortunado will likely just toss me in the trash…"

"Will you be very big?" asked Nadia. "I might have room for you in my backpack. You could stay in my dorm room. I'm pretty sure my roommate wouldn't mind."

Alice grinned.

"I'd like that a lot," she said. "Strange… You'll have a toy in your room that was your opponent once…"

She kissed Nadia on the cheek.

Then sparkling energy started to surround her, and she slowly started to shrink…

After a minute, she was gone, replaced by a pretty doll with the same dress, eyes and hair. Nadia slowly picked her up.

"So that was what Sister of Chaos did…" muttered Randy.

"Mmm-hmm," replied Nadia. "See, Pikeru and Curran were pushed into a corner, when they realized the whole purpose of the Trial…

"I was to enable them to mature, and prove that they were no longer children.

"That's why the Trap requires you to sacrifice them. At that point, Pikeru and Curran left childhood behind… And grew up…"

She looked at Alice.

"Hello?" she said, noticing something.

A small metal square was tied to her dress. Nadia took it.

It was a red square, much like the one Bugsy had gotten, but this one had the letter K on it.

"A clue!" said Randy.

Nadia carefully put Alice in her knapsack, and then picked up her cell phone.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Jason here," said Jason, answering his phone.

"Jason?" said Nadia. "We took care of one duelist. Thanks for the card, by the way."

"Was it hard?" asked Jason.

"Taxing," said Nadia. "She used a Doll Deck."

"A Doll Deck?" asked Jason. "That's certainly new."

"Uh… Look up a card called Doll Chimera in your catalogue and you'll find info on all the key cards," said Nadia. "Anyway, we have something that might be a clue – a red letter K."

"Red letter K," said Jason, writing it down. "Gotcha. Listen Nadia, keep looking around, but let Randy take on the next one.

"Be careful, you two…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a place of absolute darkness, Cassius lifted his head…

He lifted it as much as he could… As much as the chains holding him would allow.

He had lost track of time by now, and had pretty much lost all traces of hope. Now it was just a waiting game… Waiting until he was consumed.

He noticed that there were two people next to him. He turned to look at them.

Well that was strange. He wouldn't have assumed that the Master would have let Cleo and Sebastian come anywhere near him…

They seemed to be conscious… Maybe he'd have someone to talk to at least.

"Uh…" he said.

"Quiet," said the Master's voice.

The order startled all three of them, and they looked up as much as they could, as she walked out of the shadows.

"What now?" asked Sebastian. "More test runs for those crazy cards? Find someone else…"

"I see you've reached the point where you believe you have nothing to lose, Sebastian," said the Master, "so you assume there's no point in being polite any more…

"Well I'm here to make an offer…"

"No!" said all three of them at once.

"We're not going to make any more wagers," said Cleo. "I don't want to be set on fire again."

The Master grinned.

"You'll hear my offer anyway," she said. "I'm going to return two of you to your bodies, right now…"

They looked up, in surprise.

"Once you awake," continued the Master, "I will take you to the tower, where you will duel in a team against Russell and Trisha.

"Defeat them, and I will also free the third one, and they will suffer in your place. If not, I take you back."

"Why?" asked Cleo.

The Master reached out with her hand and caressed Cleo's face. She squeaked in fear.

"I want to take Jason's two friends away from him," she said. "I have someone who is preparing to duel Trisha, but I have my doubts about him. If he should win, one of you will simply deal with Russell.

"But this time, no Orichalcos. I wasted many of them already, and cannot produce more until I've fed on true light.

"This is your final chance… I recommend you accept this offer…"

There was a pause.

"Who has to stay behind?" asked Cassius.

The Master grinned.

"I'll let you decide, Cassius…"

"WHAT?" he shouted.

"That's right…" said the Master, with an evil grin. "Decide which of your two friends goes free, and which remains to suffer…"

He looked at Sebastian and Cleo. They looked at him…

Cleo started to say something, but the Master waved her hand, and her mouth sealed shut.

Cassius bowed his head.

"I choose myself…" he said.

Cleo, Sebastian, and the demonic creature in front of them drew back in shock!

"Excuse me?" said the Master. "Did you just say…"

"I did…" said Cassius, glaring at her. "I'm not going to choose one over the other. You said I get to choose who stays behind, and I choose myself."

"Now wait just a…" started the Master.

"Sorry, but I've made up my mind…" said Cassius.

The demoness growled.

"Then so be it…" she said.

She waved her hand, and the chains holding Cleo and Sebastian shattered.

"Your bodies are in hospitals in the city," she said. "You have one hour to recover. Then I bring you to my inner sanctum.

"Remember, this is your final chance…"

The two of them vanished.

She looked at Cassius. She wanted to hit him…

But she knew that torturing him would be a great deal harder now…

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 6:00 PM_

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**ALICE THE WANDERING DOLL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description**: This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. If this card is attacked, inflict 500 points of direct damage to the owner of the attacking Monster. Then, shift control of this card to the owner of the attacking Monster.

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**DOLL-PART, BLUE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **1  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Flavor Text: **_The head of a doll that has been broken into pieces. Its true power can only be unleashed if it is fixed._

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**DOLL-PART, GOLD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **1  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Flavor Text: **_The legs of a doll that has been broken into pieces. Its true power can only be unleashed if it is fixed._

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**DOLL-PART, PINK (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **1  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Flavor Text: **_The torso of a doll that has been broken into pieces. Its true power can only be unleashed if it is fixed._

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**DOLL-PART, RED (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **1  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Flavor Text: **_The arms of a doll that has been broken into pieces. Its true power can only be unleashed if it is fixed._

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**DOLL CHIMERA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **5  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description**: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Burial of the Marionette". Increase the ATK of this card by 400 for every Monster in your Graveyard with the words "Doll-Part" in its name. If this card would be destroyed via battle or by a card effect, you can discard two Monster Cards with the words "Doll-Part" in their names from your deck to prevent its destruction.

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**ECILA THE DAINTY DOLL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description**: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "The Door to Mirrorland". For each complete set of the following cards that exist in your Graveyard, this card gains 1,000 ATK: "Doll-Part, Blue", "Doll-Part, Gold", "Doll-Part, Pink", "Doll-Part, Red".

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**NECRO-DOLL MEISTER (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A strange-looking old woman looking at a broken mannequin.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when a Monster on your side of the field with the words "Doll-Part" in its name is destroyed as a result of battle. Special Summon two Monsters with the words "Doll-Part" in their names from your deck in Attack Position.

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**THE CURSE UNLEASHED (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Alice the Wandering Doll in the lotus position with evil energy coming from her.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when an "Alice the Wandering Doll" is destroyed. Destroy all cards on the field. Each player loses 300 Life Points for each of their cards that are destroyed by this effect.

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**THE HAUNTED DOLLHOUSE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Field  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A creepy dollhouse surrounded by darkness.

**Card Description:** When an "Alice the Wandering Doll" changes controllers, the player who previously controlled it can search his deck for a Monster with the words "Doll-Part" in its name and Special Summon it.

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**BURIAL OF THE MARIONETTE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A coffin in a grave with a rose on top of it.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when one "Alice the Wandering Doll" is on your side of the field. Offer one "Doll-Part, Blue", one "Doll-Part, Gold", one "Doll-Part, Pink", and one "Doll-Part, Red" on your side of the field as a Tribute to Special Summon one "Doll Chimera" from your hand or deck.

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**THE DOOR TO MIRRORLAND (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: An ominous mirror leading to a dark portal.

**Card Description:** You can only use this card when you have at least one "Alice the Wandering Doll" in your Graveyard. Special Summon one "Ecila the Dainty Doll" from your hand or deck.

_Note: The proceeding thirteen cards were used by Alice in a second-season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of the episode. English names are subject to change._

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**FLUTE OF HAMELIN (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A cloaked piper with a shadowy giant rat behind him.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you discard a card from your hand or deck. Both players must discard all copies of the discarded card from their respective hands and decks.

_Note: "Flute of Hamelin" was first used by Princess Rose in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Happily Never After". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SISTERS OF CHAOS (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Pikeru and Curran holding hands and firing a blast of burning magic at the ogre pictured on "Trial of the Princess", the blast clearly doing its job.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card during your own Main Phase. Offer one "White Magician Pikeru" and one "Ebon Magician Curran" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Destroy one opposing Monster. Your opponent loses Life Points equal to the ATK of the destroyed Monster.

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**ERATHAOL THE ANGEL OF MERCY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Effect/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Virtue:** Charity

**Card Description:** When this card is Tribute Summoned in Attack Position, you may pay 2,000 Life Points to Special Summon two SPELLCASTER and/or FAIRY-Type Monsters from your Graveyard. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect cannot attack or use their effects on the round you use this effect. If this card is destroyed by your opponent, and that opponent is not beyond redemption, your opponent is purged of all evil thoughts and negative emotions.

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_**One thought…**_

**_If anyone here is a fan of the _Dungeons & Dragons_ RPG, you might have heard of Erathaol. I would like to make a sincere apology to anyone who has for referring to a celestial being of his standing as a "Fairy". If you knew how important he was, it would almost seem an insult. But since he didn't fit into any other category, I really had no choice._**

_**Furthermore, if anyone wants more info on this being, PM me.**_

_**Coming up next:**_

_**Anyone here remember Ansel's duel with Panik? Well, you might remember that during that duel, Ansel was using a Recreation Deck that wasn't very formidable.**_

_**That's over, because for a job this big, Ansel has brought his true deck, which he used to win so many tournaments before coming to school.**_

_**And he's going to need it, because his opponent means business. She's called Curare, and she's as deadly as her name.**_

**_A battle of East versus West ensues, in a chapter called "Shadow of Eyes", coming soon._**


	51. Shadow of Eyes

_**My name is Ansel. Most folks know me as the Big Man On Campus, in more ways than one. They know me as the son of rich folks, and also as a guy who won most of the tournaments he'd been in before he came to the school.**_

_**However, they're confused when I duel anytime it isn't important. The cards I use in my Recreation Deck are simply fan cards that few serious duelists use. I still manage to have some success with this deck, but even I know that I can't win a major tournament using it.**_

_**How did I win all those tournaments? Well, the Recreation Deck isn't my true deck. See, with my true deck, I've become very attached to the Monsters that live inside it. It breaks my heart if they're ever defeated during a duel or have to suffer.**_

_**As a result, I don't use my true deck too often – I only do so when it's truly necessary, and winning is absolutely required.**_

_**Does storming a fortress where pure evil lurks inside qualify as necessary? **_

_**I should think so.**_

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**CHAPTER FIFTY**

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**Shadow of Eyes**

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_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 6:10 PM _

In the Monastery of the Messiah, in the well-stocked kitchen, the Sage (who as you recall, was not only the sect's leader, but also the chef) was stirring something in a tureen on a stove while a cookbook sat open next to it. He really didn't need a cookbook – he had memorized almost all of his recipes – but it was good to always be sure.

He was nervous, and cooking was something that helped him relax.

Alexis rushed into the room.

"Your excellence!" she exclaimed. "I have great news… The…"

She took a whiff of what he was cooking.

"Mmm…" she said. "What's in that soup, ginger?"

"I'll share once it's done," said the Sage. "Now, you were saying?"

"The Messiah has enlisted powerful help," said Alexis. "One of his allies played a Card of Virtue bearing the image of Erathaol."

"Hmm…" muttered the Sage. "Hmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm…"

"You don't seem thrilled…" replied Alexis.

"I'm not…" said the Sage, furrowing his brow. "It's been three thousand years since a celestial being that powerful decided to show his face during the Reckoning…

"This can mean only one thing…

"The evil force at the top of that tower is something more evil than the world has seen… in eons…"

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One hour earlier…

On the tenth floor, a Transporter hummed to life, and Ansel Spragus appeared.

He held his head. This was clearly _not_ a good way to travel.

He took his deck out of his holder and looked through the cards.

_Well, ladies,_ he thought. _It's just you and me against whoever we're up against here. So let's do our best. _

He looked around.

He seemed to be in an auditorium of sorts. Potted plants and trees with a definite oriental feel decorated the place, and colored streamers hung from the ceiling.

The far side of the room was dominated by a large stage. The curtain was down, and a long frontal platform protruded from the center. A small stairway led from the floor to the end of the platform.

However, there were no chairs or the like in front of the stage.

_This guy is something else, _thought Ansel. _He has his own drama department… He must have more bread than a prison meatloaf…_

The curtain started to rise.

_And it looks like the play is about to start… _

Ansel looked as a figure stepped out. He raised an eyebrow.

It was a woman dressed in traditional Japanese clothing. She wore a red kimono, either a very expensive hairstyle or a wig, and a great amount of white makeup on her face. Her expression was completely blank – she didn't smile or frown.

She bent her head to one side as she looked at Ansel.

"Nice," he replied. "I was never really into Kabuki myself, but to each her own, I guess…

"So who are you supposed to be? The Kitsune Spirit?"

She simply stared at him.

"Well?" he asked. "Can't you talk? Or are we going to play charades?"

Then he heard a female voice in his mind.

"_No, Ansel, I cannot speak,"_ said the voice. _"A disease in childhood destroyed my ability to do so. Fortunately, I learned how to speak as a telepath. _

"_I already know your intentions. You seek to clear the way so the Dark Messiah may storm this building." _

She rolled back her left sleeve, and a pocket Disk unfolded on her wrist.

"_Well, if that is your intent, you may try to prove yourself against Curare, duelist assassin extraordinaire. You will duel me in this Shadow Game, and I will dispose of you as I have many others." _

"I can beat you," said Ansel, stepping up on the platform.

"_If you can, then I will be on my way, and you may continue,"_ said Curare, _"but if you lose this duel…" _

She stretched out her right arm…

Ansel flinched, as three razor-sharp blades sprung out of a mechanism on her wrist!

"Uh…" gulped Ansel. "You're… gonna use those on me if I lose?"

"_Yes,"_ answered Curare. _"No matter how fast you run, I will catch you, and you will die. That is what I do. You will fall, just as my allies are slowly picking off yours." _

"Mine?" asked Ansel.

"_Your comrades didn't have a chance,"_ said Curare. _"They are slowly being taken down one by one as we speak._

"_Now draw your opening hand." _

The blades retracted.

"I'm not scared of you," said Ansel, drawing five cards. "So let's dance!"

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Fortunado sipped his second martini (he learned long ago the right forms of magic to prevent him from ever becoming drunk), and then the familiar voice sounded in his head.

"_Fortunado," _said the Master's voice, _"who is this Curare?"_

"Somewhat of a dueling urban legend, actually," he replied. "Word on the street speaks of a duelist who dresses like a Japanese noblewoman, and if you boast too much about how good you are, if you say that nobody can defeat you, she'll appear and challenge you to a Shadow Game, which will be the last duel you'll ever have.

"It's nonsense of course… Likely a rumor that she started herself. The truth is, she's a high-paying assassin for the Yakuza's American branch. Normally, she's just a contract killer, but she'll duel a victim first if that's the way the rules are set up. And she's very good. She was quite willing to upgrade to a true Shadow Game.

"Don't worry… She's much better than that fool Panik. If she wins, we get Ansel's soul once she gets his life."

"_And if she loses?" _

"We'll have a soul that is still quite strong," answered Fortunado, "and we'll have one less hired gun that we'll have to pay."

"_Let's hope so Fortunado. What does she play, anyway? A Kabuki Deck?" _

"No…" answered Fortunado. "She has a strategy that one of Yugi's old sparring partners had… It was pretty effective…"

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"So…" said Ansel. "If you're telepathic, can you read my thoughts and tell what cards I have in my hand right now?"

"_I do not cheat,"_ answered Curare. _"I normally can only see the thoughts you desire me to see. If you were to give me permission, I could go deeper into your mind…" _

"Well you don't have it!" answered Ansel. "It's time to duel!"

**(Ansel: 8,000) -------------------- (Curare: 8,000)**

Ansel looked over his cards.

"I always say ladies first," he said. "Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any ladies here. So you can go first."

Curare drew a sixth card, the insult seemingly having no effect on her at all. She looked over her hand.

She placed a card on her Disk.

"_I summon Master Kyonshee in Attack Mode," _she said.

A tall figure materialized. He was dressed in a purple martial artist's _gi_ and a rounded hat, and yellow pants. Over his face was a veil with Kanji printed on it. He took a fighting stance. (1,750/1,000)

"_There is a legend behind this creature,"_ said Curare. _"He was once a wandering martial artist who roamed the world endlessly, searching for a worthy rival. But he died of old age before he found one, and became an undead creature, and even now still searches for a worthy adversary._

"_Will it be you, Ansel? I doubt it." _

"Well, we'll see about that…" said Ansel, drawing a card.

He smirked at the Monster on the card.

_Time for an opening act that's gonna knock 'em dead,_ he thought.

"I summon Cyber Tutu in Attack Mode," he said.

In a flash of light, a smaller figure appeared on his side. It was a cute, young girl with short, pink hair, wearing a green visor over her eyes. She was dressed in red and white spandex with a ballet tutu (obviously) and ballet slippers. (1,000/800)

"_Your little Chibi-chan is no match for Kyonshee,"_ said Curare.

"That's the whole point," replied Ansel. "Tutu can attack you directly when the only Monsters you have on your side of the field are stronger than she is.

"So Tutu… Attack Curare! Pounding pirouette!"

Cyber Tutu spun around on her toes, and then slid forward in a split before jumping up and kicking the assassin across the face. She recoiled a little from the blow, but didn't react otherwise.

Curare glared at Ansel…

Ansel looked at Tutu.

"Tutu…" he said. "It's turn, pause, step, pivot, turn, step, step, not turn, pause, step, pivot, turn, step, pause."

Tutu blushed and reassumed the position.

Ansel placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Seems I've taken the lead in this dance," he said with a smirk. "I'll turn the lead over to you."

**(A: 8,000) -------------------- (C: 7,000)**

"_Not bad…"_ said Curare, drawing a card.

She placed another card on her Disk.

"_I summon Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan in Attack Mode." _

A new Monster materialized. It was a stern-faced woman in a pink kimono, with her auburn hair done up in bun-like pigtails, held in place by streamers. She held her hands in front of her, as if she was ready to chop a cinderblock in half. (1,700/1,000)

"Okay, that's a new one…" said Ansel, nervously.

"_Master Kyonshee, attack his Cyber Tutu,"_ ordered Curare.

The Zombie leapt up and aimed a kung-fu kick at the young Warrior.

"Not so fast, mademoiselle," said Ansel. "I had a Trap ready…"

His facedown card lifted.

"It's called Doble Passe. This let's Tutu dodge your attack and let it hit me…"

Cyber Tutu spun out of the way, and Ansel grunted as he was hit in the stomach by the Zombie's kick.

"Why'd I use such a Trap, you may ask?" he continued. "Because it has another effect… Tutu gets to attack _you_ now."

Cyber Tutu leapt up and kicked Curare in the face again!

Once again, Curare glared at him.

"_In that case, I end my turn…"_ she stated.

**(A: 6,250) -------------------- (C: 6,000)**

Ansel was surprised.

_What the?_ he thought. _Why on earth didn't she attack with her other Monster? It makes no sense… _

He drew a card.

_Hey…_ he thought. _It's that card that that strange girl traded to me! This is perfect! _

"Cyber Tutu, if you would…"

Cyber Tutu kicked Curare in the face a third time.

This time, it was clear that the assassin was getting angry…

"Now, I play a Spell Card," he said. "Fouette Step."

He played the card and it appeared. It showed the image of Etoile Cyber dancing, with two large cards to either side, and one behind her.

"This lets me sacrifice one Monster, and in exchange draw three cards," he explained. "Of course, it has to be a certain _kind _of Monster, but Tutu fits the profile. So Tutu, take a load off your feet."

Cyber Tutu vanished, and Ansel drew three cards.

"Perfect," he said. "I summon Cyber Gymnast in Defense Mode."

Another, older girl appeared in front of him. She was also dressed in spandex, colored blue and black, and was more muscular than Tutu. She wore a white mask over her face, and her blonde hair was tied in a long ponytail – not exactly the right hairstyle for a gymnast… (800/1,800)

"And now…" he said, "by simply tossing one card…"

He discarded his Fusion Gate.

"…she can destroy one Monster who's in Attack Mode. But since I have a soft spot for the girls… Cyber Gymnast, take out Master Kyonshee!"

Cyber Gymnast leapt up, did a flip, and brought a foot down on the Zombie, smashing him to pieces.

Then she backflipped back to Ansel's side of the field and crouched in Defense Mode.

"Heh, heh…" he said. "Your move… This is actually kind of fun…"

**(A: 6,250) -------------------- (C: 5,000)**

"_Indeed…" _said Curare, drawing a card. _"And do you really think that your Gymnast is safe from Nyan-Nyan?" _

"News flash," said Ansel. "Her Defense Score is 1,800, and Nyan-Nyan's Attack Score is only 1,700."

Curare stared blankly…

And then Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan glowed. Her Attack rose to 2,000.

"What?" said Ansel.

"_That's the reason I didn't attack with her last round,"_ said Curare. _"If I don't attack with Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan, she gains 300 Attack Points on the next round. You made a big mistake not using Cyber Gymnast's ability on her." _

"That's what I get for being such a softie…" muttered Ansel.

"_Well, I am no 'softie',"_ replied Curare. _"Nyan-Nyan, attack Cyber Gymnast with Kung Fu chop!" _

Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan leapt forward and slammed her hand into Cyber Gymnast. She shattered into pieces.

A tear formed in Ansel's eye…

"You'll pay for that…" he whispered.

He looked at his hand…

Call of the Haunted, Polymerization, Blade Skater, Charm of Lamentation, Fusion Sage, and Pirouette.

He drew a card…

"All right…" he shouted. "Now we get serious!"

He placed a Spell Card in his Disk.

"I play Polymerization…" he said. "I'll combine one part Etoile Cyber…"

Another dancer capered into view, this one wearing a red bodysuit with ribbons, with gorgeous chestnut hair.

"…and one part Blade Skater!"

Another figure literally skated to the forefront. This one was wearing an incredibly tight purple bodysuit (or else she was naked, and wearing body paint) had ice skates, and wicked blades on her wrists. Strangely, this one had no hair.

The Polymerization vortex appeared behind them, and they were drawn through it…

A new skater emerged. She also wore an incredibly tight bodysuit, colored red and purple, with two spires on her shoulders and ice skates. She wore a red visor and had long, raven-black hair. (2,100/800)

"Put together, they make the formula for the star of my show…" said Ansel. "Cyber Blader!"

"_I'm so scared…"_ replied Curare.

Ansel frowned.

"Attack Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan!" he shouted. "Whirlwind rage!"

Cyber Blader spun around on her skates, and delivered a fierce kick to Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan! The smaller Warrior screamed and then fell backwards before she shattered.

"I'll place a card facedown, and call it a turn," he said, placing his Call of the Haunted in his Disk.

The facedown card appeared.

**(A: 6,250) -------------------- (C: 4,900)**

Curare glared at him again.

She drew a card.

"_I play this Spell Card,"_ she said, choosing one from her hand. _'It is called Ki Spirits." _

She played a card that had the image of a woman lying on a funeral bed, with her ghost looking down at her.

"What does that do?" asked Ansel.

"_It lets me Special Summon two Monsters from my Graveyard," _explained Curare.

Two ghostly wisps rose out of the ground. First, Master Kyonshee appeared, and he clenched his fists in anger. (1,750/1,000) Then, Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan appeared, and she was incredibly angry as well. (1,700/1,000)

Ansel noticed that they were almost transparent… As if they were ghosts…

"_Before you scream that this card is broken and unfair,"_ said Curare, _"the Monsters I summon with it are helpless. They can neither attack you nor defend me, and they cannot be sacrificed for a Tribute Summon. _

"_But as you can see, they are quite angry at you…" _

Ansel considered the situation.

_Now why did she do that?_ he thought. _It still counts as having two Monsters on the field, and that means that Cyber Blader's second ability kicks in, doubling her Attack Score to 4,200. If I can attack her directly… _

"_Wondering what the whole point is?"_ she asked. _"I can still sacrifice them for a Special Summon. Which I will… By playing the card known as Luminous Clouds." _

She played a card, and misty white clouds covered the whole arena. The two Monsters were consumed.

"_This lets me summon my most powerful creature from my deck… A warrior maiden whose ancestry is believed to include dragons in its line. Appear before me, Dragon Lady!" _

In a flash of light, a powerful-looking woman with shogun-like armor (designed to form a midriff) holding two huge scimitars appeared on the field. Her eyes glowed with fiery light. (2,500/2,100)

"_Now…"_ continued Curare, _"I know your Blader's power. If I have one Monster on the field, she cannot be slain in battle. If I attacked, you'd only lose 400 little Life Points. However, I can injure you more by using Dragon Lady's effect._

"_Once per turn, by forfeiting her attack, she can destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your side of the field." _

Dragon Lady swung her swords forward, and blasted a beam of light, blasting Ansel's Trap Card to shards.

"_And I'll follow up with this,"_ said Curare, playing a Spell Card, _"the Quickplay known as Mystic Eruption." _

The ground started to rumble around Ansel…

"Huh?" he said.

He screamed as a burst of flames shot up around him.

"_This Spell Card can be activated when one of your Spells or Traps is destroyed,"_ continued Curare, _"and deals 1,000 points of damage to your Life Points."_

Ansel glared at her as smoke rose from him.

**(A: 5,250) -------------------- (C: 4,900)**

"Okay…" he said, drawing. "If that's how you want to play..."

He chose a card from his hand.

"I toss one card facedown…"

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"Then I play this… The Spell Card, Charm of Lamentation."

He played a Spell Card, and it appeared, showing the image of disheveled peasants reaching for coins falling from a golden sky.

"Cyber Blader…" he said, "attack the Dragon Lady!"

Curare's eyes opened, as Cyber Blader spun towards Dragon Lady. The lady shogun swiped with her blade, and the dancer fell backwards.

"_Fool,"_ said Curare._ "What was the purpose of that? You lost 400 more Life Points." _

"True," said Ansel, "but no pain, no gain, as they say. Now my Charm of Lamentation activates, just as it will any time one of my Monsters attacks an enemy and fails to destroy it. Each time that happens, I get to draw one card."

He drew a card from his deck.

It was Cyber Prima. Not what he wanted…

"Somewhere in my deck is something that can defeat your Dragon Lady," he continued, adding it to his hand, "and I will draw it before my Life Points are depleted. I can count on it. It's your move."

**(A: 4,850) -------------------- (C: 4,900)**

Curare drew a card.

"_Heh, heh, heh," _she laughed, smiling for a change. _"Your plan seems intelligent, Ansel, but it has one major flaw._

"_You forget that my Monster has the power to destroy Spell Cards. So one order from me, and she will obliterate your Charm of Lamentation." _

Ansel just stared at her.

"_Dragon Lady…"_ she started.

Then she paused.

She smirked.

"_VERY clever, Ansel,"_ she said. _"I wonder… is the 'something' that can defeat my Monster already on the field? Could it be that using her effect is exactly what you want me to do?_

"_Could your facedown card be… Divine Wrath?_

"_That's it, isn't it? If I used Dragon Lady's effect, she'd be destroyed, and you'd attack me with everything." _

Ansel stared at her.

"_Very well…"_ said Curare. _"I'll accept your challenge, and take you down the hard way. Dragon Lady, attack!" _

Dragon Lady slashed at Cyber Blader with her scimitars again, and she fell backwards.

**(A: 4,450) -------------------- (C: 4,900)**

"_It's your move…"_ she said.

Ansel drew a card.

"Then let's try this again!" he shouted. "Cyber Blader… I'm sorry… attack!"

Cyber Blader attacked again, and once again, Dragon Lady slammed her sword into her.

Ansel drew another card.

_Nuts… Nuts… Nuts…_ he thought, looking at it. It wasn't exactly what he had wanted either.

He placed the card in his Disk, and it appeared facedown next to his other one.

"It's your move…" he said.

**(A: 4,050) -------------------- (C: 4,900)**

Curare drew a card.

She made a slight smirk…

"_Well, Ansel,"_ she said, _"It seems you've been torturing her for nothing…"_

She played a card.

"_I play Snowfall Sword." _

A card with the image of a scimitar piercing a symbol shaped vaguely like an S appeared.

"_So long as this Continuous Spell is in play,"_ she explained, _"any Spell or Trap that would affect one of my Warriors only works if I want it to. _

"_So now that I no longer have to worry about your Divine Wrath, Dragon Lady, destroy his Charm of Lamentation." _

Dragon Lady's swords started to glow.

"Well…" said Ansel. "Before it's too late… Activate Emergency Provisions!"

The facedown card he had just set lifted up, and Charm of Lamentation was consumed by a huge mouth. Dragon Lady's blast shot forward, but hit nothing.

Dragon Lady looked somewhat confused. Curare's eyes narrowed.

"Her target is gone," said Ansel with a grin, "but you still used her effect. So you can't attack with her…"

"_Then my turn is over," _she said. _"But mark my words, I also have many cards in my own deck that can destroy your Cyber Blader regardless of her ability. And I'm not stupid enough to summon a second Monster until I draw one." _

**(A: 5,050) -------------------- (C: 4,900)**

Ansel drew a card.

_She has a point,_ he thought. _If she manages to summon two Monsters at the same time – easier than one might think – Cyber Blader would die from an attack._

_I have Cyber Prima, and she could blast that Snowfall Sword to bits. But she needs a sacrifice to summon… What the heck do I do, sacrifice Cyber Blader? _

"Maybe you have to," said a female voice.

Ansel looked up.

Then he saw Cyber Blader looking at him over her shoulder.

"Was that you?" he whispered.

She nodded.

"Ansel, don't be stupid," said the merged Warrior. "First off, this isn't an ordinary duel… we're in a Shadow Game against a trained assassin. A cold-blooded killer. She'll clearly make good on her threat if she beats you.

"And Russell is counting on you. If Curare isn't defeated, she'll likely move on to the others.

"Russell needs the path cleared. If he can't beat Fortunado, the armies of the Orichalcos will march over the earth… Not a pretty sight.

"You have to summon Cyber Prima. She needs a sacrifice. I'm the only Monster you can sacrifice. I think the choice is clear…"

"But…" replied Ansel.

"Come on!" scolded the Warrior. "I want to take a break anyway… You think I like ramming into that nut's sword round after round?"

"All right, you're the boss…" said Ansel.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I sacrifice Cyber Blader…" he said.

Cyber Blader winked at him before she vanished.

"To summon… Cyber Prima!"

A bright light formed on his side of the field, and a radiant form stepped out. She was dressed in a silvery bodysuit with golden bands circling her waist, and wore a mask reminiscent of Mardi Gras, a combination of butterfly and peacock. Her long hair was platinum blonde. (2,300/1,600)

"Now, Cyber Prima may be a big gloryhound," said Ansel, with a grin, "but hey, that's one of the reasons why everyone loves her…

"And simply by summoning her, all face-up Spell Cards on the field… go boom!"

Beams of light flashed from Cyber Prima's eyes, and the Snowfall Sword shattered to pieces.

"_That was a stupid move, Ansel,"_ said Curare. _"Cyber Blader couldn't be destroyed in battle, but Dragon Lady will easily slay HER."_

"It's your move…" said Ansel.

"_Then I draw!"_ said Curare, drawing a card. _"And I summon my second Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan in Attack Mode." _

A twin of the first Nyan-Nyan appeared, ready to strike. (1,700/1,000)

"_Dragon Lady…"_ she ordered, _"attack Cyber Prima!"_

The lady shogun flew forward…

"Go! Trap Card!" shouted Ansel.

His Trap lifted.

"_That's not Divine Wrath!"_ shouted a shocked Curare.

Cyber Blader started to dance in a very fast pirouette. Dragon Lady simply bounced off of her.

"No, I was bluffing," said Ansel. "It's a Trap called Pirouette which can used with any of the Cyber Girls. During the round this is activated, they can't be destroyed via battle."

Curare now seemed to be incredibly angry…

"Of course, battle damage still applies," said Ansel, "so I lost 200 Life Points, but without it, I would have lost 1,900.

"There is one downside… I have to skip my next Battle Phase."

"_You've bought one turn, little more,"_ said Curare. _"Make your move…"_

**(A: 4,850) -------------------- (C: 4,900)**

Ansel drew a card.

…_Faith… _

_Eh…_ he thought, looking at it. _Hey… it's that card Russell gave me._

He looked at it.

_Only problem is,_ he thought, _that Dragon Lady could destroy it. Let's just hope that this chick is as mad as me as I think she is… _

He opened his Field Slot, and placed the card into it.

"I play… Elysium Fields!" he exclaimed.

A bright light pervaded the room, and beautiful music started to fill the air…

As the light died down, a lovely, grassy meadow, with butterflies flitting about, and little rabbits hopping about had replaced the auditorium. The music was coming from a woman sitting in the background… apparently it was Spirit of the Harp. She watched them as she slowly played her instrument.

A lovely smell filled the air as fluffy clouds passed by in a sapphire blue sky…

"Whoa…" said Ansel. "Surreal…"

Curare wasn't impressed.

"_Big deal!"_ she said with a scowl_. "This ridiculous Field Spell hasn't raised the Attack of your Monster or lowered that of mine by even one point!" _

"Well then…" said Ansel. "Like I said, I have to skip my Battle Phase, so I end my turn…"

Curare drew a card.

Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan rose to 2,000 Attack.

"_You thought by keeping Cyber Prima in Attack Mode you could avoid a direct attack by Dragon Lady?"_ she asked_. "Well, you were wrong. I Equip her with Lightning Saber." _

As she played the card, Dragon Lady's two scimitars vanished, and a new, nastier one, crackling with electricity, appeared in her right hand. Her Attack went up to 2,800.

"_It not only increases her Attack by 300 points, but it lets her attack twice, so long as I cut her Attack Score in half the second time." _

Ansel gulped…

"_Attack Cyber Prima! Shocking slash!" _

The blade crackled with electricity, and Dragon Lady slashed at Cyber Prima. The diva shattered to bits.

"_Attack directly!" _

Dragon Lady's Attack fell to 1,400, and she slashed at Ansel. He grunted and fell backwards.

"_And now, Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan attacks…" _

Nyan-Nyan leapt up and kicked Ansel so hard he almost heard a crack.

**(A: 950) -------------------- (C: 4,900)**

Ansel clutched his ribs, which he really hoped were just bruised and not broken…

"_Well, we're almost done, Ansel…"_ said Curare.

She flicked her wrist, and the blades snapped out from the mechanism in her right arm again.

"_If you surrender now, I'll make it less painful. I could do that, you know… As an assassin, I've studied anatomy like a surgeon… You'd die in an instant._

"_Or you could humiliate yourself further and make it excruciating…" _

Ansel drew a card.

"Not gonna happen…" he said with a frown.

A beam of light came from the clouds, and Cyber Prima appeared on his side of the field, glowing with golden energy!

"_What?"_ said Curare. _"I killed her! And you didn't do a thing!"_

"That's the magic of Elysium Fields," said Ansel. "Here, death isn't permanent. Any Monster that's destroyed in battle is resurrected during the owner's next Standby Phase."

"_Then I'll just kill her again!"_ replied Curare.

Ansel looked at the six cards in his hand…

"I don't think so…" he said.

He played a card. An ankh appeared that looked somewhat like the one on Monster Reborn, but different.

"I play… Monster Reincarnation. Now, by discarding one card…"

He discarded Fusion Sage.

"I can add one Monster in my Graveyard to my hand. Or rather, I normally would… but since I'm choosing Cyber Blader, she actually goes back to my Fusion Deck."

The card slipped out of the discard slot.

"Next…" he continued. "I play Monster Reborn!"

He played the card, and the more familiar ankh appeared.

Cyber Tutu stepped forward, and then did a split. (1,000/800)

"Remember her?" asked Ansel. "Next, I play Fusion Recovery. This Spell Card lets me retrieve one Polymerization and one Monster that I used in a fusion from my Graveyard."

He played the card, and Polymerization and Blade Skater fell out of his discard slot.

"Next, I play The Warrior Returning Alive, to bring back someone else…"

He played the card, and Etoile Cyber slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now, let's turn this duet into a trio," he continued. "I use Polymerization, to summon Cyber Blader back for an encore."

Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater reappeared on the field, and then merged together…

Cyber Blader appeared again, in a flash of light! (2,100/800)

Curare stepped back, scared for the first time…

"I don't think I need to tell you what she can do when you have two Monsters on the field…" said Ansel with a grin.

Cyber Blader clenched her fists, and her Attack went up… to 4,200!

"Destroy Dragon Lady!" ordered Ansel. "Whirlwind rage!"

Cyber Blader danced forward, and kicked Dragon Lady with her skate! The shogun screamed and dropped her sword… She fell to her knees…

…and then she exploded in a burst of light!

"I'm not half-done!" continued Ansel. "Cyber Prima, attack Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan! Fouette step!"

Cyber Prima danced towards the young martial artist and kicked her in the stomach, blowing her to pieces.

"Cyber Tutu, attack directly!" shouted Ansel. "Pounding pirouette!"

Tutu spun around, and then flew at Curare, kicking her in the face for the fourth time since the duel started.

**(A: 950) -------------------- (C: 2,200)**

"_Idiot!"_ shouted Curare. _"You've signed your own death warrant! On my next turn, I can use the effect of your own Field Spell, and one attack on Cyber Tutu will win me this duel!"_

"True, you could do that…" said Ansel, taking his last card, "however, it's still my turn, I believe, and still my Battle Phase, and I have one more card to play…"

He played the card.

"I play… De-Fusion! I'll turn this trio into a quartet!"

Cyber Blader split into two orbs of light, and then formed into Etoile Cyber (1,200/1,600) and Blade Skater (1,400/1,500).

"Sort of like the Beatles…" he said with a smirk. "If they were girls… Well… and Duel Monsters…"

"Just so you know, Etoile Cyber isn't very good at fighting other Monsters, but when she gets a shot at my opponent, she gets a little boost. Ladies, get her!"

Etoile Cyber's Attack Score rose to 1,700, and she delivered a kick to Curare's stomach. For the first time all duel, she truly reacted. If she wasn't mute, she'd have screamed.

Finally, Blade Skater skated forward, and delivered a slash across Curare's chest with her blades.

"And that's a wrap!" said Ansel.

**(A: 950) -------------------- (C: 0)**

The Elysium Fields vanished, returning them to the auditorium… The four lady Warriors turned to Ansel and smiled. Then they vanished too.

And then the assassin fell to her knees. She collapsed…

Ansel walked up to her… He wondered if winning gave him some sort of permission to kill _her_. Not like he ever would have…

But as he looked in Curare's eyes, it started to sink in that maybe a darker punishment had been waiting for her…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason's cell phone rang.

"Jason here," he said.

"Jason?" said Ansel. "Just what is Fortunado trying to pull here, anyway?"

"What happened?" asked Jason.

"I found one of his henchmen," answered Ansel, "we dueled, I won, and she…"

There was a pause.

"Well, I'm sitting right next to her," he continued, "and basically, she's alive, but she's oatmeal. And before you ask, no, she didn't use any Field Spells."

"Tell me about it," said Jason. "We're having good luck so far. It seems our opponents are playing for keeps. Did the card I gave you work out?"

"Uh, yeah…" answered Ansel. "By the way, did you do anything to my other cards?"

"Such as?" asked Jason.

"Well, one of my Monsters talked to me in the middle of the duel," he answered. "That's… well, that's never happened before."

"Well, Ansel, I can honestly say that that's not my doing," answered Jason. "Was the Monster in question your favorite card?"

Ansel looked at the Cyber Blader card.

"Mmm, yeah," he said. "Pretty much."

"Well, in Shadow Games, strange things tend to happen," said Jason. "Maybe you and that card have some sort of connection between you that was brought to life by the Shadows."

"Eh, who knows…" said Ansel. "Uh, before I forget, I found something on this chick…"

He looked at it.

"It's a little blue metal square with the letter E on it. Hope that helps."

"Blue, you say?" asked Jason, writing something down in his notebook. "Okay… we'll look into that…

"Be careful Ansel… Fortunado is likely playing a game of cat and mouse with us…"

"Yeah…" answered Ansel. "And we're the mice…"

He looked at Cyber Blader again.

"But don't worry… I'll be ready with a few… _catty_ responses of my own!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the moment, Amanda was wandering around the twenty-third floor.

She entered a room that looked like a large basketball court.

"This guy sure is loaded," she said. "I mean, his own gymnasium?"

"All that and more," said a voice. "Amanda Jikarn, I presume…"

She looked, and saw a man in a three-piece suit with neatly combed hair. He carried one of the Orichalcos Disks.

"And who, pray tell, are you?" she asked.

"Cermon's the name," he said. "You don't exactly know who I am… but… uh… We have a friend in common…"

"Who?" she asked.

"Uh, uh, uh," he said. "Duel me in this Shadow Game, and if you win, you'll find out. Of course, if you lose, there's the standard penalty…"

"I'm not afraid of you…" said Amanda, placing her deck in her Disk. "After all, only two people have ever defeated my strategy…"

"Soon to become three…" said Cermon, readying his own deck.

"Game on!" they both said at once.

**(Amanda: 8,000) -------------------- (Cermon: 8,000)**

Amanda didn't know that a dark shape was watching from the bleachers overhead. If Amanda lost, fine… If she won, he was prepared to finish her off…

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 5:55 PM _

**0**

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**DRAGON LADY (Monster Card)  
**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **2,100

**Card Description**: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card is Special Summoned via the effect of "Luminous Clouds". Once per turn, you can destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your opponent's side of the field. If you activate this effect, this card cannot attack that turn.

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**KUNG FU NYAN-NYAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,700  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description**: If you do not declare an attack with this card during your turn, increase its ATK by 300 on your next Standby Phase.

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**0**

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**LUMINOUS CLOUDS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A mountain rage covered by misty clouds.

**Card Description:** Offer one "Master Kyonshee" and one "Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one "Dragon Lady" from your hand or deck.

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**MYSTIC ERUPTION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A Chinese temple being blasted by a bolt of lightning.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when a Spell or Trap Card is destroyed. Inflict 1000 points of damage to the owner of the destroyed card.

_Note: The proceeding four cards were first used by Vivian in the anime episode "Child's Play". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

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**LIGHTNING SABER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A scimitar crackling with electricity.

**Card Description:** This card can only be equipped to a WARRIOR-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of a Monster equipped with this card by 300. The Monster equipped with this card can attack twice per Battle Phase. If the Monster equipped with this card attacks a second time in a Battle Phase, decrease the ATK of the equipped monster by half until the End Phase of the turn.

**0**

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**0**

**SNOWFALL SWORD (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A scimitar with its blade through an S-shaped plaque bearing kanji symbols.

**Card Description:** This card is destroyed if there is not at least one WARRIOR-Type Monster on your side of the field. If your opponent activates a Spell or Trap Card whose effect is applied to one of your WARRIOR-Type Monsters while this card is active, you can negate the activation of the card and destroy it.

_Note: The proceeding two cards were first used by Vivian in the anime episode "A Brawl in a Small Town (Part Two)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

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**KI SPIRITS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A young woman's body in a coffin with her spirit floating above and looking down.

**Card Description:** Special Summon two Monsters from your Graveyard. Monsters summoned with this card cannot attack, cannot be the target of an attack, and cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon. If Monsters Special Summoned by this card are the only Monsters on your side of the field, your opponent may attack directly.

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**DOBLE PASSE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A ballerina in a fancy dress dancing.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack on one of your Monsters in Attack Position. The attack becomes a direct attack on your Life Points. Then, the Monster who was the original target of the attack attacks your opponent directly.

_Note: "Doble Passe" has been used by Alexis in several episodes of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX", originally in "A Duel in Love". All creative credit goes to the writers of the show. _

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**CHARM OF LAMENTATION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Two disheveled peasants reaching for a glowing golden orb.

**Card Description:** As long as this card is face-up on your side of the field, whenever one of your Monsters attacks an opposing Monster and does not destroy it, draw one card from your deck.

_Note: "Charm of Lamentation" was first used by Kaiba in the anime episode "Deja Duel! (Part One)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. _

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**PIROUETTE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Cyber Blader dancing around Dark Ruler Ha Des as he angrily tries to blast her with dark magic.

**Card Description:** On the round this card is activated, all WARRIOR-Type Monsters with the word "Cyber" in their names, or ones that are named "Blade Skater" cannot be destroyed in battle for the remainder of the round (damage calculation still applies). Skip your next Battle Phase after using this card.

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**FOUETTE STEP (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Etoile Cyber dancing with one large Duel Monsters card behind her and one to either side, the backs forward.

**Card Description:** Offer one "Etoile Cyber", "Blade Skater", "Cyber Tutu", or "Cyber Gymnast" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Draw three cards from your deck.

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**ELYSIUM FIELDS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Field/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Virtue**: Faith

**Image:** A beautiful, grassy garden, full of fruit trees, flowers, and fountains.

**Card Description:** When a Monster is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, its owner may Special Summon it from his Graveyard during his next Standby Phase.

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_**What does Cermon have in store for Amanda? Truthfully, I'm not concerned about him. Amanda doesn't know it, but in the room she is in, he's the lesser of two evils.**_

**_Coming up next, the greater evil rears its head, but Amanda is not alone. She has an ally. It all comes to a head in a chapter called "The Eye of Truth", coming soon._**


	52. The Eye of Truth

_**How would you like to learn, that the method you trusted for so long was designed as a cruel joke?**_

_**How would you like to learn, that a person who you trusted for so long was a sadistic liar who just wanted to hurt you?**_

_**What would you do if that person showed up, and now wanted to do away with you?**_

_**Put yourself in my shoes right now, and you'd find out what it's like…**_

_**That person has shown up, I know I don't stand a chance against him, but there might be hope, because I don't have to fight this battle alone… I have an ally…**_

_**Can he defeat the beast who I once thought was a loved one?**_

_**Only time will tell…**_

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR**

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**The Eye of Truth**

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_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 6:15 PM_

**(Amanda: 8,000) -------------------- (Cermon: 6,000)**

The situation was plainly set out…

On Amanda's side was Giant Soldier of Stone in Defense Mode (1,300/2,000), three facedown cards, and a Mask of Restrict.

On Cermon's side was Lava Golem (3,000/2,500), which she had put there, and nothing else, but after taking damage for two turns, he had taken no real action.

Amanda was starting to figure out that he was on to her strategy…

"I don't know what your game is…" she said, drawing a card.

She looked at the Spell Card. It wasn't of much use, seeing as another copy of it was already on the field.

"…but sooner or later, something is going to give. I'm going to pass for my turn."

"Very well…" said Cermon, drawing a card.

He cringed a little as the cage glowed red hot.

"Well, let's see…" he said, looking at his cards. "What to use? These are good… But then again… there's always these…"

"Will you just move?" muttered Amanda.

"Good moves take time," he answered. "I'm very cautious… and very patient…

"Especially since I know exactly what's waiting for me behind those facedown cards…"

He played a card, and the Pot of Greed appeared in front of him.

"Yes, a very deadly combo…" he said, as he drew two cards. "Astral Barrier, Inferno Tempest, and Return From the Different Dimension. Chaos End is likely in your hand, right?

"Or is it? I play Confiscation."

He played the card.

"Now I get to spend 1,000 Life Points to see your hand, and force you to discard one card."

The images of five cards appeared in front of him.

"Ah, yes, just as I thought… I choose to banish Chaos End."

The card in Amanda's hand vanished.

"Smart…" she said. "Spending Life Points like that when you're steadily losing them."

"Not for long…" he said. "I now play the Spell Card, Heavy Storm!"

Amanda braced herself, as a storm blew across the field. Her Mask of Restrict shattered, then her three facedown cards lifted up, and blew away.

"I thought so…" laughed Cermon. "And now that your Mask is history, I can sacrifice all the Monsters I want. So I sacrifice the Lava Golem…"

Lava Golem vanished in a swirl of red energy…

"To summon… Jinzo!"

In an aura of darkness, the wicked android arose, its optic sensors glowing red. (2,400/1,500)

"Seems like the shoe is on the other foot," said Cermon. "Jinzo, annihilate her overgrown boulder with cyber energy shock!"

Jinzo formed a ball of dark energy in its hands and hurled it forward, blasting Giant Soldier of Stone into pebbles.

"Heh, heh…" said Cermon. "Your move…"

**(A: 8,000) -------------------- (C: 4,000)**

Amanda looked at the four cards in her hand.

Another Inferno Tempest, another Mask of Restrict, Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, and (ironically) her own Jinzo.

She slowly drew a card.

"I play… Graceful Charity…" she said, playing the card.

As the angel appeared over her, she drew three cards.

She shuddered in fear when she saw what one of them was. She had never used this card against a real duelist before, but now, she guessed she really didn't have a choice.

She discarded the Gear Golem and Jinzo.

"I place two cards facedown, and end my turn," she said, as two cards appeared in front of her.

"What?" asked Cermon. "In case you didn't know, Jinzo nullifies Trap Cards. Besides, I happen to know that you have no Traps in your deck that can block an attack or destroy a Monster."

"Your move…" she said.

"Fine…" said Cermon, drawing.

"I summon Drillago in Attack Mode."

He played a card, and an infernal Machine that looked like it was made completely of drills and screws appeared next to Jinzo. (1,600/1,100)

"Drillago, attack her directly! Boring rush!"

Drillago's drills spun wildly, and it charged forward. Amanda screamed as it plunged its weapons into her torso.

"And now…" he continued, "Jinzo, you attack too!"

Jinzo powered up its cyber energy shock…

"I activate my facedown card!" shouted Amanda. "Rush Recklessly!"

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"What?" said Cermon, confused. "Your side is empty. That card is useless."

"Whoever said I was going to use it on one of my Monsters?" asked Amanda with a grin. "I'm using it on your Jinzo!"

Jinzo glowed, and its Attack rose to 3,100.

"Are you nuts?" asked Cermon. "He'll just… Wait… Jinzo! Stop!"

"To late…" said Amanda.

Jinzo fired an even more intense cyber energy shock, and Amanda screamed again…

She fell to her knees.

**(A: 3,300) -------------------- (C: 4,000)**

"That hurt… even worse… than Lava Golem's… attack…" she gasped, with sweat running down her face. "But it still… did the job…"

Her other facedown card lifted.

"Activate… Inferno Tempest…"

"Ergh…" muttered Cermon. "Big deal. In case you didn't realize, Return From the Different Dimension is a Trap Card. And now you'll never summon anything strong enough to defeat Jinzo. You have no Monsters in your deck, and none in your Graveyard!"

"True…" said Amanda, slowly, getting up. "But the one that's in my hand should be enough…"

She drew a card.

Then she placed a card on her Disk.

"I summon… G-G-G… Gren Maju Da Eiza!"

A roaring fire appeared in front of her, and a hideous demon stepped out. It had a bloated body, with a jagged bone structure along its frame. Two huge, batlike wings rose from its back, and a long tail whipped behind it. Its skull-like head bore six horns, and sinister green lights glowed throughout its whole form. It looked at Cermon with an evil glare.

"This demon is the ruler of the Different Dimension," said Amanda, nervously, "and it gains power from each and every card that has been banished to its domain. So much, that its Attack and Defense Score are 400 for every card that I've removed from play."

"How many cards is that?" gulped Cermon.

"Nineteen," answered Amanda, "which is more than enough to finish you off!"

(7,600/7,600)

"Gren Maju Da Eiza…" shouted Amanda, covering her eyes, "destroy Jinzo with chaos flames!"

The Red Lotus Beast's eyes glowed with pinpoints of light, and it roared! An inferno erupted around it! It shot a blast of white-hot fire at the android, and it groaned and melted like wax before shattering into triangles!

Cermon was thrown back by the flames, landing with a look of fright permanently branded on his face.

**(A: 3,300) -------------------- (C: 0)**

Amanda shivered in fear…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A form in the bleachers watched as Amanda walked towards Cermon's prone form.

"Darn," he said. "She won… She _always_ wins! I should have known better than to send that overstuffed egotist to duel her…"

He took a deck from a case and started to shuffle it.

"Well, as the ancient saying goes," he said, "if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Amanda bent over Cermon's clothing…

She found something in his jacket pocket. It was a small, red square with the letter R on it.

"Better tell Jason about this…" she said. "It might be…"

"Amanda?" said a voice behind her.

She screamed and raised her hand, ready to hit the new enemy with her Disk.

She stopped.

"_Nathan?"_ she gasped.

"Oh, that is it…" said Nathan, stepping back. "From now on, you are only getting decaffeinated coffee!"

"Sorry…" she muttered. "I guess a Shadow Game isn't exactly easy on the nerves."

"Yeah, well, you did good," said Nathan, holding her shoulders. "Clever move with Gren there."

"Are you kidding?" she replied, shivering. "I've only actually used that… thing in simulations, and even then it gave me chills. I _never_ want to use it again…

"Come to think of it, I'm having second thoughts on this whole invasion thing. It hurts so much worse in a Shadow Game…"

"Why don't we stick together…" said Nathan. "You know what they say… There's strength in numbers…"

"Now that, is the mother of all understatements…" said a voice from the shadows.

They looked, and saw a tall figure looking at them.

"That voice…" said Amanda, in fear. "I know that voice…"

The figure walked out of the shadows…

He was a tall, young man, with a boyish face, and auburn hair. He was dressed in a casual sweatshirt and jeans.

Nathan was a bit taken aback when he realized something… He sort of resembled Amanda herself.

But Amanda was beside herself.

"RIC?" she shouted. "What the Hell…"

"Hello, sis," he said, "still using the deck I see. Well, I'm afraid your part in the Messiah's crusade is ending right now…"

Amanda saw that he had an Orichalcos Disk on his arm.

"Ric… wha… buh… why?" gulped Amanda. "You and Shawn… You designed my deck… It's helped me since I started school…"

"You're so naïve, Amanda…" said Ric. "The deck was a scam."

"A scam?" shouted Amanda. "What do you mean? The only people who have beaten it are Russell, and you…"

"Heh, heh…" laughed Ric, "yeah, I'd be a pretty sorry excuse for a duelist if I couldn't defeat a deck that I designed."

"Amanda, who is this guy?" asked Nathan.

"Nathan…" muttered Amanda. "This is my oldest brother… Ric Jikarn…"

"The pleasure is all mine…" said Ric with a grin. "Anyway, Amanda, please don't blame Shawn for this… He honestly wanted to help you, but he was just as naïve as you were. And frankly, he can't duel worth beans. I thought up the strategy for your deck because…"

He grinned.

"Well, because I thought seeing you _willingly_ take a 3,000-point direct attack every time was… well, it was kind of funny."

Amanda clenched her fist.

"I never expected you to have the success you did with this deck, Amanda," he continued. "But to my chagrin, you did. You kept winning with it, time and again. The strategy got so successful, you eventually would start getting credit for it, and I just couldn't have that.

"So, I had to get rid of you without anyone fingering me. That's why I came to work for Fortunado. The Orichalcos leaves no trace.

"Sadly, I'm not allowed to use the Orichalcos right now. The boss is running low on them. But a normal Shadow Game will suffice.

"And we're going to duel right now…"

Amanda stepped back… A tear fell down her eye…

"Hold it right there, mister!" shouted Nathan. "Amanda is exhausted… what are you, some sort of vulture?

"This is your little sister, and you're saying that all this time you've set her up? What kind of an older sibling does that?"

"The one who will carry on the family name," said Ric. "I want the Jikarn family to be remembered for a competent duelist, like me, not some amateur like her."

"Amateur?" said Nathan with a sneer. "In case you didn't realize, she's managed to be successful with a deck that was intentionally designed to fail. You just said so yourself.

"And there's no way I'm letting you swoop down on her after she's just taken a beating in a Shadow Game. You'll have to go through me first."

"I have no quarrel with you," said Ric. "I don't have to banish you to the Shadows as well, so think long and hard before you make such a threat."

"Know what I think?" said Nathan, pointing a finger. "I think that you were afraid of her success. You were afraid that she'd defeat even you someday.

"When all is said and done, you're exactly the same as she is… Worried and insecure. Unsure of your abilities as a duelist."

Ric stared at him… There was dead silence for a second.

He removed his deck from his Disk, and then looked through it. He quickly took about ten or so cards out of it. Then he took ten other cards out of a pouch on his belt, and switched the two sets. He started to shuffle.

_Switching his cards? _thought Amanda. _That's why he could beat my deck… He did just what Russell did… He prepared in advance, because he knew how it worked…_

"Very well, Nathan was it?" said Ric with a frown. "I'll duel you with my deck at true strength before I handle her, and the Shadows will feast on both of you."

"Nathan, no, he's good!" shouted Amanda. "His cards…"

"Uh, uh, uh!" said Ric, shaking his finger. "Not a word about my strategy, Amanda! After all, I know nothing about his… If you have any pride as a duelist, you'll let this duel be fair. I have no intention of cheating, after all."

Amanda bowed his head. He had a point.

"Fine," said Nathan, as his Disk activated. "I'll duel you mano-a-mano."

**(Nathan: 8,000) -------------------- (Ric: 8,000)**

They both snatched five cards off their decks. Nathan looked them over.

_Thinking about how to use your cards, Nathan?_ thought Ric. _Better use them fast… I might not let you have a chance to…_

"Okay, let's duel!" he said, drawing a sixth card.

He chose a card from his hand.

"I think I'll simply place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all," he said, placing a card on his Disk.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Not much of a move…" said Nathan, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

_Well, Blood Sucker can probably take care of whatever he put there…_ he thought.

"I summon Blood Sucker in Attack Mode," he stated.

With a cackle and a spooky mist, a fiendish-looking creature with red skin, devilish horns, and flared outcroppings on its clawed arms appeared. (1,300/1,500)

"Impressive…" said Ric. "But I've been dueling too long to be afraid of any third-rate Fiend."

"It's a Zombie, for your information," growled Nathan. "Blood Sucker, attack his facedown Monster! Razor claw!"

Blood Sucker's eyes glowed feral, and it flew forward, slashing with its claw…

A small bird with green feathers and a red plume appeared on the card, and was torn to shards.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Ric. "You just attacked my Ashinagray, Nathan."

"No…" moaned Amanda.

"And it has two powerful effects," continued Ric. "First, when it's flipped, you lose one card from your hand…"

The Dragged Down Into the Grave in Nathan's hand glowed, and vanished.

"Second," said Ric, taking his deck, "when it's destroyed, I get to search for another one from my deck, and set it in facedown Defense Mode."

He placed the card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared again.

"Darn…" said Nathan, looking at the rest of his cards. "Guess I'll throw a card facedown, and end my turn."

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

Ric drew a card.

"Then it's time for a change of venue," he said, opening his Field Slot. "Take us to… Necrovalley!"

He placed the card in the slot, and a bright light enveloped the field…

Before Nathan could fathom what was going on, tall desert cliffs surrounded them. Strange cave openings were in the sides of the cliffs, and he was standing on a rocky outcropping, across from the one his opponent was on. Far in the distance rose the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx.

"What are you going to do, play Gravekeepers?" asked Nathan, nervously.

He hoped not… Gravekeepers were dangerous.

"No…" said Ric. "Something far more sinister. Anyway, next, I'll flip my Ashinagray into Attack Mode…"

The card flipped up, and the small bird revealed itself. (500/500)

"That means you lose another card from your hand," he continued.

Nathan gulped, as the Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower in his hand vanished.

"And now, I'll sacrifice Ashinagray…" continued Ric.

The small bird vanished.

"…for a fiendish soldier known and feared throughout the demon world as… Mefist the Infernal General!"

A galloping of hooves sounded, and a large form strode out of a void of darkness. It was a knight of some sort, in black armor on a demonic armored horse. He held a weapon that was a cross between a lance and an axe. (1,800/1,700)

"Terrific…" muttered Nathan. "Well, since my Blood Sucker is going to be destroyed anyway, I might as well destroy it before you do…"

"What do you mean?" asked Ric.

Nathan's facedown card lifted. It was a Trap with the picture of Marauding Captain ambushing Goblin Attack Force.

"It's called Assault on GHQ," explained Nathan. "I now have to destroy one of my Monsters…"

Blood Sucker shattered into shards.

"And in exchange, you have to discard the top two cards from your deck."

Ric gave him a dirty look, and took the top two cards off his deck. They were Royal Tribute and Spirit Reaper.

_Darn…_ he thought, discarding them. _Those would have been useful. But I'll have the last laugh…_

"I do hope it was worth it…" he said with a smirk. "Mefist, attack directly with fiendish forward charge!"

Mefist galloped forward on his mount. Nathan screamed as he was struck by the huge axe.

He gasped for breath and looked at his hand again. The Black Pendant in his hand vanished.

**(N: 6,200) -------------------- (R: 8,000)**

"Are you starting to get the theme of my deck yet, Nathan?" asked Ric. "It's all about Hand Control. I simply don't let my opponent have anything to work with.

"Oh course, I take a Hand Control strategy to a whole new level with the addition of Necrovalley. With my kind of deck, there's always the possibility that making someone discard a powerful Monster will actually help him, letting him summon it with no sacrifices by using Monster Reborn or something similar.

"But with Necrovalley… Recovering cards from the Graveyard is impossible."

"Same goes for you!" snapped Nathan. "You can't do it either."

"Maybe so," said Ric, "but as of right now, I have a powerful Monster on the field, and a hand of four cards. You have one card in your hand, and nothing on the field. Who has the advantage?"

"We'll soon see…" said Nathan. "It's my move!"

He drew a card.

He smirked.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will end my turn," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Don't you ever study?" asked Ric, drawing a card. "You should know that Mefist doesn't really _care_ whether a Monster is in Attack or Defense Mode."

He grinned at the card he had just drawn.

"And by the way, as for that crack about Necrovalley affecting me as well…"

"Oh no…" muttered Amanda. "Don't tell me he drew _that_…"

"Oh, but I did, sis," he said, playing a Spell Card. "I play a very rare card known as Temple of the Gravekeepers."

With a loud rumbling, an ancient Egyptian temple rose up behind him. The entrance was flanked by pillars and statues of the jackal-headed god Anubis.

"This card costs me 1,000 Life Points to activate," he explained, "and it would be destroyed if Necrovalley were removed from the field, but so long as it's on the field, the negative effects of Necrovalley don't apply to me. I can play all the cards I want that affect my own Graveyard. It's like Gravekeeper's Chief in Spell form.

"Now I'll summon someone new…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"White Magical Hat, in Attack Mode."

In a puff of colored smoke, a tall gentleman in a blue tuxedo and a white cape, wearing a monocle and a white top hat appeared. (1,000/700)

_Lovely… _thought Nathan. _Another guy with a discarding effect. But this guy's in for a surprise…_

"Mefist, run down his facedown Monster!" shouted Ric.

Mefist charged…

Zombie Werewolf appeared on the card, before it was cleaved in half.

Nathan grunted, and the last card in his hand vanished.

But then he grinned.

"Oh, I studied, all right," he said. "And I happen to know that Necrovalley has limits. It doesn't affect cards whose effects activate by being _sent_ to the Graveyard. So it won't stop Zombie Werewolf's effect at all."

In a burst of dark energy, a second Zombie Werewolf appeared in Attack Mode, snarling and drooling. He let out a loud howl. (1,700/1,200)

**(N: 5,600) -------------------- (R: 7,000)**

"And since this one has 1,700 Attack Points," he said with a smirk, "your White Magical Hat is going to have to pick a fight with someone else."

"That's what you think," said Ric. "Since I can't stop you from destroying him on your next turn, and I summoned him in Attack Mode, I'm not about to waste his attack…"

He chose a card from his hand.

"You see, since his Attack Score is only 1,000, he's just the right strength for me to use this card… Secret Pass To the Treasures."

He played the card.

"This lets a Monster attack directly, so long as its Attack Score is 1,000 or less. White Magical Hat, attack directly with moonlight magic."

The Spellcaster shot a blast of sparkling lights forward, and Nathan cringed as they hit him.

**(N: 4,600) -------------------- (R: 7,000**)

"Your Werewolf may defeat my Spellcaster," said Ric, "but now you'd need a miracle draw to defeat Mefist. I don't believe in miracles myself…"

Nathan slowly drew a card.

He looked at it.

"Prepare to believe…" he muttered. "I knew I'd find a use for this guy…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Reborn Zombie in Attack Mode."

He played a card, and a rotting, skeletal corpse with stark, white hair clad in filthy rags appeared on the field. (1,000/1,600)

"You gotta be kidding…" said Ric with a smirk. "I'm surprised that thing even _has_ an Attack Mode."

"Zombie Werewolf, attack the White Magical Hat!" ordered Nathan. "Savage claw!"

Zombie Werewolf lunged forward, and with one swipe of his claw, White Magical Hat was blown away.

"As Joey Wheeler once said…" laughed Nathan, "say goodbye to the Cat in the Hat!"

**(N: 4,600) -------------------- (R: 6,300)**

"Clever…" said Ric, drawing a card.

"I play my Pot of Greed…" he said.

The jar appeared, and he drew two cards.

"I'll bet you wish you had this card, Nathan," he said with a chuckle. "Frankly, from where I'm standing, you need it.

"Well, since attacking your Werewolf would let you summon one that was stronger, I'll get rid of it another way. I play Tribute to the Doomed."

He played one of the cards in his hand and discarded another. Zombie Werewolf moaned, as it was mummified by a swarm of linens and dragged under.

"And since you foolishly summoned that weak Monster in Attack Mode," he continued, "Mefist, destroy Reborn Zombie!"

Mefist charged, and swung his axe, splitting the Reborn Zombie down the middle…

…but the two halves came back together, and fused back together.

"Huh?" said Ric. "How?"

Nathan smirked. Then he showed his hands, showing that they were empty.

"I may have lost 800 Life Points," he said, "but if Reborn Zombie is in Attack Mode, and I have no cards in my hand, it can't be destroyed in battle."

Ric just stared at him.

**(N: 3,800) -------------------- (R: 6,300)**

"My move!" said Nathan.

He drew a card.

"I sacrifice Reborn Zombie, to summon Vampire Lord!"

A swarm of bats flew from behind him. Reborn Zombie vanished, and the powerful vampire appeared. (2,000/1,500)

"Hey, wait just a minute!" shouted Ric.

"Vampire Lord…" said Nathan, "attack Mefist the Infernal General with Children of the Night!"

A glimmer appeared in Vampire Lord's eyes. He lifted his cloak, and a blast of bats shot forth. Mefist was thrown from his horse, and then both he and the mount shattered into triangles.

"And now I activate his effect," continued Nathan, "and I'll have you discard a Spell Card from your deck."

Ric grumbled, and looked through his deck.

He found his copy of Confiscation, and discarded it.

"Your move…" said Nathan.

**(N: 3,800) -------------------- (R: 6,100)**

"Ooh, you'll play for that…" muttered Ric, drawing a card.

_Lovely…_ he thought. _NOW I draw one of my Sakuretsu Armor cards. I know enough about how my own cards work to know that Necrovalley can't stop Vampire Lord's effect either. But if he draws another Monster…_

"I'll place this facedown…" he stated.

He fit the card into a slot, and it appeared.

"And set one Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That will be all."

Nathan drew a card.

"I play…" he stated, "Nobleman of Extermination!"

Ric gasped, as a burly knight in armor appeared, and stabbed his broadsword into the facedown card. It smashed to pieces. Two wisps of smoke came from his deck as his other two copies of Sakuretsu Armor vanished.

"You like Hand Destruction?" asked Nathan. "I'm kind of keen on Deck Destruction. Vampire Lord, attack!"

Vampire Lord shot forth his flurry of bats.

A Nightmare Horse appeared on the card, and shattered.

_Could Nathan actually win?_ thought Amanda.

She paused.

_Oh, if Ric manages to use the effect of that hideous Monster he has in his deck, it might be impossible…_

Ric glared at him.

He drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity," he said, playing the card.

He made three draws.

He smirked again.

He discarded Terraforming and Don Zaloog.

"You like Zombies?" he asked. "I got Zombies for you. I summon Decayed Commander."

He played the card, and a rotting corpse clad in filthy Oriental armor holding a rusted katana appeared. (1,000/1,500)

"Summoning it activates its effect, letting me summon Zombie Tiger from my hand."

He played another card, and a rotting, decaying tiger appeared next to the first Zombie. (1,400/1,600)

"Now, Zombie Tiger is a Union Monster that I can Equip to Decayed Commander, like so…"

Decayed Commander climbed onto the Zombie Tiger's back, holding his sword up high. (1,500/2,000)

"Not gonna do it," said Nathan.

"It will soon," replied Ric. "I play the Spell Card… Shrink!"

He played the card, and Vampire Lord shrank to half his size!

"Decayed Commander… Take him down!"

The Zombie charged forward on the strange mount, and with one slash of the decrepit sword, cut the reduced Vampire in two.

**(N: 3,300) -------------------- (R: 6,100)**

"Aw, no!" groaned Nathan. "I love that guy!"

"Heh, heh…" laughed Ric. "Your move…"

Nathan nervously drew a card.

He sighed in relief.

"I summon my third Zombie Werewolf in Defense Mode," he said.

He played the card, and the Werewolf appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,200/1,200)

"Well, I guess that's all you can do…" said Ric.

He drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Ha, ha… HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"

"Get a good draw, bro?" asked Amanda, angrily. "You should… All your draws are good. You had all the money for the best cards."

"I paid an awful lot of money buying you that Jinzo, Amanda," he replied.

She glared at him.

"Shawn was the one who gave me Jinzo…" she said, through her teeth. "That part of the deck was his idea."

He looked at her for a minute.

"Ah yes…" he muttered. "Good old Shawn…

"Decayed Commander, separate from Zombie Tiger."

Decayed Commander leapt off of Zombie Tiger's back. (1,000/1,500), (1,400/1,600)

"Now…" he said. "I sacrifice Decayed Commander for a beast from a realm where nightmares come alive…"

Decayed Commander vanished.

"I summon the dreaded… Helpoemer!"

The creature that appeared was ghastly. Propped against a rocky slab, it was a fiendish creature with leathery skin, no eyes, and fanged mouths all over its body! Its clawed arms dangled by its sides, and its only article of clothing was a belt and a tattered purple kilt. The smell of death wafted over the canyon. (2,000/1,400)

"You know…" muttered Nathan. "I often wonder what Pegasus was smoking when he thought up that thing…"

"Have a heart…" said Ric. "Sure, it's a horrible, hideous abomination, but horrible hideous abominations have feelings too, you know!"

"Zombie Tiger, take out his Zombie Werewolf!"

Zombie Tiger pounced, and tore the Werewolf to shreds.

"And now, Helpoemer…" commanded Ric. "Attack Nathan directly with Chthonian chant!"

Helpoemer's mouths began to gibber…

To Ric's horror, he was lifted off the ground! He started to feel his muscles tense and strain, as if something were trying to pull them apart!

Finally, the Fiend stopped, and he fell on the ground.

_Heh, heh… _thought Ric. _Even if he manages to put anything in Attack Mode and protect it for even a round, I'll eventually draw one of my other two copies of Shrink. Then I'll use it on my own Helpoemer and kamikaze it against his Monster, activating its deadly effect. _

_And if he summons a Vampire Lord again, all the better. That creature's Attack is equal to Helpoemer's. An attack will destroy both of them, and let me activate its effect regardless._

**(N: 1,300) -------------------- (R: 6,100)**

_Helpoemer…_ thought Amanda. _His most powerful weapon. Once he manages to activate its effect, he's unstoppable. It can decimate his opponent._

_Nathan's only hope is if he can take advantage of its weakness…_

"My move…" muttered Nathan.

He drew.

_Huh,_ he thought. _Hey, it's that card that that weird kid traded to me! Heh… I'll have to thank him if I ever see him again!_

"All right, Ric…" shouted Nathan. "I play… Card of Reversal!"

"Card of Reversal?" asked Ric. "What the Hell is that?"

"The worst nightmare for someone playing a Hand Control Deck," replied Nathan. "This card can only be used when I have no cards on the field, and it's the only card in my hand. Now I get to draw once for every face-up card that's on _your_ side of the field."

Images of the Necrovalley, Temple of the Gravekeepers, Zombie Tiger, and Helpoemer flashed before him.

"No way!" shouted Ric.

"Yes way…" said Nathan, drawing four cards.

He grinned as he looked at them.

"And now let's play some of them," he said, looking at the cards. "I summon Vampire Bat in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and a swarm of bats flew from behind him, forming into one huge bat. (800/800) –) (1,000/800)

"Please, that Monster is useless," said Ric. "And in case you didn't notice, it makes my Zombie Tiger even stronger."

Zombie Tiger grew to an attack of 1,600.

"Useless?" asked Nathan.

His Field Slot opened.

"I'm getting awfully sick of Necrovalley," he said, "so let's go somewhere else."

He placed a card in the slot.

"I play… Infernalvania!"

A spooky mist arose, and eerie music started to play. Necrovalley melted away, and now they were on a broken wasteland full of twisted trees. A creepy vampire's castle loomed in the background behind Nathan.

The Temple of the Gravekeepers crumbled into a pile of rubble.

"Where are we?" demanded Ric.

"Infernalvania," answered Nathan. "And here, a player can discard one Zombie from his hand to destroy all Monsters on the field.

"So, I'll discard my Ryu Kokki…"

He discarded a card. The Bone Dragon Ogre appeared on the field, and disintegrated.

And then lightning flashed, vaporizing Helpoemer and Zombie Tiger!

"Of course," said Nathan, discarding another card, "due to Vampire Bat's other effect, I can discard another Bat from my deck to keep it from being destroyed. And since that ugly Fiend of yours was destroyed outside of battle, its effect doesn't apply."

"Clever…" said Ric.

"Vampire Bat, attack directly!" shouted Nathan. "Nightmare scourge!"

The huge bat split into a swarm of bats again, and flew towards Ric. He shielded himself as they bit and clawed at him.

He got up. He glared at Nathan.

**(N: 1,300) -------------------- (R: 5,100)**

"All right, Nathan…" he said. "It's MY move!"

He drew.

He frowned. It was another White Magical Hat.

"I summon White Magical Hat in Defense Mode," he said.

The Spellcaster appeared again, kneeling in Defense. (1,000/700)

"That's all I can do for now," he muttered.

"What's wrong?" asked Nathan. "Can it be that _you_ actually got a bad draw? Oh, that is plain ironic, you know what I mean?"

Ric responded with a cold stare.

Nathan drew a card.

"Well, lookee here!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the Pot of Greed appeared.

Ric grit his teeth… It was far from the first time that he had seen the hologram of the Pot of Greed with its wicked smile appear on his opponent's side of the field…

…but this time, the Duel Monsters embodiment of greed seemed to be laughing at _him_.

Nathan drew two cards.

"Well…" said Nathan. "Now that I can use cards that recover Monsters from the Graveyard, I'll play Book of Life."

He played the Spell Card.

"I know you can't Special Summon Helpoemer from the Graveyard, so I'll remove your Infernal General from play so I won't have to worry about him again…"

Mefist slipped out of Ric's discard slot.

"And I'll use the second effect of Book of Life to bring back Ryu Kokki."

The ground rumbled, and the huge ogre made of bones and skulls rose out of the ground. (2,400/2,000)

"Next…" said Nathan, "I'll sacrifice my Bat to summon my second Vampire Lord."

Vampire Bat exploded in a cloud of bats, and Vampire Lord appeared again. (2,000/1,500)

"And finally…" he continued, taking the last card in his hand, "I'll remove my Vampire Lord from play, to summon Vampire Genesis."

Vampire Lord faded into mist, and the hulking, hideous-looking vampire deity appeared with a roar. (3,000/2,100)

"Ryu Kokki…" ordered Nathan, "turn his White Magical Hat to paste."

The Bone Dragon Ogre lunged forward with its claw, and with one mighty smash, flattened the Spellcaster.

Nathan paused.

"So…" he said, looking at Ric. "You thought that seeing your sister take a 3,000-point direct attack was funny, huh?"

"Okay… Let's be reasonable…" said Ric, drawing back.

"Vampire Genesis, attack directly with crimson shroud!" screamed Nathan.

Vampire Genesis burst into a blood-red cloud, and flew forward with a chilling moan. Ric screamed and was propelled backwards as it plowed into him.

"You know…" said Nathan, as the huge vampire reformed on his side. "You were right… That _was_ kind of funny."

**(N: 1,300) -------------------- (R: 2,100)**

Amanda giggled a little bit.

"What are you laughing at?" shouted Ric, angrily.

"You, bro," she said. "Know something, Ric? I just realized how stupid I've been…"

"I won't argue…" he growled.

"I was stupid to ever think I should have been afraid of you," she continued. "I'll tell you right now… Once this whole mess is over, I'm throwing this deck away and making my own. I don't even like _seeing_ Lava Golem, let alone being attacked by it. It has to be the ugliest Duel Monster ever created!"

Ric grinned.

"Well, you certainly can't throw it away now…" he said. "You'd be unarmed… A duelist simply can't be without her deck in this place, Amanda. If you were forced into a Shadow Game then, you'd have to forfeit.

"And you will be once I take care of your friend…"

"And just how, pray tell, are you going to beat him?" asked Amanda. "Take a look at yourself… The tables have been turned on you!

"Now _you_ have no cards in your hand, and you're facing a Monster that has 3,000 Attack Points, and another that has 2,400! This time, _you_ are the one who's going to need a miracle draw to save yourself, because if you don't draw something on this turn that can defeat them, you lose!"

Ric gulped.

He drew a card.

_Ooh…_ he thought, looking at it. _He has no cards in his hand either… This will help him as much as it will me… But it's not like I really have much of a choice…_

"I play Card of Sanctity!" he shouted.

He played the card, and a bright glow lit up the spooky wasteland, and coins fell from the sky.

Both of them drew six cards from their decks.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Ric. "You forgot one thing, Nathan! This Infernalvania is a Field Spell! That means I can use its effect as well!"

"Uh, before you do that, I should warn you," said Nathan. "If you use the effect of Infernalvania, you are not allowed to summon a Monster after you do so. That's why I used it with Vampire Bat."

Ric looked at him.

He looked at his cards.

He saw Magic Cylinder and Mirror Force there.

"Then so be it…" he said. "I discard a second Decayed Commander to activate the effect of Infernalvania!"

He discarded the card, and bolts of lightning struck Ryu Kokki and Vampire Genesis, blasting them to pieces.

"Now I'll place two cards facedown, and end my turn…"

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

_Crud…_ thought Nathan, looking at his hand. _I've got a few Monsters I could use, but those facedown cards are clearly deadly. And my Life Points are too low to take a risk. My only chance is if I draw Heavy Storm right now…_

His deck seemed to glow as he reached for it…

He drew, and looked at the card.

It was the card Jason had given him…

But at this point, it was telling him something…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Visions assaulted Nathan Emmanuel Evans's mind.

First, he saw a scene with a pious young woman praying in a sacred shrine. A golden cross was around her neck, and the light shone on her.

The scene turned ugly. She was being chased at night. A horrible creature tackled her from behind. She screamed and tried to struggle, but the beast bit its fangs into her neck. She sobbed pitifully as it drained the life from her…

The scene returned to the shrine, but now it was night. The young woman approached again, but she had changed. Her skin was pale as death, and her eyes were glowing silvery. Tears flowed from them. She prayed again, as if desperate for someone to hear…

Then, a figure that could best be described as an angel appeared out of the darkness. He took her in his arms, and they both glowed…

The scene shifted to another scene, outdoors at night. The young woman was angrily standing over the vampire that had attacked her, a wooden mallet in her hand… It was dead, a stake through its heart. She slowly walked away.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I understand…" whispered Nathan.

He took a card from his hand.

…_Justice…_

"I play… Call of the Mummy," he said, playing a card. "Now, so long as I have no Monsters on my side of the field, I can Special Summon a Zombie from my hand, no matter how powerful it is.

"And the one I choose to summon… Is Penelope the Lady of the Night!"

A beam of light fell from the heavens over Infernalvania. A young woman… the woman in his vision… materialized. She was dressed in clothing that was simple, yet elegant, with the same golden cross around her neck. She had raven black hair, pale white skin, and in her hands was a long staff, topped with a golden crescent. (1,000/200)

"You used Call of the Mummy to summon a weakling?" asked Ric.

"She's a seven-star Monster, Ric," said Nathan.

Ric looked dumbfounded.

"Let me explain her first effect," he stated. "You see, she can't be Normal Summoned, but when she is summoned, all Spell and Trap Cards on the field are wiped out."

In a fierce burst of radiant energy, Infernalvania, Call of the Mummy, and Ric's two facedown cards were blown to shards!

"Is that all?" asked Ric.

"No…" said Nathan. "There's much more… Penelope was once a mortal priestess, until she was fed on by a savage vampire and her life was cut short. She rose as a vampire herself… But she was so pious, and so devoted to her faith, that she didn't lose her soul as most vampires do. She begged the higher powers to give her a salvation, and they replied. They said that a cure for vampirism was only possible if one used her vampiric abilities to oppose and destroy them.

"And as an enemy of the creatures of the night, Penelope gains power from ones that die. So for each and every Zombie that's rotting in my Graveyard right now, she gains 400 Attack Points!"

"Each one?" screamed Ric.

"That's right…" said Nathan. "And since your Hand Control strategy sent so many of them there, I now have ten of them in my Graveyard."

Penelope glowed with holy light, and her score changed… (5,000/200)

"Hold on!" shouted Ric.

"You made a big mistake using Infernalvania's effect…" said Nathan. "Penelope… Attack directly with light of vengeance!"

The Lady of the Night's eyes glowed, and she cast a mighty spell from her staff. Ric's final scream echoed throughout the whole floor…

**(N: 1,300) -------------------- (R: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The figure on the dark throne clutched her head.

"Ergh…" she thought. "First Erathaol decides to help them… Now Penelope does as well?

"Who's next? What other meddling divine being is going to appear in one of their decks?

"Humph… It matters little…"

A deck of cards appeared in her hand.

"Sartorious never used these cards… Even in his insanity, he was too scared. The one who killed him and stole them hid them away… He was too scared. Everyone who has owned the Reckoning Deck… the Ultimate Orichalcos Deck… couldn't look at these special cards without trembling in fear.

"I doubt even Dartz would have had the courage to use them."

She smirked.

"When Fortunado was given these cards, he was also too scared, but he knew what to do with them… Find the one who wouldn't be scared…"

She took eight Monster Cards out of the deck.

"They certainly don't scare me. And no matter how many divine allies the Messiah has, I know I'll have more…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Amanda sadly looked at her brother's comatose form.

"What will I tell mom and dad?" she muttered. "What will I tell Shawn? This is going to ruin Thanksgiving…"

She looked at Nathan.

"Do I come right out and tell them that he was a Shadow Duelist who sided with the Orichalcos? They'll be heartbroken…"

Nathan held her.

"There may yet be hope, Amanda," he said. "Maybe when Jason defeats whoever is behind this, he can force whoever it is to give back everyone he's taken.

"And then he can just be a no-good brother who you can yell at or swear you'll never speak to again."

Amanda looked at her deck.

"I meant what I said, you know…" she said. "Once this is over, I'm just going to throw this away, and start afresh. I dunno, I've been thinking of a V-through-Z Machine Deck. Think that would be good?"

"Definitely," said Nathan. "But for the love of mercy, don't throw those cards away!"

"Why not?" she asked.

"You've got a lot of rare ones in there," he replied. "This is a Trading Card Game, after all. Some guys would kill for a Chaos Command Magician. Hey, there are a lot of cards in that deck that _I'd_ even trade you for!"

"Really?" she asked, looking at it.

"So…" she asked, as he picked something up that Ric had dropped, "where did you get that awesome card?"

"She's a Card of Virtue," muttered Nathan, looking at the small, metal square. "A Justice Card, ironically. And when I drew her, she told me her whole story."

"Really?" asked Amanda, looking at the second red square. "Did Penelope ever find the cure?"

"In a way," answered Nathan. "For one hundred years, she walked the Earth, fighting the forces of evil and destroying the creatures like the ones who had made her undead. She took the riches they had stolen, and distributed it all to the impoverished and the poor… The common folk called her the Lady of the Night, seeing as that's the only time they ever saw her. Due to the curse of vampirism, she could only be out at night. More than one child reported that when they awakened from horrible nightmares, Penelope appeared to calm and comfort them.

"Eventually, she fell into the same slumber that she did at every daybreak… And the arms of an angel lifted her up, and carried her into Heaven for her final reward."

Amanda got chills.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Red letter R and red letter A?" asked Jason over the phone. "Okay… I got it I guess…"

He looked at the letters on the notebook.

He turned to his two friends, who were still looking through all the Normal Monsters.

"There has to be some sort of meaning to this…" he muttered.

"I dunno…" said Trisha. "A lot of these Monsters are truly worthless. He actually has a Bolt Escargot in this pile."

"I found a Tatsunootoshigo," said Russell, holding up another one. "It's even more worthless than that. In fact, most of these Monsters are stuff that no sane duelist would be caught dead with. The Statue of Easter Island? Wow Warrior? The Judgment Hand? Here's a weirdo I can't even pronounce…"

"Mikazukinoyaiba?" asked Trisha.

"How'd you know?" asked Russell.

"Lucky guess…" muttered Trisha, with a sigh.

"Don't disregard any of them," said Jason. "All of them are keys to the important places in this compound…

"And one of them, as worthless as it may appear, is the one that will lead us to Fortunado.

"We just have to figure out which, and soon…

"Because according to my watch…

"Time is running short…"

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 7:00 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**BLOOD SUCKER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,300  
**DEF: **1,500

**Card Description**: When this card does battle damage to your opponent's Life Points, your opponent discards the top card from his deck to the Graveyard.

_Note: "Blood Sucker" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

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**0**

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**ASHINAGRAY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Winged Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **500  
**DEF: **500

**Card Description**: Flip: Your opponent discards one card at random from his hand. When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, search your deck for one card of the same name and set it in facedown Defense Position.

_Note: "Ashinagray" was first used by Gansley in the anime episode "Isolated in Cyberspace (Part One)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CARD OF REVERSAL (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: The image on this card was not clear.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have no cards on the field and this is the only card in your hand. For each face-up card on your opponent's side of the field, draw one card from your deck.

_Note: "Card of Reversal" was first used by Hasselberry in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Taken by Storm (Part 2)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**INFERNALVANIA (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Field  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A barren wasteland with a spooky vampire's castle in the center.

**Card Description:** A player may discard one ZOMBIE-Type Monster from his hand to destroy all Monsters on the field. A player who uses this effect may not Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon a Monster on the turn he does so.

_Note: "Infernalvania" was used by Camula in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Field of Screams (Part One)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TEMPLE OF THE GRAVEKEEPERS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: An Egyptian temple seen from the outside. Statues of the jackal-headed Anubis flank the entrance.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points to activate this card. This card is destroyed if there is no "Necrovalley" active on your side of the field. When this card remains on the field, your Graveyard is unaffected by the effect of "Necrovalley".

**0**

**0**

**0**

**PENELOPE THE LADY OF THE NIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Zombie/Effect/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **200

**Virtue**: Justice

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned. When this card is Special Summoned successfully, destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field. This card gains 400 ATK for every ZOMBIE-Type Monster in your Graveyard.

**0**

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**0**

_**Coming up next...**_

_**You can be sure that Fortunado is not just going to let Jason, Trisha, and Russell make their plans in peace. Next chapter, he makes a move to take out Trisha, sending someone you might remember. And he has a strategy that's obscure, but incredibly deadly.**_

_**It's a chapter called "Rivalry of Warlords", coming soon.**_

_**And by the way, if you liked Penelope, don't worry, you'll see her again… But not until "Dark Messiah" is over and done with. You likely have no idea what I'm talking about, but you'll see eventually.**_


	53. Rivalry of Warlords

**_I still remember quite clearly the horrible day when my brother, someone I thought of as family and a kindred spirit, was exposed as a cheater. I remember how he was expelled, and how I spoke to him for what I thought would be the last time. _**

_**I said that I wouldn't consider him my brother anymore, and that for as far as I was concerned, he was dead. His breaking the rules in order to succeed at the Academy was like betrayal. **_

_**It hurt me even more when he came back, only under two months ago, looking for revenge, holding a Seal of Orichalcos card. He challenged our chancellor to duel, and she humiliated him, making the duel end in a draw on purpose – even though she could have won – to prove that she could defeat the Orichalcos. The duel technically ended in a draw, but for all intents and purposes, Patrick was clearly the loser. And if his boss hadn't taken a hostage, the crisis would have ended before it started.**_

_**Maybe this is why Critias came to me in the first place…**_

_**I want nothing more than for this black mark on my family to leave and never come back. **_

_**Which leads me to my current situation. **_

_**If I win this duel, he'll trouble me no more… But if I lose, my role in this conflict will likely be over…**_

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Rivalry of Warlords**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 7:05 PM_

Trisha and Russell sorted through the huge pile of Monster Cards with yellow borders that indicated no effects.

"Kojikocy…" muttered Trisha, looking at a pile, "Gyakutenno Megami, Terra the Terrible, Dark Titan of Terror, Master and Expert, Destroyer Golem, Pale Beast…"

"Something's familiar about those cards…" muttered Russell.

Trisha paused.

"Hmmm…" she said.

She sighed.

"How many important rooms can he even have in this building?" she asked.

"I don't think some of them lead to places in this building," said Jason, who was looking at the Interdimensional Matter Transporters. "From what I can tell, these things can lead to places farther away…

"Maybe alternate worlds, alternate dimensions…

"So using a random card is just too dangerous. The place you end up might be a place where humans can't even survive. Maybe a world of fire…"

They shuddered…

Trisha sighed and took out her deck.

She leafed through it and found Nanobreaker. She looked at the card.

_**When a man's an empty kettle,**_

_**He should be on his mettle,**_

_**And yet I'm torn apart…**_

_**Just because I'm assumin'**_

_**That I might be kinda human**_

_**If I only had a heart…**_

For some reason, that old song from the old movie had been running through her head for awhile. The Tin Woodsman had sought a heart, desiring emotion and feeling, not realizing until the end of the movie that he had possessed those qualities all along.

Her family had always been good with machines, and the duelists in her family had always used them. But no member of her family had ever been crazy enough to think that machines were anything but devices. Non-sentient tools. She had been the same way…

…until this Monster had introduced her to Critias.

It seemed that even Machine Monsters had Duel Spirits attached to them…

She wondered, as she looked at her cards, with Nanobreaker in the forefront…

Did these creatures have souls?

Souls of silicon, perhaps…

…but souls nonetheless.

And then they were startled as one of the Transporters started to hum…

Trisha and Russell got up.

"Stand back everyone…" said Jason. "There's no telling what's coming out of that thing… It could be another of the Puppeteer's specters for all we know…"

"Or some sort of demon…" said Russell. "Or a hostile Duel Spirit…"

A form materialized.

"Or something much, much worse…" muttered Trisha, as they saw who it was.

Patrick stepped off the pedestal, ignoring Jason entirely.

"Hello, sis," he said. "I see you've made a lot of progress."

"Drop dead…" she said, through her teeth.

"What?" asked Patrick. "Nothing kind to say to your big brother?"

"Patrick, you have a lot of nerve," started Jason.

"Butt out, Jason," said Patrick. "You think you're so big. 'Oh, I'm the Dark Messiah! I'm all powerful!' Don't make me laugh. You're small potatoes compared to who I'm working for."

He smirked at him.

"Why are you called the _Dark_ Messiah, anyway?" he asked. "Don't you work for the powers of Light?"

Jason stared at him for a minute.

Actually, that was a valid question, and he didn't know the answer.

He changed the subject.

"You want to see how powerful I am?" he asked. "What if I were to smite you with a bolt of lightning?"

Patrick stepped back nervously.

"He'll do it, bro…" said Trisha with a grin.

She knew Jason was bluffing, but a little fear never hurt. At least she was pretty sure he was bluffing…

"I don't want to mess with you, Jason," said Patrick. "I want an honorable duel… One with my sister."

Trisha shut her eyes tight, half in frustration, half in anger.

"Trisha!" said Jason. "You have nothing you have to prove. And as for honor, this guy has none of it. I see his soul, and it's rotten to the core. No love for you exists in him any more, if any ever did in the first place."

Trisha stepped up to Patrick.

"What do I have to do…" she asked, "to get you out of my life forever?"

Patrick held his chin for a second.

"Okay, how about we make a wager?" he said.

"A wager?" she asked.

"We duel, fairly," said Patrick. "I don't use any Seal, you don't use any Legendary Dragon. If you win, I'll go out of your life, and you'll never see me again…

"But if I win…

"You have to come with me to meet the Master, without your two friends…"

"Trisha…" said Jason.

"Don't worry, Jason," said Trisha. "His deck doesn't have anything I haven't seen before. And I'm not scared of that Mechanical Exodia either."

_Poor, poor, deluded Trisha,_ thought Patrick. _I never saw the cards in my new deck before today, and I guarantee, you haven't either. You have no idea what you're up against._

"All right, Patrick," said Trisha, shuffling her deck. "I'll duel you, and then you'll be on the next train out of Dodge."

Patrick placed his own in his deck in his Disk and it activated.

"Then prepare to face the Royal Army of the Machine King!" he exclaimed.

_Royal Army of the Machine King? _thought Trisha, as she activated her own. _That's a… new one…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado watched the unfolding scene with interest.

"_So…"_ said the voice of his benefactor. _"How much did those fourteen cards that you gave him cost?"_

"All together, around fifteen-hundred euros," replied Fortunado. "And they were hard to get. I had to send people to over ten shops on the continent to find them all. I believe only two professional duelists, one from England and one from France has actually collected enough of the cards to put together a deck like this. But it will be all be worth it if our pawn can take Trisha down."

"_Indeed,"_ said the voice. _"If he can, Trisha will learn that making that wager was her last mistake. She'll face her final duel alone, in the darkness, without her allies. She'll be easy to dispose of."_

"Well, for now let's watch…" said Fortunado.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Ready?" asked Patrick.

"Oh yeah…" replied Trisha.

**(Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (Patrick: 8,000)**

"Game start…" said Trisha.

"I'll win this duel…" said Patrick, drawing a sixth card, "because Chosen One or no Chosen One, you'll always be the baby of the family!"

He placed two cards on his Disk, and a facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared.

"Heh, heh…" he said. "Your move…"

"Fine," said Trisha, drawing a card.

She added it to her hand.

"And I'm starting out with my favorite Monster…" she said, playing a card. "Nanobreaker in Attack Mode!"

Her Machine look-alike appeared in front of her, brandishing her sword. (1,600/1,800)

"Attack his facedown Monster!" she shouted. "Nano-blade!"

Nanobreaker flew forward. Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive appeared on the card, and with one slash of the sword, it was reduced to scrap.

"I don't think I need to tell you what happens when Dekoichi is flipped," said Patrick, drawing a card.

"Now, before you end your turn, I'll activate my Trap Card…"

His facedown card lifted.

With a rumbling noise, a huge machine rose up behind him. It looked like a cross between a dish antenna and a laser gun, mounted on a pedestal on tank treads. It whirred, and pointed at Trisha.

"Wh… what's that?" she asked.

"It's a Continuous Trap called Cyber Summon Blaster," said Patrick, "and it's got you in its crosshairs. Here's the skinny. Each time either one of us Special Summons a Machine-Type Monster, you get zapped. And it costs you 300 Life Points with each shot."

_I was wrong…_ thought Trisha. _He DOES have something I've never seen before…_

"Good lord…" muttered Russell. "They're both using Machines! It'll fire every time _anything_ is Special Summoned!"

"I think that was the whole point…" replied Jason.

"Now I'll draw…" said Patrick.

He drew a card.

"And it's time for my army to start its offensive," he said.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Machiner's Soldier in Attack Mode," he said.

In a beam of light, a tall robot appeared. It was green and silver, shaped like a marine in a flackjacket and helmet, with one glaring eye. Its right arm ended in a nasty blade. (1,600/1,500)

"Huh?" asked Trisha. "A… Machiner?"

"It may not look very impressive," said Patrick, "but when it's summoned when I have no other Monsters on my side of the field, I get to Special Summon another low-level Machiner from my hand, except for another Soldier. And I think that Machiner's Sniper will do."

He placed another card on his Disk, and another robot appeared. This one was taller and thinner, and colored beige. It held a large rifle in its right arm. (1,800/800)

"And let's not forget about my Cyber Summon Blaster," he added. "Fire!"

The Cyber Summon Blaster glowed, and then shot a beam of energy, striking Trisha in the chest!

"And wait until you hear about Sniper's effect," continued Patrick. "When it's on the field, you aren't allowed to attack any Machiners, except for Snipers.

"Not that you could. Machiner's Sniper, attack the Nanobreaker with sniper-shot!"

The Machiner aimed its rifle and fired ten rounds of hot shells. Nanobreaker gave a cry as she was hit in the chest; she fell over, and shattered into pixels.

"Machiner's Soldier, attack directly! Bayonet blade!"

The Soldier flew forward and slashed at Trisha with its blade arm. She shrieked and fell on her behind.

**(T: 5,900) -------------------- (P: 8,000)**

Patrick grinned.

"Your move…" he said.

Jason was already worried at seeing Trisha lose so many Life Points in one round. But as she drew her next card, something caught his eye that made him worry even more…

…the shadows were rising…

"Patrick, you big jerk!" he shouted. "You would lure your own sister into a Shadow Game?"

"And what if I did?" he asked. "She should be able to take it by now."

"I've seen some sleazy characters since this whole deal started, Patrick," said Jason, "but you're in a class of your own."

"Thank you!" he replied. "I do like to be unique."

Trisha was surprised at the card she had drawn. She had put this Spell Card in her deck at the start of the school year, but up until now, it had always seemed to hit the bottom of her deck.

She shook her head as she added it to her hand. It was powerful, but she couldn't use it right now. Hopefully, its power would be unleashed later.

"Ahem," she said, choosing three other cards. "I'll place two cards facedown, and one Battle Footballer in Defense Mode."

She played three cards. Two facedown cards appeared, and the android athlete materialized, crouching in Defense. (1,000/2,100)

"Try getting past _that_!" she dared.

"I can try…" said Patrick, drawing.

He looked at the Trap Card.

_Hmm…_ he thought. _Rising Energy. This could be useful…_

He fit it into his Disk.

"I place one card facedown…" he said.

The card appeared facedown.

"Then I'll play… Rush Recklessly."

He played another card, and Machiner's Soldier rose to an Attack of 2,300.

"Soldier, send her Footballer to the showers!" he ordered.

Machiner's Soldier flew forward, and with one downward swipe, Battle Footballer exploded.

"Sniper, show her how Nanobreaker felt!"

Sniper raised its rifle and pumped ten rounds into Trisha's chest. She screamed and fell over.

**(T: 4,100) -------------------- (P: 8,000)**

Trisha slowly got up.

_Swords I can handle…_ she thought. _Claws and teeth I can handle. Destructive magical spells, energy blasts, and being slugged by bludgeons I can handle. But being filled full of lead?_

_I'm going to be feeling that in the morning…_

She looked out to the street, where the inky blackness of Jason's Yami Spell was still shrouding the city with darkness.

_That is, if there is another morning…_

As she got up, Patrick placed a card on his Disk.

"I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn…" he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Huh?" asked Russell. "Why Defense Mode? If he had summoned something in Attack Mode, he could have attacked her twice."

"Clearly, that Monster he just set has a flip-effect," said Jason. "But exactly what… I have no idea.

"I don't think it's another Dekoichi…"

Trisha drew a card.

"Okay, bro…" she said. "I play Pot of Greed…"

She played the card, and the chuckling jar appeared. She drew twice.

She looked at one of the two cards.

It was the card that the Sage of Duelists had given to her!

"Patrick!" she shouted. "A question…"

"Yes?" he asked.

"What Attribute of Monster are these Machiners?" she asked.

"Why?" he asked with a laugh. "Planning to use your Elemental Blight card that you're so fond of?"

"Answer the question…" she demanded.

"They're Earth Monsters," he said. "Happy?"

_No harm in her knowing,_ he thought. _I put Rising Energy in my deck because I knew she had that Trap. And I have it facedown right now. If she uses it to decrease the Attack of my Sniper by 1,500, I only need to discard one card from my hand, and its Attack will increase by 1,500, back to its original level._

_And with the Monster I'm ultimately preparing to summon, losing 1,500 Attack Points won't make much of a difference._

Trisha added the card to her hand, and took the other one.

"I summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car in Defense Mode," she said.

Bokoichi appeared, shielding itself. (500/500)

"And next…" she continued, "I play Machine Duplication, to bring two more to the field."

She played a Spell Card, and two more Bokoichis appeared.

"You make this too easy!" laughed Patrick, as the Cyber Summon Blaster started to glow. "That means my Blaster gets to fire twice!"

It fired two more times, and Trisha screamed again.

**(T: 3,500) -------------------- (P: 8,000)**

She stopped to catch her breath.

"Your move…" she growled.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado watched, rubbing his chin.

"_It goes against my better judgment,"_ said the voice of his benefactor, _"but I must admit, I'm impressed. Having him add that Trap to his deck was a stroke of genius."_

"Oh, I can't take credit for that one," said Fortunado. "It was his own idea. All cheating aside, he's a pretty good duelist."

"_Indeed,"_ said the voice. _"One can't win a duel by Normal Summoning alone. Special Summoning makes up half of every duelist's strategy. But every time that happens, Trisha will get hurt, and her life will ebb away slowly but surely._

"_This will finally tip the odds in our favor…"_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Patrick drew a card.

"You see, Trisha?" he said. "I don't need to cheat to win! I don't need the Orichalcos or counterfeit cards or trick shuffling! My own skill as a duelist can still far outshine that of even the elite ones at your miserable school.

"And I can surely beat you. You'll always be my little sister…"

He looked at the card he had drawn.

He looked at Trisha with an evil expression.

"I'm guessing you got what you wanted…" she said.

"Indeed…" said Patrick. "But to summon it, I need to do a few things first….

"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode. Meet… Machiner's Defender."

The card flipped up, and another robot appeared. This one was a bulky tank with a grim face and two rocket launchers on its "shoulders". (1,200/1,800)

Patrick took his deck out of the holder.

"And its flip-effect lets me search my deck for a specific Monster and add it to my hand."

He got what he needed, and then reshuffled.

"And I summon him now…" he continued. "Meet the supreme commander of the Royal Army of the Machine King!

"I summon… General Commander Covinton."

He placed a card on his Disk.

In a flash, a small form appeared next to the Machiners…

It was another robot, about five feet tall, built to look like he was wearing beige riding pants, a military jacket, and a necktie. He wore a pointed helmet that concealed most of his face – only beady, green, glowing eyes were visible under it. (1,000/600)

Russell stared for a minute.

"He's the general?" he asked in disbelief. "Marauding Captain hasn't made major yet, and he could beat that guy."

"Be wary," said Jason. "I sense that this Covinton has a powerful effect…"

"Indeed…" said Patrick. "Show them what you can do, General!"

General Commander Covinton produced a bugle, and started to play a rousing tune…

"Reveille…" muttered Russell. "A call to arms…"

Then Machiner's Soldier, Machiner's Sniper, and Machiner's Defender vanished.

"You see, Trisha…" said Patrick, "when Covinton is on the field, I can sacrifice the three lesser Machiners to summon my ultimate weapon!"

He placed a card on his Disk, and with a rumble, a huge Machine rose up behind him! It was a huge mecha, as big as Ancient Gear Golem, with armor, thick limbs, and a large rifle in its hands. On its back was a unit, out of which reached two mechanical limbs that held two giant missile launchers!

"Meet Machiner's Force!" shouted Patrick.

(4,600/4,100)

"Forty-six hundred Attack Points?" shouted Trisha. "You gotta be kidding!"

She was interrupted as the Cyber Summon Blaster zapped her again.

"And this gets even worse, Trisha," continued Patrick. "Did I mention that as well as being a towering, unstoppable juggernaut of death, Machiner's Force has a nifty effect as well? I simply have to send one card on my side of the field to the grave to activate it, and since Covinton has served his purpose, I'll use him…"

Covinton saluted, and then shattered into pixels.

"In return," said Patrick, "I get to Special Summon Machiner's Soldier, Machiner's Sniper, and Machiner's Defender right back from my Graveyard."

The three Machiners reappeared in front of the enormous juggernaut!

"And that counts as three more Special Summons…" he said with an evil grin.

Trisha shrieked as the Blaster blasted her three more times.

**(T: 2,300) -------------------- (P: 8,000)**

"Now to finish you!" shouted Patrick. "Soldier… Sniper… Defender… Destroy her toy train set!"

Soldier slashed with its blade, Sniper blasted its rifle, and Defender launched a barrage of missiles, and the three Freightening Cards were blown to bits.

"And now…" said Patrick.

"I activate Hyper Refresh!" screamed Trisha, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "It doubles my Life Points, to 4,600!"

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Patrick. "A futile attempt! 4,600 is _exactly_ how many Attack Points my Machiner's Force has!

"Of course, this Monster does have one little downside. I have to pay 1,000 Life Points to order it to attack. But since this duel will be over once I do…

"Machiner's Force, attack her directly with scud missile death barrage!"

Machiner's Force started to glow.

"I activate Nutrient Z!" screamed Trisha.

Her other facedown card lifted, just as a volley of burning, flaming missiles flew forward, honing in on her.

She was thrown back ten feet, and her cards scattered all over the room.

Her Trap had activated successfully…

…but it hadn't stopped a direct attack with more power behind it than Kaiba's Ultimate Dragon…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Oh, for the love of…" groaned Fortunado. "He was so close! How lucky can these kids be?"

The reply was sinister laughter.

"_Take heart, my friend,"_ said the voice. _"The Shadow Game makes such a mighty attack a tremendous shock to the duelist's system, and to the very soul. Trisha has been knocked out cold._

"_She may have Life Points left, but whether or not she can rise after that blow to her system… That is a much different question. _

"_Let's find out, shall we?"_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(T: 4,000) -------------------- (P: 7,000)**

"Trisha!" pleaded Jason. "Get up!"

"Oh, stand aside, Mr. Dork Messiah," said Patrick. "I've won, and I want my side of the bargain to be honored."

"Stay… away…" said Russell, angrily. "She activated Nutrient Z, so she gained 4,000 Life Points before that attack hit. This duel isn't over."

"Oh, please…" muttered Patrick.

"If you want to get a punch from something that _isn't_ a hologram," said Russell, "then by all means, come closer."

"Fine, have it your way," said Patrick. "We'll use Pro League rules."

"Pro League rules?" asked Russell.

"Yes," said Patrick, looking at his watch. "I'm ending my turn right now. That means she has one minute to start her turn. If she doesn't, it counts as a forfeit."

"You sleazy, slimy, piece of…" snarled Russell.

"You're something else," said Patrick, tapping his foot. "I'm only giving you sixty seconds to wake her up, and you're spending them _insulting_ me?"

"Sixty seconds?" yelled Jason.

"Well, actually, it's more like forty-five now…" replied Patrick, looking at his watch again.

"Trisha…" begged Jason again. "Please get up…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Trisha looked around.

She remembered this place.

She was in the factory where she had been taken during her first Orichalcos duel, where Nanobreaker had introduced her to Critias.

Nanobreaker and Critias weren't here now. Only the pounding of machinery in the strange factory of brass and silver remained.

Her eyes fell on a large golden chest.

She walked over to it. She knelt down, and slowly opened it…

A soft glow came from within…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Fifteen seconds…" said Patrick.

"No…" moaned Jason. "It can't end like…"

Trisha's eyes opened.

"…this?"

Trisha sat up.

She reached for her deck. Her hand fumbled…

And then she drew a card off her deck.

Slowly, she got up, stumbling once. She slowly picked up the cards she had dropped.

"I'm not… out of… this yet…" she muttered.

**(T: 4,000) -------------------- (P: 7,000)**

"That's what I get for being nice…" muttered Patrick. "You are tough. You got that from dad's side. But as tough as you are, you'll never withstand another blow. Nothing you could summon could stand up to my Machiners.

"Not unless you have the Winged Dragon of Ra in your deck."

Trisha looked over her cards.

"I place one card facedown," she said, fitting a card into her Disk, "and that will end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Patrick, drawing a card. "And I'm supposed to believe that you drew Mirror Force just when you needed it?

"Well… I hardly need to summon a fifth Monster… But I want to humiliate you."

He threw a card on his Disk.

"I summon Robotic Knight in Attack Mode."

In a flash of light, a golden droid in the shape of a cavalier, holding a sword appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Trisha. "Courtesy of the Sage of Duelists! Go, Elemental Absorber!"

Her facedown card lifted.

"Here's how it works, bro," she said. "I remove from play one Monster in my hand. And for as long as this Continuous Trap is in effect, it negates the attacks of all of your Monsters who have the same Attribute as the one I'm removing.

"So it's a good thing that the card I just drew was this one… Red Gadget, an Earth Monster!"

She held up the Monster Card, and it vanished. A dome-shaped carousel with four spires on the top appeared in front of her, and one of the spires glowed with tan light.

"All right!" shouted Russell. "She's shielded herself from all those Machiners!"

Patrick frowned.

"The Machiners, yes," he said. "But Robotic Knight is a Fire Monster.

"Go! Attack her directly!"

Robotic Knight flew forward, and slashed across Trisha's torso with his blade.

"And it's only a matter of time before I smash that barrier down, dear sister…" he said. "I end my turn…"

**(T: 2,400) -------------------- (P: 7,000)**

Trisha drew a card.

"I play my Graceful Charity," she exclaimed.

She played the card, and the angel appeared. She drew three cards.

She smirked. She discarded Soul Release and Advanced Robotics.

"Next, I summon Machine King Prototype," she continued.

In a beam of light, Prototype appeared. (1,600/1,500) –) (2,100/1,500)

"And now I play this Spell Card," she continued. "It's called Imperial Upgrade."

She played the card. A Continuous Spell Card appeared, bearing the image of several Mighty Guards fixing Machine King with wielding torches.

"And what does that do?" asked Patrick.

"Nothing, yet," answered Trisha. "You'll just have to wait and see. Next, I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy…"

She paused.

"…your facedown card!"

She played the card, and the whirlwind tore forward. Rising Energy lifted…

"I chain-activate my Rising Energy!" he shouted, discarding his last card. "Now Machiner's Sniper gains 1,500 Attack Points for this round!"

Sniper rose to 3,300 Attack.

"Oh, but it wasn't my target…" said Trisha. "Your Robotic Knight was.

"Prototype, attack the Robotic Knight! Laser phaser!"

Prototype fired its eye beams, and Robotic Knight burst in a fiery explosion. Patrick shielded himself…

**(T: 2,400) -------------------- (P: 6,500)**

"It's your move, brother…" said Trisha.

Patrick angrily drew a card as Sniper returned to 1,800 Attack.

_Hey…_ he thought.

"I'll place this card facedown," he said, "and that will be my turn."

Trisha nervously looked at the facedown card.

She drew. She paused.

"Well then," she said, "during my Standby Phase, the first effect of Imperial Upgrade activates. It lets me sacrifice Machine King Prototype to Special Summon the real Machine King from my deck."

Prototype faded away, and was replaced by the full-grown Machine King. (2,200/2,000) –) (2,700/2,000)

The Cyber Summon Blaster glowed. Trisha cringed as it zapped her once again.

"Oh, really?" said Patrick, as if nothing had happened. "Well, why don't I activate this Trap Card…"

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of a group of peasants in front of two knights, one of whom was reading an edict.

"Royal Writ of Taxation," he said. "It's a mouthful. And it could be a handful. I'll explain…

"According to the terms of this writ, we choose one card in your hand at random. Of course, you only have the one you just drew. You then have until the end of my next turn to Normal Summon it, if it's a Monster, or activate it, if it's a Spell or a Trap.

"If you can't, you pay a tax of 1,000 Life Points. If you can, I pay the tax. Understand?"

"Yeah…" said Trisha, looking at it, "and that shouldn't be hard…"

She showed him the card…

Premature Burial.

She played the card. Nanobreaker burst out of the ground. (1,600/1,800)

Patrick grunted as he was shocked by a burst of energy from the Trap Card.

"That still counts as a Special Summon!" he shouted.

The Blaster zapped Trisha yet again!

"I end my turn…" she muttered, gripping her chest.

**(T: 1,000) -------------------- (P: 5,500)**

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Patrick. "I may have lost that gambit, Trisha, but I still came out ahead in the end. It cost you more Life Points than it did me…"

"He's right…" muttered Russell. "Patrick may have lost 1,000 Life Points, but Trisha lost 1,100… 800 from playing Premature Burial, and 300 from the Blaster."

"At least now she has another Monster on the field," said Jason. "Machiner's Force is still a threat, but slowly but surely, she's chipping away at his Life Points."

"Why did she end her turn without attacking?" asked Russell.

"I have a pretty good idea…" said Jason.

He looked at the field.

"I draw…" said Patrick.

He looked at the card…

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled, looking at it.

"I'll place this card facedown, and that will do for now…" he said.

A facedown card appeared as he placed it in his Disk.

"A facedown card?" said Russell.

"Yeah…" muttered Jason. "And I'm afraid I can guess exactly what it is…

"Let's just hope my suspicions are correct…"

"All right," said Trisha, "here goes…"

She drew.

"And here goes my Trap Card!" shouted Patrick, as his facedown card flipped up. "Dust Tornado!"

The tornado blew across the field, and the Elemental Absorber was blown to pieces!

"So much for that," he said with an evil grin. "Your shield is gone, and next round, I'll attack with everything!"

"I don't think so," said Trisha, playing the card she had drawn. "I've got just enough Monsters in my Graveyard to play this… Pot of Avarice."

The ridiculous, pink version of the Pot of Greed appeared in front of her. All three Bokoichis, Battle Footballer, and Machine King Prototype slipped out of her discard slot. She combined them with her deck, reshuffled, and drew twice.

"And I don't need Elemental Absorber any more," she said, looking at them. "In case you didn't notice, my Imperial Upgrade hasn't left the field. You see, this Standby Phase, I can sacrifice Machine King to Special Summon Perfect Machine King from my deck."

Machine King vanished, and the even bigger robotic monarch appeared. (2,700/1,500)

The Cyber Summon Blaster shot its beam at her again.

"And that will be the final time…" she said, angrily. "Next, I'll Normal Summon Mechanicalchaser."

She played a card, and the blade-wielding machine hunter appeared. (1,850/800)

"I didn't forget about your Sniper's ability, Patrick," she said. "I have to get rid of it in order to attack any other Machiner. So Mechanicalchaser, attack Machiner's Sniper!"

Mechanicalchaser's blades spun like a demented lawn mower, and it flew at Machiner's Sniper. The robot dropped its rifle, sparked, and exploded in a burst of energy.

"Now Patrick…" she said. "A math problem. If Perfect Machine King gains 500 Attack Points for every Machine on the field other than himself, and there are now two other Machines on my side of the field and three on yours, what Monster is most likely going to be blown to Hell in a few seconds?"

Perfect Machine King glowed…

(5,200/1,500)

"Hey! Wait a minute!" shouted Patrick.

"Perfect Machine King…" ordered Trisha, "take down his Machiner's Force! Mega missile assault!"

Perfect Machine King fired a barrage of missiles from his shoulders, and the larger robot staggered back. Explosions erupted all over Machiner's Force's armor… Finally, it collapsed, and burst into a flaming explosion of hot metal and slag.

"I'm not done!" yelled Trisha. "Nanobreaker, destroy Machiner's Defender! Nano-blade!"

Nanobreaker leapt up, and cleaved her sword down the middle of the tank. A look of shock appeared on its face, and it exploded into flames.

_CRUD!_ thought Patrick. _Why the Hell didn't I move it into Defense Mode?_

**(T: 700) -------------------- (P: 4,450)**

"I'll place my last card facedown, and that will end my turn…" she said. "And now you're in trouble. Only one Monster left, and no cards in your hand…"

She played her last card, and a facedown card appeared. Perfect Machine King fell to an Attack of 4,200.

Patrick slowly drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Ha, ha… HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!

"You almost turned it around Trisha, but now it ends…"

He showed her the card.

"I just drew Limiter Removal!"

"No…" muttered Russell.

"Once I play it," continued Patrick, "Machiner's Soldier will double in strength from 1,600 Attack Points to 3,200, and once he attacks Nanobreaker, you'll lose 1,600 Life Points, which is 900 more than you have.

"Sorry it has to end like this, with me striking down your avatar… But you should have chosen a better one anyway. She's a pretty useless Monster when you come to think of it, anyway…"

"Now wait just a minute!" snapped Trisha.

Nanobreaker looked pretty angry too.

"What?" asked Patrick. "So she automatically wins any battle she starts with a Monster who has three stars or less. Big deal. Useful against Injection Fairy Lily or Giant Soldier of Stone, I guess, but a Monster with 1,600 Attack Points could defeat ninety percent of low-level Monsters anyway."

Tears started to form in Trisha's eyes.

"Patrick, you…" she muttered.

"What?" asked Patrick. "You wanna know something Trisha? When I first came to work for Fortunado, he didn't tell me to go after Dr. Artemis. He told me simply to choose a target.

"And she was _not_ my first idea for a target! I wanted to take you down more. After what you said to me when I was expelled, I felt betrayed. I wanted revenge against you more.

"But I didn't want to seem like some ogre who'd steal the soul of his own sister, so I reconsidered. I made a mistake. If I had, Critias may never have come."

"Betrayal?" shouted Trisha. "What about how I felt?

"Patrick, when it was first suggested that you were cheating, I defended you. I stood behind you. I told anyone who would listen that no member of the Moise family would sink so low…

"And I repeatedly asked you to look me in the eye and tell me that all the accusations weren't true.

"You did. You looked me in the eye and lied. When proof was released, I was the one who was betrayed. I had defended someone who didn't deserve it.

"And now you've sunk to the ultimate low. Siding with the forces of darkness for an insane desire for revenge. Don't you have any decency?

"If you don't, you may as well play that card… I don't want to live with you in my shadow any more…"

"Touching…" said Patrick with a smirk. "Utterly pathetic. I didn't think you of all people would stoop to pleading with me, Trisha…"

He threw the card into his Disk.

"Guess you aren't so tough after all… You're soft!"

Machiner's Soldier glowed with fire, and rose to 3,200 Attack Points.

"Attack the Nanobreaker!"

The Soldier flew at Nanobreaker…

Trisha grinned a wicked smile.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do… sucker…" she said.

Her facedown card lifted. It showed a group of colorful-dressed warriors floating in space.

"I activate my Zero Gravity Trap!" she said with a laugh. "This forces all Monsters on the field to switch Modes."

Perfect Machine King, Nanobreaker, and Mechanicalchaser all crouched in Defense Mode. Then, Machiner's Soldier backed away, and also crouched in Defense Mode.

Patrick gasped...

"You…" he muttered. "You were just playing with me… You were distracting me so that I'd forget about your facedown card!"

"Yeah, pretty much," said Trisha, crossing her arms. "Did you actually think I'd try to plead and reason with you? I figured you were beyond redemption the minute you used the Seal against Dr. Artemis.

"You're the one who's soft, Patrick. Soft in the head, that is.

"And since that was your only card, you have to end your turn now, and since you played Limiter Removal, that means Machiner's Soldier is destroyed."

The Soldier burst into pixels.

Trisha smirked. She drew a card.

"Time to end this…" she said. "I move Perfect Machine King and Nanobreaker back into Attack Mode."

The two Machines stood back up.

"Perfect Machine King, attack him directly!"

The Machine monarch fired its missiles, and Patrick screamed as they exploded around him.

"And finally," she continued, "Nanobreaker wants a piece of you for calling her worthless…"

Nanobreaker leapt up, and slammed her sword into Patrick.

He fell over, and was out cold.

**(T: 700) -------------------- (P: 0)**

"Game over… brother…" said Trisha with a grin.

Nanobreaker turned and looked at Trisha. She grinned before she and the two other Machines vanished.

Then the Interdimensional Matter Transporter behind Patrick hummed, and slowly, he vanished as well.

Jason came up to Trisha and hugged her.

"Easy…" she said. "I'm still a little tender…"

"We were worried…" said Jason. "You were knocked out for a while…"

"I know…" said Trisha. "I was in the place where I met Critias…"

She paused.

"There was a golden chest… I opened it… And it had the answer to his question inside."

"What question?" asked Russell.

"About the title," she replied. "Why _Dark_ Messiah?"

She paused.

"We aren't fighting for Light. We aren't opposing Darkness. We're trying to preserve them both.

"The world can't survive if one is eradicated. It's an old saying that if there was no darkness, we wouldn't know light.

"The opposing forces in the Reckoning are the Divine and the Chaos. The outcome will decide what controls Light, Darkness, Dreams, and Shadow…

"We must ensure that Divine wins, or even the Light will be corrupted.

"So the title has two parts: 'Dark', meaning Darkness, and 'Messiah', a symbol of Light. No matter how opposed they are, we must save them both."

Jason paused.

He took the two cards off the top of his deck.

They were Ryu-Kishin Powered and Blade Knight.

He nodded…

Then a pain ripped through his head.

"Ergh!" he groaned, holding his head.

"What!" exclaimed Russell.

"An Orichalcos duel…" he replied.

"One of our friends?" asked Trisha, in near panic.

Jason concentrated.

"Dr. Artemis…" he said. "She was forced into one… She's in trouble right now…

"It's her draw right now, but if something isn't done…

"I fear it might be her last…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the Master's throne room, Cleo and Sebastian were on their knees. The Master stood in front of them.

"I didn't expect to give anyone a chance like this," she said. "After all, you two have seen me in full light, and I normally do not share my looks with those who I don't intend to devour…"

They shuddered.

"But you two know the deal," she continued. "One last chance, due to Cassius's… generosity. And he's counting on you most of all."

They didn't respond. They knew by now when to speak, and when to be silent.

The Master handed a deck to Cleo.

"I got your deck back," she said, as she looked through them. "Good as new, with a couple of improvements I thought of myself."

She handed another deck to Sebastian.

"I was able to retrieve yours too, and I made some adjustments to it, so that the two decks will work together. The Spirits may have left, but that is hardly needed.

"Now go… Your quarry awaits. And any time you think you can't handle it, remember that Cassius is still trussed up and held prisoner inside me. He's counting on you…"

They nodded.

They turned to leave…

The Master slumped in her chair.

_I want this done with as soon as possible,_ she thought. _This all went wrong…_

_By making Cassius choose, I had hoped to spawn several things in the one who had been left behind. Envy… wrath… hatred… I would have come out ahead whether they'd have won or lost. _

_Win, and I'd have a much better servant. Lose, and he or she would be better… seasoned when the time came for me to consume._

_But instead…_

She frowned.

_Instead, Cassius chose compassion and mercy. Normally it would bring me pleasure to feed on one who showed such traits, but I simply can't until I have greater powers. And so long as his soul is trussed up inside me, the spark of generosity he had…_

_It pains me… Like an ulcer._

_Even worse, while Cleo and Sebastian will still try to win, they have a motivation I can do without. Now they are feeling true feelings of loyalty and compassion towards Cassius. That's all I need…_

_I need this over with, fast. I need them to win…_

_Russell and Trisha will be excellent for the first course…_

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 7:50 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MACHINER'S SOLDIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,600  
**DEF: **1,500

**Card Description**: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned when you have no other Monsters on your side of the field, you may Special Summon one Monster of four stars or less from your hand that has the word "Machiner's" in its name, except for a "Machiner's Soldier".

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MACHINER'S SNIPER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,800  
**DEF: **800

**Card Description**: When this card is face-up on your side of the field, your opponent cannot target Monsters with the word "Machiner's" in their names, except for "Machiner's Sniper"(s), for an attack.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MACHINER'S DEFENDER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,200  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description**: Flip: Search your deck for one "General Commander Covinton" and add it to your hand. Then reshuffle your deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GENERAL COMMANDER COVINTON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **600

**Card Description**: When this card is face-up on your side of the field, you may offer one "Machiner's Soldier", one "Machiner's Sniper", and one "Machiner's Defender" as a Tribute to Special Summon one "Machiner's Force" from your hand.

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**MACHINER'S FORCE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **10  
**ATK: **4,600  
**DEF: **4,100

**Card Description**: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of "General Commander Covinton". You must pay 1,000 Life Points to attack with this card. If you send one card from your side of the field to the Graveyard while this card is on the field, you may Special Summon one "Machiner's Soldier", one "Machiner's Sniper", and one "Machiner's Defender" from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Machiner's Soldier", "Machiner's Sniper", "Machiner's Defender", "General Commander Covinton", and "Machiner's Force" are Japanese promotional cards that have not yet been released in the United States._

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**IMPERIAL UPGRADE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Several Mighty Guards working on Machine King with wielding torches.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card immediately after Normal Summoning, Flip-Summoning, or Special Summoning "Machine King Prototype". On your first Standby Phase after playing this card, offer that "Machine King Prototype" as a Tribute to Special Summon one "Machine King" from your hand or deck. On your second Standby Phase after playing this card, offer that "Machine King" as a Tribute to Special Summon one "Perfect Machine King" from your hand or deck. If this card is destroyed, destroy the Monster that was Special Summoned by this card. If the Monster Special Summoned by this card is destroyed, destroy this card.

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**You're going to have to wait for Cassius and Sebastian to make their move. Next chapter, we're switching locales. In case you didn't notice, Dr. Artemis has run into trouble as she holds down the fort. A dark secret from her past has come back to haunt her. **_

**_What skeletons does this woman hold in her closet? Find out, in a chapter called "Scapegoat", coming up next._**


	54. Scapegoat

_**My voice intimidates my students. My face makes them tremble. They're afraid of me… They know I won't hesitate to punish them if they break the rules or step out of line.**_

_**Some think I'm flawless… That I'm without guile. They think of me as a genius who has no faults. They think I'm perfect, even though I've never told anyone I was…**_

_**I have no right to say I am.**_

_**If only they knew… If only they knew of the painful secret I've had to endure. There's a reason I asked Ben to go with Jason's team rather than chaperone myself. I wanted to with all my heart… But I'm not worthy to fight for a holy cause.**_

_**I'm locked it up inside me for so long. The guilt it has inflicted on me has caused me no end of pain. What I did cannot be undone, but I do my best to educate the future of dueling, and make sure it doesn't happen again…**_

_**And now…**_

…_**on this horrible night, the personification of my crime has come back to haunt me… **_

_**Have the Lords of Heaven finally passed judgment for a crime that has gone unpunished for so many years? We'll have to see…**_

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE**

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**Scapegoat**

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_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 7:15 PM_

Dr. Artemis sat at her desk in her office, in dim light, her chin on her hands.

Twinky was in the corner. The robot was shut down, its internal battery recharging. Artemis looked at it and recalled the question that author Philip K. Dick had once asked in a novel: "Do androids dream of electric sheep?"

Her eyes fell on her coffee cup, which was half-full of coffee that had long gone cold.

She sighed.

"Everyone feels sorry for alcoholics," she mumbled, walking to the water cooler. "They say it's a disease. Does anyone care about those who are addicted to caffeine? No…"

She dumped the remains of the coffee into the drain, and went to the coffee pot to get a fresh cup.

She paused before taking a sip. She stared into the darkness.

"What have you done Andorra?" she asked herself. "You've sent your best students to storm a stronghold of evil, and they might meet their doom. All of the other students are likely having bad dreams in their beds right now… Tonight will be a night that won't soon be forgotten…"

As she sat back on her desk, a blip on her computer flashed on…

"_You've got mail!"_ said the familiar voice.

She looked at it. She turned pale.

She clicked on it.

_**Andorra,**_

_**I'm sorry we couldn't meet again under better circumstances. The school's security system has been sabotaged. I want to deal with you personally.**_

_**Bring your Bandoleer and deck to the Arena.**_

_**- Isaiah**_

The coffee cup fell to the floor and smashed to pieces, sending the hot liquid splattering.

Tears started to stream down the chancellor's face.

She got up and took her Duel Bandoleer out of the closet, and then took her deck out of the drawer…

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Dr. Andorra Artemis… No one really knew why she had never married.

No one knew that she had once come close.

Many years ago, there was a young man named Isaiah Rackham-Kerwin. He was a man who was born into a family of scholars and bureaucrats, and you'd have assumed he was born to be a professor. His father was the president of Columbia University; his uncle taught at New York University, and other family members were in prominent education positions. In short, it was the family trade.

After leading a fairly quiet childhood, Isaiah rose through the educational ranks, graduating valedictorian from Columbia and moving on to graduate student work. And then he began the portion of his life that would lead, ultimately, to a rise and a fall…

He met Andorra Artemis.

She was smitten by his good looks and charm, and he was entranced by her beauty and intelligence. A relationship began that lasted throughout most of their graduate studies. The details are not important, but she believed it was love… She could honestly say she had feelings for him.

Finally, he proposed. She said yes, and was the happiest she had ever been.

But then, Isaiah did something he shouldn't have. You see, throughout his life, he longed for acceptance. His chance seemed to leap at him when he discovered a set of obscure, forgotten academic papers on a topic he was intimately familiar with; no one recognized the names of the authors when he mentioned them.

And so, he committed the one crime that, in the world of academia, is unforgivable – plagiarism. He "cannibalized" the papers and rewrote them just enough to keep them together, publishing the result in an academic journal under his own name. For a brief moment, he seemed to have his fame...

…until Andorra discovered the source of the information.

Her conscience being what it was even then, Andorra exposed his crime. Isaiah's reputation was destroyed, and his dreams with them. He could forgive her for this, but he couldn't live with her; breaking the engagement, he left New York behind him, seeking to rebuild his reputation and academic career elsewhere.

But it wouldn't end there between them.

Shortly afterward, she did something that was almost as bad, which he would never forgive. The two had worked together on another paper, this one on the history and advancement of Duel Monsters. Andorra realized that no one would accept the paper with the currently blackened name of Isaiah Rackham-Kerwin on it, and with him being _persona non grata,_ the odds were in her favor that nobody would call her on it...

And so she erased any evidence he'd had anything to do with it before publishing it under her own name. This was the paper that started her on the path of success and advancement that would one day bring her the chancellor's seat at NYC Duel Academy.

Artemis heard that Isaiah had earned a doctorate of his own at another school, and she figured that he might come back someday seeking revenge. But in the meantime, she had to live with herself. She knew that what she had done was wrong, and it gnawed upon her soul almost constantly. This was the very reason she punished cheaters so vehemently, far more than her role called for.

All this went through her mind as she walked towards the Arena…

It seemed that he had come back, and he had chosen the Orichalcos as his weapon of vengeance.

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The Arena was dark. No one was in sight at the moment…

Artemis looked around.

Dim lights came on…

"Hello, Andorra," said a tired voice. "You're still as beautiful as always… Time has been kind to you."

She turned around, and could see him in the dim light. Time hadn't been very kind to _him_. He was a statue of a man with a stiff face. His auburn hair was thinning, and his eyes were half-closed – but then, they always had been. He dressed in a good suit, but while it was clean and in good shape, it was rather old. While he still reflected an athletic past (like Artemis, he was a student of Jujitsu) his build had begun to slack.

He carried an Orichalcos Disk on his arm.

"That's more than I can say for you," she replied. "What do you want, Isaiah?"

"Simply put, Andorra," he said, "your students are giving my current employer a very hard time right now."

"Good…" she replied.

"Well…" he answered, "I happen to know that they'll call off their assault if you tell them to."

"I don't intend to," she answered.

"Not on your own," he said. "But once I defeat you, I could control you, and force you to give the order."

"Like a puppet," she said with a scowl.

He nodded.

"And it would be a pleasure. All my life has been preparing for the day I would bring you down. If I have to do other things for the Orichalcos, I don't care. This is what I want the most."

She glared at him. Then she turned her back to him.

"I don't even know why the Orichalcos would recruit you, Isaiah," she said. "You play an Archfiend Deck. Everyone admired you for that, because that's one of the hardest strategies to master."

"Is that a problem?" he asked. "Most would consider an Archfiend Deck the deck of an expert duelist."

"I won't deny it," replied Artemis. "But without the Pandemonium Field Spell Card, Archfiends are far too dangerous to use. So they can't be used with The Seal of Orichalcos."

She paused.

"Come to think of it, the Seal ruins a lot of strategies. Gravekeepers, Fairies, Elemental Heroes, Water Monsters…"

Isaiah made a small smirk.

_What she doesn't know is,_ he thought, _I've adapted a completely different deck, one that is specially designed to defeat hers. After all, I know her strategy just as well as she knows mine…_

"You will duel me Andorra," he said, "or I will lock you in this Arena, and then drag some of your Freshmen out of their beds and force _them_ into Orichalcos duels. Do you want that?"

Artemis narrowed her eyes and clenched her fist.

She placed her deck in her Duel Bandoleer and it activated.

"And to think I once loved you," she said, turning to him. "Fine, I'll duel you… Tonight, one of us will put the past behind us for good."

"I couldn't agree more…" he replied, activating his own Disk.

**(Artemis: 8,000) -------------------- (Isaiah: 8,000)**

_Is there some other way to avoid paying Life Points from Archfiends?_ she thought, as five cards flew off of her deck. _None that I know of…If it's a Card of Sin, he'd need a lot of luck to get both it and the Seal in his opening hand._

"To show you I can still be chivalrous," said Isaiah, "I'll let you have the first move."

Artemis just glared at him. Another card flew off her deck. She looked at her six cards and considered.

_I have to summon this guy,_ she thought, _but to do so, I have to discard a card. And I need most of these cards._

She chose a card from her hand.

_I hate to discard this Monster, but he's of no use in a starting hand anyway._

"I discard one card to the Graveyard," she said, discarding it. "And by doing so, I can activate the effect of one Monster in my hand, summoning him with no sacrifice. I summon… The Tricky."

A dark vortex appeared as she placed a card on her Disk, and a Monster flew out who looked, for lack of a better term, weird. He was dressed in a yellow and black jester's outfit with a blue cape. Where his face would be was a red question mark, and another question mark was on his chest. (2,000/1,200)

"Been improving the deck, I see," commented Isaiah.

"Yes, and as his name implies, he has plenty of tricks up his sleeve," said Artemis. "I place three cards facedown, and end my turn."

She fit three of her cards into her Disk, and they appeared behind The Tricky.

"Very well then," said Isaiah, drawing a card. "First I will play… Swords of Revealing Light!"

He placed the card in his Disk, and the flashing swords rained down on Artemis and The Tricky.

"Next…" he said. "I play the Continuous Spell Card called Heart of the Underdog."

He fit a card into his Disk, and a card appeared with the image of a rugged young man staggering against a blow.

_Heart of the Underdog?_ thought Artemis. _That doesn't fit an Archfiend Deck at all…_

_What am I up against?_

"Finally…" he continued. "I'll summon my Acrobat Monkey in Defensive Mode."

He played the card, and a small robot in the shape of a monkey hopped out. Twin question marks flashed in its eyes, and it scratched its metal noggin. Then it shielded itself in defense. (1,000/1,800)

"I'll end my turn there," he said.

Artemis looked at him strangely as she drew her next card.

"Okay then, I play Pot of Greed," she said.

She played the card, and then gestured as two cards flew off of her deck.

She looked at them.

"But I think I'll save them for later and end my turn."

"Then, as you are no doubt aware," said Isaiah, "due to Heart of the Underdog, if a card I draw during my Draw Phase is a Normal Monster, I can draw again if I'm willing to show it to you."

He drew a card.

"And I drew Mad Lobster," he said, revealing the card.

He drew again.

"Dragon Zombie," he said, revealing the next one.

He drew a third time.

"Eh, this one doesn't qualify," he said, adding it to his hand. "So, I'll place one card facedown, and then summon Mad Lobster in Attack Mode."

He played the cards. A facedown card appeared, and then a huge lobster with a skull for a head scuttled out onto the field. It snapped its pincers eagerly. (1,700/1,000)

"It's your move," he said.

Artemis gave him a strange look again. She drew a card.

_Almost there…_ she thought, looking at the eight-star Monster.

"I pass for this turn," she said.

Isaiah drew a card.

"And I drew Jerry Beans Man," he said, revealing the card. "Lucky me."

He drew again.

"Sonic Duck!" he said, showing her the card.

He drew again.

"Have to stop there," he said, adding the third card to his hand.

_What is his game?_ thought Artemis. _The only thing these Monsters have in common is, they're all Normal Monsters that are three-star… Strong as far as three-star Monsters go, but still…_

"I summon Jerry Beans Man in Attack Mode," he said.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a creature that looked like a big, green jelly bean with a big smile and arms and legs, wearing a cape and holding a wooden sword and shield appeared. (1,750/0)

"Your Monster looks like it popped out of a toy box," said Artemis.

"It may be a toy," answered Isaiah, with a frown, "but it isn't going to play around. I place another card facedown, and end my turn."

He fit a card into his Disk, and it materialized.

Artemis drew a fifth card.

"All right…" she said. "Time to get serious!"

One of her facedown cards lifted, showing a capsule with the numeral four on it.

_Well, THAT'S a surprise,_ thought Isaiah.

"I activate Tricky's Spell 4," said Artemis. "Now, by sacrificing The Tricky, I can create one Tricky Token for every Monster you have on the field."

The Tricky vanished, and then, three Monsters who looked exactly like him appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (2,000/1,200 x3)

"I can't attack with them," she continued, "but they have other uses. For instance, I'll activate another facedown card, Mystik Wok."

Her second facedown card lifted, and one of the tokens vanished.

"This gives me Life Points equal to its Attack Score, and I'm gonna need them," she said.

**(Artemis: 10,000) -------------------- (Isaiah: 8,000)**

"Now I activate my final facedown card…" she said. "Ultimate Offering."

Her last facedown card lifted.

"I'm sure you know that this lets me make as many Normal Summons as I want during my turn, so long as I pay 500 Life Points for each extra one.

"So first, I'll set one Monster in Defense Mode."

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Next, I'll pay 500 Life Points to summon Grave Ohja in Defense Mode."

She placed another card on her Disk, and the bulky statue with a tutan mask for a head rose up, and crouched in Defense. (1,600/1,500)

"Next," she continued. "I'll pay 500 Life Points two more times, sacrificing my Tricky Tokens to summon _two_ Hieracosphinxes in Attack Mode!"

The Tricky Tokens vanished, and two of the half-bird/half-lion statues appeared. (2,400/1,200 x2)

"And finally, I'll make a Special Summon that won't cost me a dime," she said, taking her last card. "I'll sacrifice one Hieracosphinx to summon Exxod, Master of the Guard!"

One of the sphinxes vanished, and with a loud rumbling noise, the enormous, golden statue appeared, kneeling and shielding itself in Defense Mode. (0/4,000)

_Impressive, Andorra,_ thought Isaiah. _You've managed to set up your whole strategy in one turn…_

_But it will all be for naught soon…_

"My turn ends," said Artemis, "as does the effect of your Swords."

The Swords of Revealing Light flickered and vanished.

**(A: 8,500) -------------------- (I: 8,000)**

"Then I draw…" said Isaiah.

He drew a card.

"Well, this card isn't a Normal Monster," he said, "but still…"

He opened his Field Slot.

"…Heart of the Underdog certainly let me reach it quicker! I play The Seal of Orichalcos!"

He played the card, and in a flash of light, the unholy Seal illuminated the dim Arena.

The eyes of Isaiah's three Monsters glowed. Acrobat Monkey rose to (1,500/1,800), Mad Lobster to (2,300/1,000), and Jerry Beans man to (2,350/0)

"I'm so scared," said Artemis, sarcastically. "Perhaps you have forgotten how my Flip Lock strategy works…

"Grave Ohja cannot be attacked so long as I have a facedown Defense Mode Monster on my side of the field. The facedown Monster cannot be attacked so long as Hieracosphinx is on the field.

"And might I add, even with your Seal, none of those Monsters are strong enough to defeat Hieracosphinx."

"Maybe so," said Isaiah, choosing a card from his hand. "But my strategy will be unveiled shortly. In the meantime, I'll summon Dragon Zombie in Attack Mode."

He threw the card on his Disk, and a dragon with rotting, decayed skin, dead eyes, and broken teeth and fangs appeared. (1,600/0) –) (2,100/0)

"I end my turn," he said.

"And I begin mine," said Artemis, drawing a card.

She looked at it.

"I'll place this facedown," she said, fitting it in her Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

"Then I'll flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Moai Interceptor Cannons."

Her facedown card flipped up, and three large statues that looked that tall, oblong heads appeared. (1,100/2,000)

"Ever been to Easter Island, Isaiah?" she asked. "It's a very beautiful and mysterious place.

"And since I Flip-Summoned a Monster, Grave Ohja blasts 300 points off your Life Points…"

Grave Ohja's eyes glowed, and fired a blast, striking him in the chest.

"And since my Cannons are an Earth Monster, Exxod blasts you for 1,000 more!"

The larger statue's eyes glowed, and a larger blast of energy shot forward, striking him! He screamed.

"I could attack any of your Monsters with Hieracosphinx, but you have two facedown cards, and since I hardly need to, I'll flip Moai Interceptor Cannons back to Defense Mode and end my turn."

The Cannons reverted to a facedown card.

**(A: 8,500) -------------------- (I: 6,700)**

"My draw…" he muttered, drawing a card.

"I drew Mechanical Devil…" he said, showing it to her.

He drew another card.

_At this rate, he might deck himself out before this is done,_ she thought.

He added the card to his hand.

"And now I summon one of the keys to my strategy…" he said, placing a card on his Disk. "I summon… Man-Thro' Tro'."

A huge, fat troll with folds of flabby skin and muscular arms waddled onto the field. It glared at Artemis, and made a sinister smile. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000)

"So that's it…" she muttered.

"Yes…" said Isaiah. "Beginning to get the idea, Andorra? I don't care about your lock… Because with this deck, I don't have to actually attack in order to hurt you.

"Man-Thro' Tro', hit her with everything!"

The troll grabbed hold of the Dragon Zombie, and it roared. It spun the Zombie around, and then hurled it, sending it crashing into Artemis!

As she slowly got up, it took hold of the Jerry Beans Man, and then lifted it above its head. It threw the candy warrior, flooring her again.

It was a choice between either staying down or getting back up. She chose to keep her dignity and get up. She did so just as the Mad Lobster crashed into her, sending her to the floor a third time.

Slowly, she got up again. The Man-Thro' Tro' grabbed the Acrobat Monkey and crushed it into a lump. He hurled it, beaning her in the head and knocking her glasses off.

"Are you done?" she asked, putting them back on.

"For now…" he said.

**(A: 5,300) -------------------- (I: 6,700)**

Artemis drew a card.

"I play Mirage of Nightmare…" she said, placing a card in her Disk.

The card appeared.

"Now I flip my Cannons again!"

The Moai Interceptor Cannons flipped up. Beams of energy shot from Grave Ohja and Exxod again, and Isaiah screamed again.

"You always were a tough lady…" he said. "That's why I was attracted to you at first…"

"Just move…" she said, annoyed.

**(A: 5,300) -------------------- (I: 5,400)**

"I draw…" he said.

"And I will too," she said, "thanks to my Mirage of Nightmare…"

Four cards slipped out of her discard slot.

"And I suppose that facedown card is Emergency Provisions," he interrupted, "which you'll use to send Mirage to the Graveyard."

The Emergency Provisions card lifted.

"Mirage AND Ultimate Offering," she corrected, as both cards vanished.

**(A: 7,300) -------------------- (I: 5,400)**

"You are one lucky bitch," he said. "But your luck is about to change, thanks to the card I just drew…"

He played a card.

"I play… Breath of Light!"

A huge, blue cloud with a woman's face on it appeared behind him. Andorra stared with a look of horror…

"This Spell Card erodes all Rock-Type Monsters on the field into dust," he said.

The woman's face blew a blast of sparkling wind, and Grave Ohja, Hieracosphinx, and Exxod, Master of the Guard crumbled into sand.

_This deck…_ thought Artemis, as her eyes widened in fear. _He built it simply to defeat mine!_

"Now I summon Mechanical Devil," continued Isaiah, placing a card on his Disk.

A tall Machine appeared. It looked like a four-armed metal Fiend, with steam shooting out of a vent in its face. (1,750/0) –) (2,250/0)

"Destroy her facedown Monster!" he shouted.

The infernal contraption flew forward, and shattered the Moai Interceptor Cannons.

"Man-Thro' Tro', attack her directly!"

The huge troll lumbered up, and slugged her in the face, knocking her over.

She barely had time to get up, before it grabbed the Mechanical Devil, smashed it into a ball, and then hurled it like a bowling ball, sending it slamming into her stomach.

She fell on her behind and saw stars.

**(A: 5,000) -------------------- (I: 5,400)**

"Your lock is defeated, Andorra," said Isaiah. "I prepared specifically to do so. A few more rounds, and this unpleasant part of my life will be behind me forever.

"What will you do? Your whole strategy is defeated! You can't win…"

Artemis wiped her mouth.

"How much did you study the career of Jaden Yuki?" she asked.

"Only a little," he replied. "He was a duelist who relied more on luck than any real intelligent strategy."

"You're absolutely wrong," said Artemis. "He was full of life, yes, and he took everything with a positive attitude, but he was also a very intelligent duelist who could analyze his situation and always come up with the right solution. True, he wasn't 'book smart', as they say, but being 'book smart' isn't the key. You need to be a certain type of smart to succeed as a duelist.

"Anyway, in his first year, he was paired against his classmate Bastian Misawa in a very important duel. Misawa was smart enough not to underestimate Jaden, and _thought_ he had a strategy to defeat him. He'd use Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell to keep Jaden from using Polymerization, and stop him from summoning his heavy hitters.

"Of course, that strategy had holes in it from the start… Jaden was known to use Fusion Gate and could also use Miracle Fusion.

"But anyway, do you know what Jaden said when Misawa told him that his strategy had been defeated?

"Jaden said that if couldn't use one strategy, he'd just find another one.

"He did. And he won.

"And I will beat you!"

She angrily drew a card.

"And to think I once agreed to marry you," she said, with anger in her eyes.

She added the card to her hand.

"I play Heavy Storm!"

She played the card, and the fierce wind tore across the field. Heart of the Underdog was blown to bits. Then Isaiah's two facedown cards, a Dark Mirror Force and a Justi-Break, lifted up and shattered.

"Figures…" said Artemis. "Now it's time for Exxod to make his return…"

She showed him her Monster Reborn.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Andorra," he said. "Exxod is a NOMI, you can't raise him with Monster Reborn."

"I'm quite aware of that!" she replied.

She played the card, and Hieracosphinx reappeared on the field. (2,400/1,200)

"That may be true," she continued, "but did you actually think I only had one copy of a card that's so important to my deck?"

She switched cards on her Disk, and Hieracosphinx vanished. Exxod rose again. (0/4,000)

"That was stupid," said Isaiah. "You should have attacked my Monster with the Sphinx. Now all you can do is defend with that thing while it continues to throw Monsters at you!"

"Defend?" said Artemis, with a grin. "Take a closer look, Isaiah… I've summoned Exxod… In Attack Mode!"

Isaiah just stared in confusion for a minute…

Then it truly sank in what Artemis's plan was…

She played a Spell Card.

"I play Shield and Sword!" she shouted.

A glow surrounded both Monsters on the field. Exxod changed to (4,000/0), while Man-Thro' Tro changed to (1,000/1,500).

The troll looked at Isaiah with a frightened whimper…

"Exxod…" ordered Artemis. "Obliterate!"

Exxod formed a ball of energy in its hands, and hurled it at Man-Thro' Tro, blasting it into nothing. Isaiah staggered back, and fell over.

"I place a card facedown and end my turn…" said Artemis.

She fit her last card into her Disk, and it appeared. Exxod was reduced to (0/4,000)

**(A: 5,000) -------------------- (I: 2,400)**

"I see you haven't lost your touch," he said, getting up.

He drew again.

"But then again, neither have I! That ugly thing was far from the only Monster I have in my deck to defeat your strategy… Although it hardly matters. Exxod is in Attack Mode, which means it's truly a lamb in lion's clothing, because its Attack is zero.

"I summon Disc Fighter in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and a tall figure appeared, dressed in futuristic leather armor and a full-head helmet, holding two glowing disks. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000)

"I activate my Trap," said Artemis, as her facedown card lifted. "Desert Sunlight. It moves Exxod into Defense Mode."

Bright light shone on the darkness of the arena, and Exxod knelt in Defense.

"Well, you saved yourself some Life Points," said Isaiah. "But you won't save your Monster, because any defensive Monster with 2,000 Defense or more that Disc Fighter attacks is destroyed automatically.

"Disc Fighter, attack with deadly disks!"

Disc Fighter hurled his two weapons like lethal Frisbees, and Exxod was sliced cleanly in half. The two pieces shattered. The two disks flew back to Disc Fighter, and he caught them.

"Well…" he said with a laugh. "I end my turn. So what will you do now? You have no cards in your hand!"

Artemis paused.

He was right…

She had nothing in her hand, and nothing on the field. And even if she drew one of her wall Monsters, Disc Fighter would destroy it easily, and he would attack her directly with whatever he summoned next.

It would take a miracle… And frankly, she didn't deserve one…

She closed her eyes…

_Is this my punishment?_ she thought. _Is it finally time to face the consequences for what I did?_

_Maybe it is…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Dr. Artemis?" said a voice.

She opened her eyes. She was in a void of darkness.

"Jason?" she said. "Is that you?"

"Uh huh," replied Jason. "I kind of figured Fortunado would try something like this. You don't have to face this alone…"

"No, Jason, please…" she said, with tears forming in her eyes. "I don't deserve the Dark Messiah's help."

She paused.

"It's a stretch, I know," she continued, "but when you weigh all the facts, I'm as bad as he is…

"But I'm glad you're here. I have to tell you, when he beats me, he's going to try to…"

"Trick me?" interrupted Jason. "I know. I sensed that all along. But are you really undeserving? I don't see you using the Orichalcos.

"I don't know what dark secret you have… But ever since I was given this inward sight, I've learned a few things… And I know that the first step towards redemption is confession.

"So… Why do you think you're no better than he is? I'm all ears.

"And trust me… Whatever is said here will stay here."

Andorra paused.

The words came out of her mouth quickly. It started with her exposing Isaiah's plagiarism. Then it turned to her own academic fraud and hypocrisy. Jason listened as the whole story came out…

There was a brief pause.

"Well?" she asked. "Can someone who did what I did ever be worthy of help?"

"Dunno," said Jason, as a card appeared in front of her. "I wonder… What judgment would Solomon make?"

She slowly reached for it…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

All this had taken only an instant…

Artemis quickly drew a card.

She looked at it.

She paused.

…_Prudence…_

"No cards in my hand, Isaiah?" she asked. "Well, that may change…"

She played a card.

"It seems the higher powers may be more willing to forgive me than they were willing to forgive you," she said. "Maybe. But then, I never sold my soul to evil. I play this… The Card of Virtue called Judgment of Solomon!"

A Spell Card appeared. It bore the image of a very regal king sitting on a throne of gold, with two women kneeling before him. Next to him, a soldier held an infant in his arms. The king was clearly thinking very hard.

"What does that do?" he asked.

"You know about Solomon, don't you?" she asked. "One of the wisest rulers who ever lived? This card tests how smart you are, Isaiah. Solomon will reward whoever outsmarts the other.

"Here's how it works. I have to pick any Monster that I'm able to use in this duel. It can be in my deck, hand, Graveyard, anywhere.

"Then I have tell you its Type, Attribute, Star Level, Attack Score, and Defense Score.

"If you can guess the name of the Monster after that, I lose 2,000 Life Points, and every card in my Graveyard is removed from play.

"But if you can't… I get to enact one of four effects, and you wouldn't like any of them."

_Heh…_ thought Isaiah. _I know her deck by heart! I can't miss! _

_And once this turn is over, she'll be down to 3,000 Life Points and be completely defenseless! And I have Sonic Duck in my hand and Disc Fighter on the field!_

_I've won!_

"Well?" he said.

Artemis paused.

"Type: Dragon…" she said. "Attribute: Dark…"

_What?_ thought Isaiah. _Since when did she have a…_

Artemis continued.

"Star Level: Eight."

_Well, I don't know why she has a Tri-Horn Dragon,_ he thought, _but that's obviously what it…_

"Attack Score: Zero," she continued.

Isaiah looked surprised.

"Defense Score: Zero."

She crossed her arms.

"Well?" she asked.

"You're lying…" he said. "There's no such Monster!"

"Are you sure?" asked Artemis. "Or could it be that that the great Dr. Isaiah Rackham-Kerwin isn't as smart and knowledgeable as he thought he was?"

There was a long pause.

"All right…" said Isaiah, with a sneer. "I'm going to concede that I don't know what it is. But I want proof that this high-level Dragon with a nonexistent Attack and Defense even exists!"

"Well sure…" said Artemis. "I wouldn't want you to think I was some sort of liar…"

Artemis took a card from her discard slot, and then covered the name with her index finger. She slowly walked to the center of the Seal…

Isaiah couldn't believe it. It was a frightening creature, that was for sure, and the symbol for Dark and the word "Dragon" was definitely there. But despite having eight stars, its Attack and Defense were both zero.

Artemis stepped back to her position.

"I discarded it to summon The Tricky," she answered before he could ask.

"Wait!" he shouted. "What does it do?"

"Not telling," she said, returning it to her discard slot. "And since you failed to guess, I can destroy all of your Monsters, or all of your Spells and Traps, or force you to discard your hand, or draw six cards. I'm going to draw six cards."

Six cards slid off of her deck.

_At least it's in her Graveyard,_ he thought. _It can't hurt me now…_

She looked over her cards.

"I summon Gear Golem the Moving Fortress in Defense Mode," she said.

She played the card, and the bulky Machine made of spiked gears appeared. (800/2,200)

"Now I'll play… Yellow Luster Shield. This increases the Defense of my Monsters by 300 points."

She played the card, and Gear Golem's Defense went up to 2,500.

"I'll place two cards facedown, and end my turn."

She fit two cards into her Disk, and they appeared.

Isaiah angrily drew.

_Oh, she's just goading me to attack that Golem with Disc Fighter…_ he thought. _Well, I'm not that stupid…_

"I play Pot of Avarice!" he shouted.

The goofy jar appeared on his side of the field, and Dragon Zombie, Mad Lobster, Jerry Beans Man, Mechanical Devil, and Acrobat Monkey slid out of his discard slot.

He shuffled them back into his deck, and then drew twice.

"I'll follow up with the normal Pot of Greed!" he said.

He played the card, and the original version appeared. He drew twice.

He looked at the seven cards in his hand.

_Well…_ He thought. _Who needs Disc Fighter with what I can do now?_

"I play Double Spell," he said, playing a card.

He discarded his Linear Accelerator Cannon.

"The card I choose to duplicate will be… Mystik Wok."

The Spell Card appeared on his side of the field, and Disc Fighter vanished.

**(A: 5,000) -------------------- (I: 3,900)**

"Now," he continued, "I bring Man-Thro' Tro back with Monster Reborn…"

He played the card, and the ugly troll appeared again. (1,000/1,000) –) (1,500/1,000)

"And next…" he said, "I play Enchanting Fitting Room!"

He played another card.

"I know you know what this card does, but I'm going to explain it anyway," he said. "I pay 800 Life Points to look at the top four cards in my deck, and if any are Normal Monsters of three stars or less, I get to Special Summon them."

A white curtain appeared on the field. It opened, and then four cards flew out…

Mechanical Devil, Mad Lobster, Jerry Beans Man, and Dragon Zombie.

Isaiah smiled.

"Seems like luck smiled on me this time, Andorra!" he laughed, as the four Monsters appeared.

(1,750/0) –) (2,350/0), (1,700/1,000) –) (2,300/1,000), (1,750/0) –) (2,350/0), (1,600/0) –) (2,100/0)

"This may not finish you…" he said, "but it will come close… Man-Thro' Tro', begin the assault!"

The troll reached for Mechanical Devil…

"Oh… no… you… don't!" shouted Artemis. "I went through that once, and I'm not going to take it again…"

Her Trap Card lifted.

"I was going to use this on Disc Fighter," she said, "but it will work now just as well. I activate Divine Wrath! Now by discarding one card…"

She discarded her Medusa Worm.

"I can negate your Monster's effect, and blow it to bits!"

Thunder rolled…

And then lightning stuck the Man-Thro' Tro'! It screamed, and then shattered into triangles.

Isaiah sneered.

"I'm not done with you…" he said. "Not by a long shot. Since I haven't made a Normal Summon yet, I'll summon Sonic Duck in Attack Mode."

He played the card. A large, green duck wearing a scarf and a pail on its head appeared in a gust of wind. (1,700/700) –) (2,300/700)

"And next, I'll Equip Mechanical Devil with this… Orichalcos Fury!"

He played the card, revealing the image of a demonic iron statue with four arms smashing through a wall.

"This Card of Sin can only be Equipped to Monsters that are three stars or less," he said, "but it lets it attack directly, so long as I pay 500 Life Points each time it does so.

"Mechanical Devil… Attack with quadruple slash!"

The Machine charged. Artemis couldn't help but scream as it stabbed her with its four blades.

**(A: 2,650) -------------------- (I: 2,600)**

He placed his last card in his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"I'm ending my turn," he said. "And all I need to finish you is two more rounds. One if I draw my Shield Crush."

_Shield Crush…_ thought Artemis, drawing. _I have to make every move count…_

Isaiah smiled inwardly.

_Even if she summons a Monster strong enough to destroy Mechanical Devil,_ he thought, _my Bottomless Trap Hole that I just set will send it to oblivion._

Artemis looked at the card she had drawn and the card in her hand.

"I place one card facedown," she said.

A facedown card appeared.

"Now I activate… Call of the Haunted."

Isaiah grinned as the Trap Card lifted…

…but then he frowned as he saw that it was Moai Interceptor Cannons that she was Special Summoning. (1,100/2,000)

_She obviously brought it back for a sacrifice,_ he thought. _Well, no matter…_

"Now I sacrifice my Cannons…" she said.

The Cannons vanished.

"To summon Millennium Shield, in Defense Mode."

A solid, steel shield with the Eye of Wdjat on the front appeared in mid-air. (0/3,000) –) (0/3,300)

_Ergh…_ thought Isaiah. _Bottomless Trap Hole only works on Monsters that have at least 1,500 Attack Points, and that thing has zero Attack Points!_

"It's your move…" said Artemis.

Isaiah was getting angrier by the minute. He felt like he wanted to run over there and start hitting her…

As he looked at her, thoughts of rape followed by murder entered his mind…

He held his head…

_The card!_ he thought. _That special card that I have Equipped to Mechanical Devil! It's what's making me angry…_

He nervously drew a card. It was his own Mystik Wok.

"It's starting to affect you, isn't it?" asked Artemis. "That Card of Sin is a Wrath Card, and it's filling you with more anger than you've ever felt. You'd better hope you win soon, or it's going to turn you into a feral beast.

"Pitiful… The man I respected once is going to be consumed by pure rage…"

"I can control my rage…" he said. "Mechanical Devil, attack her directly!"

"I activate a Trap!" exclaimed Artemis. "Staunch Defender!

The Trap lifted.

"Now, all your Monsters must attack, and they must attack what I tell them too. I tell them to attack my Millennium Shield.

"And once they're done, you'll have lost 5,100 Life Points, and you'll have lost this duel."

"Never!" shouted Isaiah.

He threw his Spell Card into his Disk.

"I play Mystik Wok, to sacrifice my Jerry Beans Man before he attacks!"

The candy warrior vanished.

"Now I gain 2,350 Life Points, and then I'll only lose 4,150, so I'm not dead yet!

Mechanical Devil, Sonic Duck, and Mad Lobster leapt at the Shield and bounced off of it, sprawling on the ground. Dragon Zombie breathed a blast of toxic breath, but the Shield still withstood without a scratch.

**(A: 2,650) -------------------- (I: 800)**

Isaiah growled.

Artemis narrowed her eyes.

"You don't have enough Life Points left to use Orichalcos Fury twice more," she said. "If you wish to win this duel, you must find another way…

"It's my move…"

She drew a card she looked at it.

"Now it ends…" she said. "I play Awakening From Beyond…"

"And what does _that_ do?" he shouted.

"It lets you draw two cards," said Artemis, "and lets me take one Monster from my Graveyard and add it to my hand."

Isaiah drew two cards.

He started to sweat as he looked at them…

Shield Crush and Rush Recklessly! Next round, he had her!

"And now…" said Artemis. "Remember that Monster I used to activate Judgment of Solomon? Prepare to meet him!

"I sacrifice Millennium Shield and Gear Golem the Moving Fortress…"

The two barriers vanished…

"To summon… _Gandora, the Dragon of Destruction_!"

In a great burst of energy, a huge Dragon with scaly, black skin, batlike wings, and claws like scythes appeared! (0/0)

It let out a roar that shook the whole school. In their dorms, the students trembled…

"Meet one of the most destructive forces in the Duel Monsters universe!" shouted Dr. Artemis.

Isaiah drew back in fear at the colossus in front of him… but then he regained his composure.

"Excuse me?" he said. "It has zero Attack Points…"

Artemis glared at him.

"How can a man who claims to be so smart be so stupid?" she asked. "My great grandfather was given this card… by the son of Yugi Mouto himself!"

Gandora glared at Isaiah, saliva dripping from its massive jowls… Isaiah drew back in fear again.

"I only use it for… special occasions…" she said. "And to activate its incredible power, I have to pay half my Life Points!

"Gandora… Boundless Giga Rays!"

The great beast roared…

Isaiah screamed as the whole cursed arena was consumed in a huge explosion…

**(A: 1,325) -------------------- (I: 800)**

When the flames subsided, the only things left were the Seal, and the huge Dragon.

"What happened?" he asked.

"When Gandora's effect is used," said Artemis, "it destroys every card on the field except itself. Even that wasn't powerful enough to destroy the Seal, I'm afraid…

"But that's too bad for you, because it now gains 300 Attack Points for every card it destroyed. And it destroyed seven… your four Monsters, your Card of Sin, your facedown card, and my Yellow Luster Shield!"

(2,100/0)

"No fair!" shouted Isaiah.

"No fair?" asked Artemis. "Like I said, when my original strategy fails, I find a new one.

"Attack directly!"

"AH!" screamed Isaiah. "Stay back!"

Gandora fired a blast of burning black flames, and the once proud Dr. Isaiah Rackham-Kerwin's final scream echoed all over campus…

**(A: 1,325) -------------------- (I: 0)**

Artemis panted for breath…

Gandora glared at her with a look that didn't seem at all friendly.

Then it vanished into mist.

Sweat poured down Dr. Artemis's face…

There was a reason she only rarely used that card – it scared her. And every time she did, she was sure to have nightmares for a week. That card had a mind of its own, and she knew she had to respect it, and not treat it like just another card.

She went over to her foe's prone body, and started to look through his coat. She knew it was in there somewhere.

Finally, she found it… Isaiah's cell phone.

She turned it on and opened the menu.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado was nervously watching the progress of the students in his building when his cell phone rang.

He looked at the number. He answered it.

"Talk to me," he said.

"Isn't it amazing the numbers some people will put on their cell phones?" said Dr. Artemis's voice. "I'm calling to tell you that Dr. Rackham-Kerwin's idea didn't work."

Fortunado turned white.

"And thank you so much for bringing back such unpleasant memories," continued Artemis. "While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour salt on it? Next time you want to face me, why not come yourself?

"You hide at the top of your ivory tower, Fortunado, but you can't hide behind your henchmen forever. Eventually, you will have to confront the Dark Messiah, and he's going to beat you black and blue."

She hung up.

Fortunado looked at the phone… He snarled…

Then he crushed it in his hand.

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 8:05 PM_

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**THE TRICKY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **5  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description**: You may Special Summon this card from your hand by discarding one card to the Graveyard from your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TRICKY'S SPELL 4 (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A colorful capsule with the number 4 on it.

**Card Description:** Offer one "The Tricky" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one "Tricky Token" in Defense Position for every Monster your opponent has on his side of the field. (Spellcaster/Wind/5 Stars/2,000 ATK/1,200 DEF) "Tricky Tokens" cannot attack.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**GANDORA, DRAGON OF DESTRUCTION (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description**: This card cannot be Special Summoned. Pay half your Life Points to destroy all cards on the field except this card. This card gains 300 ATK for every card that it destroys with its effect. This card is destroyed at the End Phase of the turn in which it is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned.

_Note: "The Tricky", "Tricky's Spell 4", and "Gandora, Dragon of Destruction" are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States. They were used by the Pharaoh and Little Yugi during the Pharaoh's Memory Arc._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**AWAKENING FROM BEYOND (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A ghostly face superimposed over a group of coffins.

**Card Description:** Your opponent draws two cards. Take one Monster Card from your Graveyard and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Awakening From Beyond" was first used by the Pharaoh in the anime episode "The Final Duel (Part Three)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

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**JUDGMENT OF SOLOMON (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Virtue**: Prudence

**Image:** King Solomon on a throne of gold. Beside him is a guard holding an infant. Before him are two women on their knees.

**Card Description:** Take one Monster from your hand, deck, Graveyard, or Fusion Deck. Tell your opponent the following information on the card: Type, Attribute, star level, ATK, and DEF. If your opponent can identify the card's name, remove the card and all cards in your Graveyard from play, and take 2,000 points of direct damage. If your opponent cannot identify the card's name, return the card to the previous location and choose one of the following effects:

Remove all Monsters on your opponent's side of the field from play.

Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on your opponent's side of the field. The cards cannot be activated.

Your opponent discards all the cards in his hand.

Draw until your hand consists of six cards.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**MECHANICAL DEVIL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,750  
**DEF: **0

**Flavor Text**: _Built by forgotten demons, this creature runs on a core of pure darkness, hunting down whatever it wishes._

_Note: "Mechanical Devil" was created by Man Called True for his fanfic "Yu-Gi-Oh! Tilting the Balance". Used with permission. All creative credit goes to him._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ORICHALCOS FURY (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin**: Wrath

**Image:** A demonic iron statue with four arms smashing through a wall.

**Card Description:** This card can be Equipped to a Monster with three stars or less. The Equipped Monster can attack your opponent directly. Pay 500 Life Points every time the Equipped Monster attacks directly.

**0**

**0**

**0**

_**Coming up next:**_

_**Old Ben enters a place in Fortunado's tower where no-one except Duel Monsters have names. He can't remember his name, and the duelist he encounters can't remember either. So why does this strange duelist with stranger cards seem so familiar?**_

_**Find out… In a chapter called "The Unhappy Girl", coming soon.**_


	55. The Unhappy Girl

_**Who am I?**_

_**I know that I'm a duelist. I know that I'm the gym teacher for a school, and the headmaster for one of their dorms. I know that I used to be a boxer before I lost my arm and had to quit.**_

_**I know that I'm helping someone fight an incredible evil that's in this tower. **_

_**But like the Duel Spirit told me, nothing in this forest-like place has names. I can't remember my name, the name of the school, my title when I was a boxer, the name of the student who's leading this invasion, or the evil that I'm fighting, even though I can see them all in my mind quite clearly. **_

_**And this duelist I've met… She's in the same situation. **_

_**I feel sorry for her. But somehow… There's something familiar about her that I can't put my finger on. I know we've never met… But it feels like I met another… version of her. **_

_**Will a duel clear things up? **_

_**I can only try my best, and see…**_

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR**

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**The Unhappy Girl**

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**0 0 0 0 0**

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 7:15 PM_

Twentieth floor.

Old Ben was a little more durable than his students, so he felt very little discomfort when the Transporter deposited him out on the floor.

But that couldn't prepare him for the surprise.

He seemed to be between two hedge walls. Grass was on the floor. He saw trees over both the walls, as if he was in the middle of some indoor forest.

"Fortunado has _way_ too much free time on his hands," he said.

He looked down the hedge corridor, and saw what looked like a campfire. A campfire usually meant someone tending it, so he assumed his opponent was nearby.

He adjusted his Duel Bandoleer, and shuffled his deck as he walked towards the fire.

When he got there, he drew back in shock…

The hedge wall opened, revealing an entrance to a deep forest. But that wasn't what shocked him. Sitting on a rock and tending the fire was a creature that certainly wasn't a man. It seemed to be a humanoid mantis of some sort, wearing armor with a beige exoskeleton. A jagged sword was at his side. He was toasting a sausage on a wiener fork.

Being a duelist, Ben recognized what the creature was – it was an Insect Knight. But he never expected to see one having a wienie roast by a campfire.

Was this a Duel Spirit?

"Curiouser, and curiouser…" he muttered.

He paused.

"Why on earth did I say THAT?"

The Insect Knight looked at him.

"Oh," said the Monster, in a rude voice. "It's _you_."

"Uhm, excuse me… mister…" said Ben, "Uh, I mean creature… uhm… I'm looking for…"

"I know…" muttered the Insect Knight. "You're looking for a duelist. Well, I can't help you with that… I'm not that type of Spirit. You might find someone in there…"

He pointed to the entrance.

"…but I warn you, if you go in there, you might regret it…"

"What's in there?" asked Ben.

"It's called the Forest of Painful Memories," said the Spirit. "But you won't know that if you go inside. In there, nothing has names.

"Except for Duel Monsters. When I go in there, I know I'm an Insect Knight. But nothing else has names.

"But there should be a duelist in there if you look long enough… Of course, if you look for anything long enough, chances are you'll eventually find it."

"Then I have to look for one," said Ben.

"Don't say I didn't warn you…" grumbled the Spirit.

"Oh no…" answered Ben. "I'd never do that…"

The Insect Knight shrugged as he walked into the gate.

"None of my business anyway…" muttered the Insect.

"Eh…" growled Ben, as he walked in. "Of all the rude people I have ever met…"

He walked into the dense forest.

"No one has names?" he asked, as he started walking. "That's silly. My name is…"

He paused.

He paused for a _long_ time.

"My name is…"

As hard as he tried, he couldn't remember. No trace of his name was in his head.

"Lovely…" he thought. "Let's hope I get it back when I leave…"

He looked around.

The place was downright creepy. Vines and thorny plants stood among the dark trees, which only cast a dim illumination. He didn't even know what was making the illumination that _was_ coming down. He knew he was still indoors…

"Got to find someone…" he thought.

He heard the babbling of a stream up ahead.

As he walked towards the steam, he saw a rather-depressed looking girl bathing her feet in the water. She looked to be about eighteen or so… Her hair was long and blonde, and tied in a long ponytail. Her face had cute dimples, and she had large, violet eyes. She wore a shirt that she had tied into a halter (revealing a good deal of cleavage and her navel) and a pair of shorts made from jeans that had the legs cut off.

A standard-issue Duel Disk was by her side.

"Oh!" she said, looking up. "Hi…"

"Uhm, hullo…" said Ben. "Who are you?"

"I wish I knew…" said the girl (calling her a young woman just seemed… wrong). "I can't remember my name. I haven't been able to since I came in here."

"Yeah…" muttered Ben. "I'm, uh… kinda having the same problem…"

The girl paused.

"I, uh… I see you're a duelist," she said. "You know, a duel always helps me think. How about it? Maybe it will clear both our heads."

"Well…" said Ben.

He paused.

"Don't I know you?" he asked.

"I don't know…" she replied.

Ben looked at her. She certainly didn't seem like an evil Shadow Duelist. Somehow, he thought that he could trust her.

"Okay," he said with a smile. "A duel might be a good way to clear the air."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado was more than a little confused when he looked at this scene. He scratched his chin.

He had built that forest using powerful cursed magic. This was the first time he had used it, and frankly, this had NOT been what he was expecting when a victim was lured into that place.

"_Fortunado,"_ said his benefactor's voice. _"Just who is Ben's opponent? She hardly looks formidable."_

"I'm not sure," said Fortunado. "The Forest of Painful Memories is supposed to create a duelist from the victim's… well, his painful memories. Frankly, I was kind of expecting someone from his boxing career, not a teenage girl who was all smiles.

"Frankly, I have no idea who this innocent-looking teenager is. But don't worry, I'm certain that she has evil on her mind."

"_I'll view the situation to make sure,"_ said the voice. _"Let's hope this one has at least moderate success."_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The two of them gathered in a clearing, around a tree stump. The strange girl shuffled her deck on it.

"So, been dueling long?" asked Ben.

"It's a… hobby of mine," she said. "I found this collection of promotional cards that kind of… clicked with me. My deck is my life…"

"A deck should be, to a duelist," said Ben.

They slowly took their positions.

"Well," she said, as her Disk activated, "as they're so fond of saying, it's time to duel!"

Ben's Bandoleer activated, and five cards slipped off of his deck.

**(Ben: 8,000) -------------------- (?: 8,000)**

"I always say, ladies first," said Ben.

"Thanks…" said the girl, drawing a first card.

She looked at it, and then placed it on her Disk. A myriad of caws came from overhead as what looked like a flock of birds flew from their perches.

"I summon Alice the Warden of Wonderland in Attack Mode," she said.

A dark shadow materialized on her side of the field…

Ben raised an eyebrow when he saw who it was. It was Alice from Carroll's famous book… But while the blonde hair, bow, and blue dress was still there, Alice was a great deal older, having grown from child to teenager.

And her expression… She was serious, determined, maybe even a little pissed.

(1,300/1,000)

"Okay…" said the girl. "I'll place a card facedown, and that will be enough for my turn."

She smiled sweetly as a facedown card appeared.

Ben drew a card.

_That facedown is likely a Trap, and that weak Monster is likely the bait,_ he thought, _but I don't need to bite._

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode," he said. "And that will do."

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

The girl drew a card and added it to her hand. She chose another one.

"I'll put a Monster in Defense Mode just like you!" she said.

Alice looked with a curious expression as a facedown Monster appeared next to her.

"That's my turn," she said.

"All right!" said Ben, as a new card flew into his hand.

"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Des Koala!"

The card flipped, and Des Koala appeared, ready to pounce. (1,100/1,800)

"And that means you lose 400 Life Points for every card in your hand! I see four of them."

"Hmm?" said the girl.

And then she shrieked, as she was hit by four bolts of lightning!

She held her head and staggered.

"I… I didn't mean to…" said Ben.

She smiled sweetly again.

"Oo…kay…" he muttered. "I'll next activate Poison Fangs."

He played a card.

"And then I'll summon Des Wombat."

He played another card, and the large, feral mole appeared. (1,600/300)

"Des Wombat, attack Alice!" he commanded.

Des Wombat scurried towards the Warden…

…and then it seemingly tripped over its feet, and fell over.

The girl smiled.

"What?" asked Ben. "It didn't work?"

"Alice can curse her enemies," said the girl, "at least ones who have 2,000 Attack Points or lower. If you try to attack her with such a Monster, there's a flat fifty percent chance that the attack will fail. Looks like she was lucky."

Ben considered.

"Des Koala… uhm… attack the facedown Monster…" he said.

Des Koala pounced…

A creature that looked like a flower with a face appeared on the card. Des Koala slashed it to ribbons.

"Thanks for killing my Dandelion," said the girl. "When it's destroyed, I get to summon two Fluff Tokens."

Two small pieces of fuzz on stalks appeared on her side of the field. (0/0 x2)

"I'll place a card facedown and end my turn," said Ben.

He fit a card into his Bandoleer, and it appeared on the field.

**(B: 8,000) -------------------- (?: 6,400)**

The girl drew a card.

"Let's start by getting rid of that Poison Fangs, cards, 'kay?" she said.

She played a card, and Mystical Space Typhoon appeared on the field. It blew the Spell Card to pieces.

"Now…" she continued. "I'll sacrifice my two Fluff Tokens…"

The tokens vanished. A wind started to blow through the dark woods…

"…to summon… The Jabberwock!"

An enormous creature rose up beside Alice, horribly revealed! Ben had seen Tenniel's illustration of this horrible monster enough times to recognize it… A dragon with a flat face with beady eyes on a long snaky neck, a pear-shaped torso – clothed in a vest! – and long limbs with wicked claws! (2,600/2,000)

_The jaws that bite, the claws that catch…_

"And what can he do?" asked Ben, nervously.

He had to admit, seeing these creatures as Duel Monsters was kind of exciting…

"The Jabberwock is Alice's bodyguard," said the girl. "You can't attack her while he's on the field.

The Jabberwock growled… Smoke poured from its nostrils…

"Jabberwock, attack the Des Wombat with merciless flame attack!"

The Dragon breathed a blast of fire, eradiating the small marsupial.

"Alice, attack the Des Koala. Vorpal blade attack!"

Alice produced a long knife and charged at the Des Koala. The vorpal blade went snicker-snack, and she sliced it in half.

"That will be my move," said the girl.

**(B: 6,800) -------------------- (?: 6,400)**

Ben nervously drew a card. Clearly, his opponent was no amateur…

It was Golden Road.

_Oh yeah,_ he thought.

"I play Golden Road," he said, playing the card. "Now, each player must draw four cards, and then discard two."

The girl gave a shrug. She made four draws.

"Very well," she said, looking at them. "And one of the ones I choose to discard is this one… Elegant Light LV 4."

She discarded the strange Trap Card, along with Sword of Dark Destruction.

"You didn't have to tell me," said Ben, as he discarded two cards.

"Oh, but I did," said the girl. "You see, the effect of Elegant Light LV 4 only activates when it's sent from my hand to the Graveyard by a card effect."

A glowing lantern appeared over her.

"Now I get to special summon any Monster from my deck that has four stars," she said, taking her deck. "And I choose to summon The Cheshire Cat in Defense Mode."

She put her deck back, and then placed a card on her Disk.

A big grin appeared floating in the air next to Alice. The grin slowly formed into a large, tabby cat with a cheerful expression on its face. (500/1,800)

"And what can _he_ do?" asked Ben.

"The Cheshire Cat is Alice's familiar," replied the girl. "With him on the field, her Attack Score goes up by 700 points."

Alice went up to 2,000 Attack.

Ben just looked at her for a minute.

"Continuing my turn…" he muttered. "I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back a Monster I put in my Graveyard with Golden Road… The Trojan Horse."

The Trap lifted, and the large, wooden horse appeared. (1,600/1,200)

"Next, I'll place two cards facedown," he continued.

He fit two cards into his Disk.

"Then I'll dispose of them and my Call of the Haunted, by using Emergency Provisions."

He played another card, and both the Trap Card and his Beast Soul Swap and Big March of Animals were consumed.

"Now I sacrifice my horse… for Big Koala!"

The Trojan Horse vanished, and the huge marsupial appeared under the trees. (2,700/2,000)

"Slay the Jabberwock!" he shouted. "Takedown from down under!"

Big Koala charged on all fours, and slugged the huge Dragon, blowing it to pieces.

"Well…" he said, "we're getting there…"

**(B: 9,800) -------------------- (?: 6,300)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"_Fortunado!"_ said the voice. _"I've probed Ben's mind… as gently as I could without him realizing it. And I know the identity of his opponent."_

"Oh?" asked Fortunado. "Well tell me… Because I sure don't."

An annoyed grunt came from the voice.

"_Ten years ago, he was a father figure towards a leukemia patient named Nichole, a little girl who practically worshipped him,"_ said the voice. _"She didn't survive the disease, and she's been a part of him ever since._

"_What your forest has done was create a phantom of Nichole as she would have been if she had survived and grown up. She's more or less a construct of his memories of her. And since he's a duelist, she's been given the skill of one, even though the real one never played Duel Monsters herself."_

"Why the Wonderland cards?" asked Fortunado. "These were part of a set that was released in 2032, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's birth… But they never really caught on, except among collectors…"

"_That ridiculous fairy tale apparently had significance to her,"_ said the voice. _"But as for the intentions of this 'Nicole', I can't tell what they are. This is a Shadow Game, but I don't even know if she even knows that."_

"Calm down," said Fortunado. "If Ben loses, the Shadow magic will overcome him, regardless of this spirit's intent."

"_In case you didn't notice,"_ said the voice, _"he's winning…"_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Nichole (for it would now be appropriate to identify her as such), drew a card and looked at it.

"I summon Tweedledee in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and a stout, fat little man in a purple and orange schoolboy uniform and a beanie appeared. (1,600/1,800)

"And when he's Normal Summoned," she continued, "I can pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon his brother from my deck. I summon Tweedledum."

Another Monster who was the mirror-image of the other appeared. (1,800/1,600)

"Now I activate my facedown card," she continued. "Enchanted Mushroom!"

The facedown card behind Alice lifted, revealing a Quickplay Spell. It had Tenniel's famous picture of Alice confronting the Caterpillar on it.

"How does that work?" asked Ben.

"I have to first choose one Monster, like Alice," she explained. "Then I choose one card in your hand."

Ben looked at the _only_ card in his hand.

"I have to guess whether it's a Monster, Spell, or Trap Card," she continued. "If I guess right, Alice will grow to giant size for one round, and her Attack Score will double. If I guess wrong, she'll shrink to pixie size, and well, you'll get her next round.

"So, let's see… Since you didn't set it or sacrifice it along with the others when you played Emergency Provisions, I'll say it's a Monster."

Ben sighed and showed her the card. It was a Monster called Rainbow Snake Eingana.

Alice closed her eyes and started to grow, and grew until she was just as big as Big Koala. (4,000/1,000)

"Attack that Koala!" yelled Nichole.

Alice swung with her knife, and Big Koala crashed to the ground. It shattered.

"Now let's see…" said Nichole. "Tweedledee, Tweedledum… Attack directly!"

The two twins leapt up and did handstands. Then they cartwheeled towards Ben, and kicked him in the stomach. He fell over.

**(B: 5,100) -------------------- (N: 5,500)**

"I'll end my turn there," she said, as Alice shrank to her normal size.

Ben started to sweat.

_I gotta do something…_ thought Ben. _This fairy tale has taken a nasty turn…_

He drew a card.

He placed the card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

He waved his hand.

Nichole drew a card. It was a Trap Card that she didn't have a use for now.

"Tweedledee, attack his facedown Monster!" she shouted.

Tweedledee leapt towards the card.

"Now you've done it!" said Ben, with a grin.

Des Kangaroo appeared on the card, crouching in Defense. (1,500/1,700)

He responded with an uppercut, and Tweedledum was blasted into shards.

"What? How?" asked Nichole.

"If you attack Des Kangaroo and your Monster's Attack is lower than his Defense," explained Ben, "your Monster bites the dust."

Nichole grinned.

"Tweedledum, you attack!"

Tweedledum cartwheeled towards Des Kangaroo, blasting it to pieces.

"Alice, attack directly!" she shouted.

Ben roared in pain, as Alice swiped at him with her blade.

**(B: 3,100) -------------------- (N: 5,400)**

Ben caught his breath and looked at the one card in his hand.

Rainbow Snake Eingana. It needed two sacrifices to summon. If his next draw wasn't dyno-supreme, he was finished.

He drew.

Pot of Greed.

_Well,_ he thought, _that's something._

He played the card, and the jar appeared. He drew twice.

He almost fell over when he saw what the two cards were…

"I play Koala March!" he exclaimed playing a card. "Now I can Special Summon one Des Koala from my Graveyard, and one from my hand."

He played the card, and two Koalas appeared, ready to pounce. (1,100/1,800 x2)

"And now I'll sacrifice them…" he stated.

Both of them vanished.

"…to summon Rainbow Snake Eingana."

A huge form loomed over the trees. It was a gargantuan serpent, even bigger than Big Koala, with rainbow-colored scales all over its sinewy coils. (2,200/2,400)

Alice gave a look of fright…

"Attack Alice!" shouted Ben.

Alice the Warden of Wonderland covered her eyes as the Rainbow Snake darted down. It swallowed her with one gulp!

Ben sighed.

"That's enough for one turn…" he muttered.

**(B: 3,100) -------------------- (N: 5,200)**

Nichole's eyes narrowed as she drew a card.

She looked at it.

"First I'll move Tweedledum to Defense Mode…" she said.

She turned the card, and Tweedledum crouched and shielded himself.

"Then I'll play… Fiend's Sanctuary."

She played the card, and the forest dimmed…

A pentagram formed on the ground, and a small creature that looked like it was made of metal beads formed in the center.

"That gives me one Metal Fiend Token," she said, "and now I'll sacrifice it to summon Heart Guard in Defense Mode."

A new Monster rose up. It was one of the Queen of Hearts's famed soldiers, this one apparently a two of hearts, carrying a spear that was topped with a heart. He knelt and held his spear to the side. (1,000/1,000)

_A Tribute Monster with only 1,000 Attack Points?_ thought Ben. _Its effect has to be pretty special…_

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," she said, fitting a card into her Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

Ben drew a card. It was Silent Doom, not something that would be especially good now.

"Eingana…" he said. "Attack the Heart Guard!"

"I activate… Taunt," exclaimed Nichole.

Her facedown card lifted, showing the image of two goofy monsters.

"Now you have to attack the Monster I choose first. And I choose The Cheshire Cat."

Eingana closed in on the Cat and devoured it.

_She's smart, _thought Ben. _She knew that he was worthless without Alice, so she drew my attack away from the Monsters she could still use…_

He nodded. She drew a card.

Nichole looked at in.

She quickly placed two cards in her Disk. A facedown card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

She waved her hand.

Ben drew another card.

_Think I'll wait before putting this guy on the field…_ he thought.

"Eingana…" he said, "let's try it again… attack the Heart Guard."

The Rainbow Snake darted down.

"I activate… Mirror Force!" shouted Nichole.

Her Trap Card lifted up, and Rainbow Snake Eingana was blown to shards by the bright light.

"Heh, heh…" laughed Ben. "Maybe you don't know about Eingana's special effect! When he's destroyed by a card effect, so are all of your Monsters!"

Tweedledum, Heart Guard, and the facedown Monster were blasted to shards.

Nichole smiled.

"Heart Guard's effect is activated when he's destroyed as well," said Nichole, taking her deck. "When that happens, I can summon three specific Monsters from my hand or deck…

"So say hello to Club Guard, Spade Guard, and Diamond Guard."

Three more soldiers appeared, these in Attack Mode. The first was a three of clubs, carrying a spear topped with a playing card club. Next was a four of spades, whose spear had a spade on the end. Finally, there was a five of diamonds, whose spear was topped with a red diamond. (1,000/500 x3)

"And the facedown Monster that you destroyed was Sangan," she said. "You obviously know what he can do. I'll use him to search for my second copy of Alice."

She showed him the card.

"Well I haven't summoned for this turn yet," said Ben. "So I summon another Des Kangaroo in Attack Mode."

Des Kangaroo appeared, and took a few warm-up jabs. (1,500/1,700)

"It's your move…" he said.

Nichole made a draw.

"I'll summon Alice again…" she said.

She played the card, and Alice appeared next to the three guards. (1,300/1,000)

"Now I play this," she said, holding aloft a Spell Card. "It's a card made for a different type of deck, but I'm sure my Card Guards will fit in. It's called Forced March."

The Spell Card appeared, showing the image of a troop of exhausted toy soldiers marching up a staircase.

Alice pointed with a stern look (indeed, unlike her role in the book, she seemed to have a lot of authority here as a Duel Monster) and the three Guards started to march forward. Her Attack Score dropped to 650, and that of the Guards dropped to 500 apiece.

"This Spell pushes my Monsters hard," she said, "letting them attack directly, but they have to give up half their Attack Points for the round."

Ben stepped back nervously…

He grunted as the three guards marched right past Des Kangaroo and jabbed him with their spears…

Then he grunted again, as Alice hurled her knife, and it slashed across his chest.

"That will be my turn," she said, as the Attack Scores went back to normal.

_Ugh…_ thought Ben, drawing a card.

**(B: 950) -------------------- (N: 5,200)**

It was Premature Burial, a card that at this point, would be incredibly risky to play…

…especially if she had another Forced March…

_I could attack Alice with Des Kangaroo,_ she thought, _but if she gets lucky again, it would be a wasted turn…_

"Des Kangaroo, attack the Club Guard!" he shouted. "Dreamtime combination!"

Des Kangaroo hopped forward and socked Club Guard in the face. He dropped his spear, and shattered to pieces.

"That's all for now…" he muttered.

**(B: 950) -------------------- (N: 4,700)**

Nichole made a draw.

"I'll simply move all three of my Monsters to Defense Mode," she said.

Alice sat on her haunches, and the two guards knelt and held their spears to the side.

She waved her hand.

Ben made a draw.

"Hmm…" he muttered.

_Well, this is a risk…_ he thought, _but I may have to take it…_

"I play Premature Burial," he said.

He played the card, and The Trojan Horse rose up. (1,600/1,200)

"Now I'll sacrifice it… For another Big Koala!"

The Horse vanished, and another Big Koala reared up, just as big as the last one.

"And he's plenty strong enough to attack your Warden without having to worry about her curse.

"Big Koala, attack Alice!"

Big Koala leapt at the Warden of Wonderland. Alice covered her head before he came down on her, smashing her flat.

"Des Kangaroo, destroy the Diamond Guard!"

Des Kangaroo flew forward, fist first, and flattened the card guard.

**(B: 150) -------------------- (N: 4,700)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_This is bad…_ thought Fortunado, looking at the field. _He already has the two Monsters he needs to summon something that's nearly impossible to beat. Once he gets Polymerization, we can write this duel off as another flop._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Nichole made a draw.

"Uhm, uh…" she said. "I choose to pass for this turn…"

Ben gave her a look. He drew a card.

"I play Pot of Avarice," he said.

He played the card.

Both Des Koalas, The Trojan Horse, Rainbow Snake Eingana, and his first Des Kangaroo slipped out of his discard slot.

He shuffled them back into his deck, and then made two draws.

_I'm getting back up to snuff,_ he thought, looking at them.

"I place one card facedown…" he said.

A facedown card appeared.

"Now, I attack Spade Guard with Des Kangaroo!"

Des Kangaroo clobbered the last Guard, and it shattered into pixels.

"And now…" he continued, "Big Koala attacks you directly! Takedown from down under!"

Big Koala charged at Nichole…

She quickly threw a card into her discard slot. A swarm of little, furry creatures appeared in front of her. Big Koala got confused…

They exploded, sending him skidding backwards.

"A Kuriboh?" asked Ben.

"Yeah…" said Nichole, wiping her brow. "And I set you up buster! Now my true star is ready to come out!"

"Just move…" he said.

"Get ready, Tough-Stuff," she said.

_Tough-Stuff?_ he thought. _Someone… a long time ago… called me that… It was sort of a pet name… Oh, darn this forest!_

Nicole drew a card.

"First I'll play Graceful Charity, just in case…" she said.

She played the card, and the beautiful angel appeared. She drew three cards.

Then she discarded Dark Designator and Nobleman of Crossout.

"Now, I play the Spell Card, Queen's Invitation!" she exclaimed, playing a card.

A strange creature appeared in the field. He was dressed as a British footman, in formal clothes and a powdered wig… But his head was that of a fish. He carried an envelope under his arm that was as big as he was.

He strode up to Ben, and held the envelope out, obviously expecting him to take it.

"Uh, what does this do?" asked Ben, reaching out.

As he touched it, the envelope and the strange footman vanished.

"Queen's Invitation is a Special Summoning Spell," said Nichole, "but first, I have to remove Heart Guard, Club Guard, Spade Guard, and Diamond Guard from play."

The four cards fell out of her discard slot. She pocketed them.

"And that lets me summon this charming lady," she continued. "Presenting her royal majesty… The absolute, uncontested, undisputed ruler of Wonderland… The Queen of Hearts!"

She threw a card on her Disk, and the sky darkened… A tall, female form appeared in front of her out of the shadows…

Tenniel's illustration of The Queen of Hearts had depicted a portly, middle-aged, and unattractive woman. This version took many liberties. The Queen in front of Ben was a young, attractive woman with a splendid figure. She wore a low-cut dress adorned with playing card symbols, and a headpiece similar to the traditional Queen of Hearts. She also carried a golden scepter with a heart on the end.

Her eyes glowed with an evil light. (3,400/2,400)

Ben gulped.

"Go, my Queen of Hearts!" she shouted. "Attack Des Kangaroo, and win me this duel! Heart of Darkness!"

A storm of black magic started to swirl around the Queen as she raised her staff…

She fired a blast of dark energy at Des Kangaroo.

"Activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Ben.

His Trap Card flipped up, and a dome of energy formed around him. The dark magic plowed into it, and he glowed with energy.

The Queen placed her hand on her hip in anger…

"Heh…" said Ben with a small laugh. "I'm not done yet…"

"Then I'm not done with my turn," said Nichole, as her Field Slot opened. "I play Mystic Plasma Zone."

She fit the card into a slot, and the whole sky went dark, and crackled with eldritch energy.

"This increases the Attack power of all Dark Monsters by 500, in exchange for 400 Defense."

The Queen of Hearts went to (3,900/2,000), while Des Kangaroo went to (2,000/1,300)

"And finally, I'll place a card facedown."

She played a card, and a facedown card appeared behind The Queen of Hearts.

**(B: 3,550) -------------------- (N: 4,700)**

_Man, The Queen of Hearts!_ thought Ben, drawing a card. _Anyone who read the book knows that she is one broad you DON'T wanna mess with. And since this version has been upgraded from evil tyrant to evil sorceress…_

_I only have one guy in my deck who can take her down… Fortunately, summoning him is a simple matter. Let's just hope that her facedown card isn't something that will kill him…_

"I play Polymerization!" he shouted, playing a card, "fusing Big Koala and Des Kangaroo together to form the Master of Oz!"

The two Beasts swirled together into two colors of light…

And then, Master of Oz appeared, raising his fists up high! (4,200/3,700)

"All right!" he shouted. "Attack The Queen of Hearts! Ayer's Rock uppercut!"

Master of Oz took a stance, and then threw a punch at the evil queen…

"Sorry, you'll have to find her first," said Nichole. "I had a Trap ready, courtesy of the Mad Hatter…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"Go, Magical Hats!"

A huge top hat with a question mark on it appeared, and covered The Queen of Hearts… Then three more of them appeared.

Master of Oz's punch went through, but he socked a hat that burst into air.

"Sorry…" said Nichole. "He missed…"

Ben looked at the remaining three hats.

_Yugi Mouto once used this trick, _he thought. _The Queen is hiding under one of those hats, and the others are decoys._

"I have to end my turn…" he said.

Nichole drew.

"Then I pass," she said. "Why don't you try again?"

Ben drew a card. Master of Oz put up his dukes…

"Master of Oz…" said Ben, "attack the middle hat!"

"You made a lucky guess, Tough-Stuff…" grumbled Nichole.

Master of Oz threw a punch, and The Queen of Hearts appeared. She was punched in the chest, and cringed before shattering into pieces.

**(B: 3,550) -------------------- (N: 4,400)**

"Well, that's…" started Ben.

He paused.

"…that?"

He looked at Master of Oz, who seemed to be in pain. He was clutching his chest, and a strange, dark aura seemed to be around him.

"Master of Oz…" he said. "What's wrong?"

"He's cursed," answered Nichole. "You must admit, it's difficult to destroy The Queen of Hearts in battle, but if someone manages to do so, she gets the last laugh. The Monster responsible gets a Dark Heart Token."

"And what does it do?" asked Ben, nervously.

"Master of Oz can't attack for as long as it remains," said Nichole, "and every time you start your turn, it will cost you 1,000 Life Points."

Ben looked at the cards in his hand.

Silent Doom, and Fusion Gate.

"I… can't do anything else…" he muttered.

Nichole drew a card.

"First I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Alice," she said.

She played the card, and Alice reappeared. (1,300/1,000) –)(1,800/600)

"Next, I'll play Premature Burial to revive the Jabberwock. Remember him?"

She played the card, and the fierce Dragon reappeared. (2,600/2,000)

"That will be all for now…"

"I draw one card…" said Ben.

A card flew into his hand.

He felt a gnawing pain, as Master of Oz glowed with dark energy.

He played the card.

"I play Heavy Storm!"

A wind whipped through the forest, and the Mystic Plasma Zone blew away. Then the Premature Burial card shattered, taking the Jabberwock with it.

"I have to end my turn…" he said.

**(B: 2,550) -------------------- (N: 3,600)**

"Then I'll draw one card…" said Nichole.

She drew.

"I'll summon a second Club Guard in Defense Mode.

Another Club Guard appeared, and knelt. (1,000/500)

"Then I'll move Alice into Defense Mode."

Alice sat in Defense.

"And it seems all I have to do is wait you out," she said. "You'll run out of Life Points soon enough."

Ben drew a card. He cringed a little again.

"Well…" he said. "This duel is over…"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Ben opened his own Field Slot.

"First, I play Fusion Gate," he said.

He played the card, and a cloud appeared on the field, crackling with energy.

"What good will that do you?" asked Nichole. "Your Fusion Monster is already here."

"Not for long," said Ben. "I play… De-Fusion!"

As he played the card, Master of Oz split into two orbs of light, and formed into Big Koala (2,600/2,000) and Des Kangaroo (1,500/1,700).

"Now Master of Oz is back in my Fusion Deck for the moment, which means your Dark Heart Token has been destroyed. And that means first I can attack with his component Monsters. One from Des Kangaroo…"

Des Kangaroo slugged the Club Guard, and he shattered.

"…and one from Big Koala…"

Big Koala tackled Alice, and she was smashed.

"And finally, I can use Fusion Gate, to summon the big guy again!"

The two Beasts were sucked through the cloud…

And Master of Oz fell through, landing with a crash! (4,200/3,700)

"Master of Oz, attack directly! Ayer's Rock uppercut!"

Nichole stepped back with a look of fear…

Master of Oz slammed his fist into Nichole's torso and she was propelled backwards violently…

**(B: 1,550) -------------------- (N: 0)**

Nichole was sprawled on her back, and not moving.

"Oh no…" said Ben, as the goliath vanished. "What have I done…"

He'd only attacked directly with Master of Oz once before… And he'd never done it to a female duelist. Now he thought she was hurt…

He ran up to Nichole and knelt beside her.

Her arms lifted up, and she gently kissed him on the cheek…

"Thanks…" she said. "Thanks for the fun duel…"

She got up.

"I have to be going now… I think you may want this…"

She handed him a small object.

It was a small, blue square, with the letter D on it.

"You never lost your touch," she said. "Even as a duelist. I'm proud of you…"

She got up and slowly walked away.

Ben didn't know what she meant.

He tried to follow her, but he lost her in the mist.

Before he knew it, he was walking out a gate, apparently at the other end of the forest.

"ARGH!" he shouted. "Ben… My name is Ben… And…"

He paused.

"That girl…" he muttered. "Nichole?"

He shook his head and took out his cell phone.

"If only she could have been…" he thought. "She was only… a shadow. The magic in this place is weird…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Really?" asked Trisha. "You were dueling Nichole?"

"Who's Nichole?" asked Jason.

Trisha waved her hand as she listened on her cell phone.

"I see… blue letter D, you say? Got it… Yeah, we'll take that into consideration… Be careful Ben…

"Oh, don't give me that… A little concern never hurt…"

"Who's Nichole?" asked Jason again.

"Someone he knew who died a long time ago," said Trisha, hanging up. "Fortunado is sinking to new lows."

"We should warn the others then," said Jason, picking up his phone. "If Fortunado would take such a cheap shot, he's bound to take cheaper ones…"

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 8:05 PM_

**0**

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**ALICE, THE WARDEN OF WONDERLAND (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,300  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description**: When this face-up card is attacked by an opponent's Monster with 2,000 ATK or less, toss one coin and call it. If you call it right, negate the attack.

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**THE JABBERWOCK (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,600  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description**: When this card is face-up on your side of the field, your opponent cannot select "Alice, Warden of Wonderland" as an attack target.

_Note: "Alice the Warden of Wonderland" and "The Jabberwock" first appeared in "Legacy of the Duelist"._

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**THE CHESHIRE CAT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **500  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description**: When this card is face-up on your side of the field, increase the ATK of all "Alice, Warden of Wonderland" on your side of the field by 700 points.

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**ENCHANTED MUSHROOM (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Tenniel's illustration of Alice confronting the Caterpillar on his mushroom, in black and white.

**Card Description:** Choose one face-up Monster on your side of the field that has four stars or less. Choose one of the cards in your opponent's hand at random and guess whether it is a Monster, Spell, or Trap Card. If you guess correctly, double the chosen Monster's ATK until the End Phase of the current turn. If you guess incorrectly, halve the chosen Monster's ATK until the End Phase of the current turn.

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**TWEEDLEDEE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,600  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description**: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, you may pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon one "Tweedledum" from your hand or deck.

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**TWEEDLEDUM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,800  
**DEF: **1,600

**Card Description**: When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, you may pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon one "Tweedledee" from your hand or deck.

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**SPADE GUARD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **500

**Flavor Text**: _They serve as manual laborers for the Queen of Hearts on most occasions, but can still wield a weapon if they have to._

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**CLUB GUARD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **500

**Flavor Text**: _The rank and file of the Queen's army. They are little more than grunts._

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**DIAMOND GUARD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **500

**Flavor Text**: _A skilled fighter in the service of the Queen of Hearts. He is dedicated to his liege._

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**HEART GUARD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **5  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description**: This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon one "Spade Guard", one "Club Guard", and one "Diamond Guard" from your hand or deck.

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**QUEEN'S INVITATION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Tenniel's illustration of the Fish Footman presenting the Frog Footman with an envelope at the door of the Duchess's house, in black and white.

**Card Description:** This card can be activated if one "Spade Guard", one "Club Guard", one "Diamond Guard", and one "Heart Guard" are in your Graveyard. Remove the above Monsters in your Graveyard from play. Special Summon one "The Queen of Hearts" from your hand or deck.

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**THE QUEEN OF HEARTS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **9  
**ATK: **3,400  
**DEF: **2,400

**Card Description**: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Queen's Invitation". If this card is destroyed as a result of battle, place one "Dark Heart Counter" on the Monster that destroyed it. A Monster with a "Dark Heart Counter" cannot attack, and the owner of the Monster loses 1,000 Life Points during each of his Standby Phases.

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**DANDELION (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Plant/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **300  
**DEF: **300

**Card Description**: When this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon two "Fluff Tokens" (Plant/Wind/1 star/0 ATK/0 DEF) to your side of the field in Defense Mode. "Fluff Tokens" cannot be used as a Tribute on the same round they are Special Summoned.

_Note: "Dandelion" is a Japanese promotional card that, unfortunately, has not yet been released in the United States._

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**FORCED MARCH (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A troupe of exhausted toy soldiers marching up a staircase.

**Card Description:** During the turn you play this card, the ATK of all face-up Monsters on your side of the field are halved, and they may attack your opponent directly.

_Note: "Forced March" was first used by Bonaparte in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Dormitory Demolition". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**ELEGANT LIGHT LV 4 (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A glowing, hanging outdoor lantern.

**Card Description:** This card is activated when it is sent from your hand to the Graveyard by a card effect. Special Summon one four-star Monster from your deck.

_Note: "Elegant Light LV 4" was first used by X in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Not Playing With A Full Deck". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**RAINBOW SNAKE EINGANA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Sea Serpent/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,200  
**DEF: **2,400

**Card Description**: When this Monster is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, destroy all Monsters on your opponent's side of the field.

_Note: "Rainbow Snake Eingana" was used by Gansley in the multi-part anime episode "Isolated in Cyber Space" (he didn't use its effect, but it was written on the card). All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next…_

_Over the course of this story, Old Ben faced the god of tricksters, Jason faced the goddess of discord…_

_But next chapter, Randy faces the servant of a divine being more merciless and cruel than those two ever could hope to be, who was feared by people long before the Norsemen or the Greeks ever established their gods. _

_A being so evil, even Fortunado is afraid of her… One who was chained so tightly, she could NOT be unbound by the Scepter._

_Does Randy even stand a chance? Find out in "Fengsheng Mirror", coming soon._

_Also, next chapter, you'll get your first full view of the enigmatic Master who is behind this whole mess. Creepy, huh?_

_Don't miss it!_


	56. Fengsheng Mirror

_**My name is Nadia Tyrelle… **_

_**By all means, my brother Randy should be making this introduction. He is the one dueling.**_

_**But he can't.**_

_**See, we're both in big trouble. He's fighting in the deadliest of Shadow Games, against the worst stakes imaginable, for both me and himself, and the opponent he faces represents an ancient and primordial evil that is very nearly a force of nature.**_

_**The fear he feels at this point is greater than he has ever felt, and the sheer evil of the situation threatens to overpower and consume him. **_

_**In fact, I think that it's only the precise nature of the sanctified card he holds in his deck that's keeping him from throwing down his cards and pleading for mercy… It is the one thing that is holding him – and his sanity – together.**_

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE**

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**Fengsheng Mirror**

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_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 7:10 PM_

After the scary duel with Alice, Randy and Nadia walked down a long hallway, Nadia still carrying the doll that had once been her opponent in her backpack.

"So now what?" asked Nadia.

"There are more duelists around," said Randy. "And I have a feeling that they won't be as easy as Alice was."

"You call that easy?" she asked.

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Fortunado held his head as he saw where they were headed. He had secretly hoped no one would go there. He might have prayed if he didn't know no one would listen.

"What have I done…" he muttered. "I have to support your opponent in the challenge that awaits you, but the fate that awaits you if you lose… Even feeding you to the Master would be preferable…

"I was against this from the start… But now I must go through with it… I lost all semblance of choice long ago…"

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Randy and Nadia approached a large set of wooden double doors.

"What do you think…" started Nadia.

They slowly opened with a creek, revealing a dim chamber within.

Nadia slowly went in. Randy followed.

"I've seen week-old fish that smelled better than this," muttered Randy. "Likely someone is waiting to ambush us. Be careful…"

It was a torch-lit chamber, with walls that seemed to be made of stone.

"_Randy,"_ said a voice behind him.

Randy turned. It was Avian.

"_Randy, tread with caution,"_ said the Hero. _"I detect evil in this room… Evil unlike I have ever felt before._

"_Clearly, a force of evil of the most powerful type resides here. Be warned…"_

"Okay…" answered Randy. "Why don't you… Rate it on a scale of one to ten, ten being Emperor Palpatine's level?"

"_I'd say… twelve,"_ replied the Hero.

"Twelve?" gulped Randy.

"Sis…" he muttered. "Maybe we should…"

The far end of the room was occupied by what looked like an altar of sorts, on which was a statue of a beautiful, bare-breasted woman made of white marble. She was sitting cross-legged, and remarkably, had four arms, that were outstretched. Two flaming braziers were to either side of her.

"Lovely," said Randy. "Living room, dining room… evil temple…"

"This place looks like the Temple of Doom…" muttered Nadia. "Why do these conflicts always happen in dark, creepy places? I mean, why can't a fight between a good guy and a bad guy ever be in a bakery? Or a flower shop?"

She went up to the altar and saw a mirror next to it. It was five feet tall, three feet wide, had a gold frame, and had swirling lights inside it.

"So strange…" she said, staring at it.

"Nadia!" screamed Randy.

The statue's eyes glowed with evil light…

Then Nadia screamed…

She was sucked inside the mirror!

The swirling lights stopped.

"Nadia…" gasped Randy.

He saw his sister in the mirror. She was trapped inside, pounding on the wall of the glass prison, but she couldn't crack it.

An evil laugh started to fill the air.

"Who's there?" shouted Randy.

A form stepped out of the shadows…

Randy raised his eyes.

It seemed to be a girl about his age, with dark skin that suggested East Asia. She had long, dark hair, tied in a ponytail, and was dressed in a long, silk skirt and a bikini top that seemed made of leather.

Then there were the more startling features. She wore a garland around her neck that was made of skulls (too small to be human – Randy guessed and hoped they once belonged to monkeys or something), and she had strange tattoos on her arms. Her face and lower torso were decorated with streaks of some sort of red paint (he hoped).

She made a slight grin.

Randy was about to say something, when the strange girl gestured, and a large cobra appeared in her hands. It hissed menacingly.

"Who are you?" he gasped.

The girl's eyes glowed purple. The cobra slithered in her arms.

"I am Kilralla," she said, in a deep, husky, voice. "High priestess of Kali. And as for you, I suggest you leave."

The snake hissed again. Randy shivered. He hated snakes… Especially ones with neurotoxin venom…

"Kali…" muttered Randy, as fear crept over him. "The Indian Goddess of Death?"

Kilralla nodded.

Randy stared at her.

"Release my sister!" he demanded.

"You misunderstand, child," said Kilralla. "I tell others what to do, not the other way around.

"Two centuries ago, my master was locked in a dark prison, and I was sent there with her, as I was an accomplice. But I am free now.

"All I need to free her is to sacrifice two innocents. I have one already.

"My mirror cannot take another victim until I have offered the first. Go, unless you want to be the second…"

Randy drew back in fear.

"NO!" he shouted. "You're NOT feeding my sister to some demoness!"

"Fear not for your sister," said Kilralla. "She will survive. And she will have the honor of serving Kali when she returns to Earth."

"No…" muttered Randy.

He paused.

"Kilralla…" he muttered. "You wouldn't be in this building if you weren't a duelist…"

The priestess smirked.

"I am," said Kilralla. "I have destroyed many opponents in Shadow Games throughout the ages."

"Well, I offer you a challenge," said Randy.

The cobra hissed loudly.

"A challenge?" said Kilralla, with a smirk. "How amusing…"

"I'll be your next opponent," said Randy. "If you win, I'll be your other victim…"

He paused…

"If I win, you let Nadia go…"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Kilralla.

"Run away, child," she said. "Run while you can. Trust me, you don't want to duel me…"

Randy stared at her.

Her eyes glowed again. Her expression turned more serious.

"You do realize this will be a Shadow Game?" she asked, frowning.

Randy nervously nodded.

"Well…" said Kilralla, "if you desire to lose your freedom in a foolish bet when you could have run when you should have, I will not stop you. I will give you one last chance to back away, and I will tell you one thing…

"My master is not as merciful as I am."

Randy paused.

He could have backed out… He could have run and not looked back…

But all he could remember was the promise he had made to Nadia before they had come…

"_Just stay close to me, sis. I'll keep you safe."_

Randy started to shuffle his deck.

Kilralla grinned. The snake coiled around her left arm, and started to glow. In a bust of dark energy, it turned into a Disk made of black metal, with a blade-like tray and other sharp edges. The deck holder and the discard slot were both shaped like a serpent's mouth.

"Very well…" she said. "You win, your sister goes free. I win, you both become offerings, and later slaves. Keep in mind…

"This was your idea…"

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Fortunado nervously mixed vodka with orange juice.

A screwdriver was a drink that was usually too strong even for him, but he needed one as he watched this.

He knew the legend of Kali well…

In prehistory, the gods of India were at war with a terrible enemy, the Rakshasha King, a demon with many heads, and many arms. This demon seemingly couldn't be defeated, because every time even a single drop of its blood spilled on the ground, each drop grew into a new demon that obeyed its parent without question.

But the leader of the gods wasn't bad at creating either, so he created Kali. She quickly found a way to defeat the beast – she held it above her head, broke its neck, and drank every drop of blood before it hit the ground.

Witnessing this gruesome act closely was Shiva, the God of Destruction. He was so impressed, he took Kali for his wife, but even he later started to fear her violence.

Kali… A name from that was from that point on, synonymous with death…

Whatever Kali had done to anger her fellow immortals and be locked up in some celestial prison was known only to the gods, but the place was so secure, trying to free her had destroyed the Scepter of Bound Divinity in the process. All he had freed was her most loyal priestess.

Fortunado could only watch…

If Kilralla won this duel, Kali would return, and his side would gain a potent ally… But one that would likely be very hard to control. The Master said she could, but he doubted it.

If Randy won, Kilralla would be imprisoned again, something she wasn't aware of.

Fortunado was pretty sure that attempting to bring this being to Earth was the worst thing he had done at the Master's request so far, but he was in no position to argue…

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"You are quite brave, Randy," said Kilralla, as the two of them stood apart. "But we will see how brave you are when you see what I unleash."

They drew the first five cards off their decks.

**(Randy: 8,000) -------------------- (Kilralla: 8,000)**

"I'll go first…" said the priestess, drawing her first card (not even giving Randy an option).

She looked over her hand.

She placed a card in her Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"That will conclude my move," she said.

"No Monsters at all?" asked Randy, drawing a card. "Have a bad first hand?"

Kilralla's eyes glowed again.

Randy shivered, and placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

The flaming heroine appeared, with her palms burning with fire. (1,200/800)

"And my Trap activates," said Kilralla, as her facedown card lifted. "A card that's both Trap and Monster… Embodiment of Apophis."

Purple smoke rose from the card, and a sinister form slithered out. It was a serpentine creature with the lower body of a snake, and an upper body that was sort of like a man, with two heads, one man-like and one snake-like. It held a scimitar and a shield. Forked tongues darted out of its mouths. (1,600/1,800)

Burstinatrix nervously stepped back…

"Ugh…" muttered Randy. "Sorry Burst… I have to end my turn…"

Kilralla drew a card.

"I summon the Flame Ruler in Attack Mode," she said.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a fiery man in a red jacket with a flaming beard appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"Flame Ruler, attack Burstinatrix," she commanded. "Scorching blast."

Flame ruler's hand burned with flames, and he socked Burstinatrix, blowing her to shards with a scream.

"Apophis, attack the foolish boy directly."

Randy screamed and fell over, as the serpent slashed at him with its blade.

Sweat poured down his face as he got to his feet…

That hurt… Badly. It was as if a real sword had just cut into him…

And for all he knew, perhaps one just had…

**(R: 6,100) -------------------- (K: 8,000)**

Inside her glass prison, Nadia watched with dismay.

_Why didn't you run when you could have, Randy?_ she thought. _You can't beat someone this powerful…_

Kilralla placed a card into her Disk.

"One card facedown, and my turn concludes," she said. "The blessings of the Black Mother are already with me. Soon, victory will be mine.

"Soon, Kali will be free…"

Randy drew a card.

_Hey,_ he thought.

"I summon Elemental Hero Shadowblade in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

A shower of lotus flowers fell upon the field, and the heroic _kunoichi_ appeared out of the shadows, holding her katana. (1,500/1,000)

Kilralla's eyes narrowed.

"Here's where it gets interesting," said Randy. "If I don't order her to attack on the round she's summoned, Shadowblade can destroy one Spell or Trap Card. And I happen to know that Embodiment of Apophis can be wiped out by effects that destroy Traps."

Shadowblade produced three throwing knives.

"Shadowblade, wipe out that slimy snake!" he shouted.

"HAI!" shouted Shadowblade. She hurled the knives, and they stabbed into the Apophis, blasting it to dust.

"That's enough for my turn," said Randy, grinning.

Kilralla frowned, and drew.

"I activate the Spell Card, Spring of Rebirth," she said.

She played a card, and with a loud rumble, a huge fountain topped by an angelic statue rose up behind her. The statue's eyes glowed red.

"Next," she said, "I'll sacrifice Flame Ruler for a Spirit Monster known as the Great Long Nose."

Flame Ruler vanished, and a strange creature appeared. It looked like a seven-foot-tall troll dressed in a wool jacket, with red skin, pointed ears, and – true to its name – a very long nose. It had long white hair and a beard. (1,900/1,700)

"A Spirit Monster?" asked Randy.

He'd heard of these Monsters before… Strange creatures that Pegasus had discovered on a trip to the East Orient. They all had a powerful ability – they all returned to the user's hand after attacking, making them able to make hit-and-run tactics…

Bottom line, they were incredibly hard to kill…

"Attack Shadowblade, my Spirit," ordered Kilralla.

Great Long Nose leapt forward, and slashed at the ninja with its claw. Shadowblade cried out in pain as a spray of blood flew from the wound, and then fell to her knees. She shattered.

Randy drew back in fear at the violent scene…

"And since Great Long Nose damaged your Life Points," said Kilralla, "you must skip your Battle Phase on your next turn.

"I end my turn, and because it's a Spirit, Great Long Nose returns to my hand…"

The troll vanished, and a card appeared in Kilralla's hand.

"…which activates the effect of Spring of Rebirth, granting me 500 Life Points."

**(R: 5,700) -------------------- (K: 8,500)**

_Okay, this may be hard…_ thought Randy.

He drew a card.

"I summon Elemental Hero Clayman in Defense Mode," he said.

The bulky Hero of Earth appeared, and crouched in Defense Mode. (800/2,000)

"What do you say to that?" he asked. "Just try getting past him. I end my turn."

Kilralla glared at him, and drew a card.

"What do I say?" she asked. "I activate my facedown card…"

A Trap Card lifted, showing the image of a gaunt, ghostly form caught in spiritual bindings.

"It's called Spirit's Invitation. This Trap costs me 500 Life Points for each of my turns that I want to keep it, but now, whenever a Spirit returns to my hand, I can send one of your Monsters back to yours.

"Next, I'll place one card facedown…"

She placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"And as for getting past him, I will summon Inaba White Rabbit in Attack Mode."

A strange form appeared on the field. It was a basin full of flaming energy with a pole in the center. A small, white rabbit clutched the pole. (700/500)

"This Spirit can go right past your pathetic Clayman and attack you directly," she explained.

Inaba White Rabbit leapt off its perch, and grabbed onto Randy's face. He shrieked as it clawed at his eyes!

"I end my turn," said Kilralla. "Meaning Inaba White Rabbit returns to my hand, and thanks to my Trap, Clayman returns to yours…"

Inaba White Rabbit vanished. Then a haunting ghost flew out of the Trap Card and dove into Clayman. He vanished as well. Cards appeared in both of their hands.

"And my Spring of Rebirth activates again, granting me 1,000 Life Points this time."

**(R: 5,000) -------------------- (K: 9,500)**

_She planned her strategy perfectly,_ thought Randy. _She'll lose 500 Life Points every round due to Spirit's Invitation, but she'll gain even more due to that Spring of Rebirth, bouncing my Monsters off the field each time._

_That would be really bad if the Monster she bounced was a Fusion Monster…_

_I'd best draw something good…_

He drew a card.

_Yes!_ he thought.

"I play Reinforcement of the Army!" he exclaimed, playing the card. "Now I can bring one Warrior from my deck to my hand."

He took his deck.

"Now who should it be? I know… Good old Wildheart.

"Now… I'll use Polymerization, to fuse Wildheart and Avian…"

Wildheart and Avian appeared on the field… Then swirled into a green and brown blur…

"Forming Elemental Hero Wild Wingman."

A new Hero flew out of the vortex. He looked like Wildheart at first glance, but he had pants, claws, and talons similar to Avian's, and wings that were more splendid than Avian's wings ever were. A green domino mask was over his eyes. (1,900/2,300)

"Now…" said Randy, "by tossing one card from my hand…"

He discarded Clay Wrap.

"Wild Wingman can destroy one Spell or Trap Card. So say goodbye to your Spirit's Invitation."

Wild Wingman flapped his wings, causing a virtual hurricane. Spirit's Invitation was swept up into the air, and never came down.

"Wild Wingman, attack Kilralla directly!" shouted Randy. "Wild talon!"

Wild Wingman flew at the priestess. She shrieked as he clawed her in the torso. She fell over, but caught herself.

**(R: 5,000) -------------------- (K: 7,600)**

"How dare you strike me?" she said angrily, as her eyes glowed. "Once this duel is over, you and your sister will suffer…"

"You have to win first," said Randy. "It's your move."

She drew a card.

"I activate my facedown Call of the Haunted," she said, as her facedown card lifted.

A tombstone appeared on the field, and a hand reached out of what appeared to be an earthen grave. The rest of the creature pulled itself out, revealing itself to be Flame Ruler. (1,500/1,600)

"But he's going right back to the grave," said Kilralla, "because when this Monster is sacrificed to summon a Fire Monster, it can count as two Monsters. So Flame Ruler, be gone…"

Flame Ruler vanished.

"I sacrifice you to summon Yamata Dragon!"

From out of the shadows, the ugliest Dragon Randy had ever seen appeared. He knew he was a true duelist when he had to make a comparison to _all_ the Dragons he had ever seen. Reaching twenty feet long, it had eight hideous heads, and whatever body it was connected to was not clearly visible. (2,600/3,100)

"Attack the Wild Wingman!" shouted Kilralla. "Raging inferno!"

Yamata Dragon shot forth eight fiery blasts. Wild Wingman hollered, and was burned alive.

**(R: 4,300) -------------------- (K: 7,600)**

"And when Yamata Dragon damages your Life Points," continued Kilralla, "I get to draw until I hold five cards."

She drew one card. She looked at it and added it to her hand.

"And my turn is hardly over," she said. "I now play this… The Ritual Spell Card, Spirited Away."

She played the card, and it appeared, showing the image of a shadowy hand reaching for a young girl.

"For this Ritual," she explained, "I must sacrifice at least eight stars worth of Monsters. So I will sacrifice Yamata Dragon, and Inaba White Rabbit from my hand…"

Inaba White Rabbit appeared on the field, and then the two Spirits were shrouded in blue flames. Quickly, they were consumed…

"Descend, my warrior…" she ordered. "I summon Balfael, the Guardian of Ten-Thousand Terrors."

The creature that appeared was a fiendish, frightening creature. It was humanoid, apparently made of rock, and stood twenty feet tall. It had stocky legs, and four arms, each holding a scimitar. Its face had definite East Oriental features, and it wore a crown made of blackened metal. (2,300/2,000)

"Uh, impressive…" said Randy. "But a little weak for an eight-star Monster, wouldn't you say? I've seen better ones."

"His true power makes up for it," said Kilralla. "Of course, this creature is no Spirit, but he works with them in ways you will soon see. My turn now ends."

Randy slowly drew a card.

"Uh…" he said. "I'll summon Clayman in Defense Mode again…"

He played the card, and Clayman reappeared. (800/2,000)

"That's all I can do."

Kilralla drew a card.

"I summon Asura Priest in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and a strange creature appeared. Like some Hindu deity, it had six arms and three faces, and was dressed in a cloak and loincloth. (1,700/1,200)

"Balfael, destroy his Clayman," ordered Kilralla. "Sword smash!"

The huge statue swung down with one of his scimitars, and Clayman was blown to pieces. Randy cringed from the impact.

Asura Priest produced something with its upper arms. It seemed to be a long, knotted cord.

"And what's it going to do with that?" asked Randy.

"You'll see," said Kilralla. "Asura Priest, attack Randy directly."

Asura Priest vanished.

Nadia tried to scream as she saw the Monster appear behind Randy, but he couldn't hear her. The Spirit pinned Randy's arms with its lower four hands, and then wrapped the cord around his neck and started to strangle him!

Randy fell to his knees, but it seemed that this one wanted to play out the attack for all it was worth. The Monster continued to squeeze, and he started to think it wasn't going to stop until it killed him. Everything started to turn red.

Finally, it let go, and he gasped for breath. Asura Priest reappeared on Kilralla's side.

"The favored technique of the old Thagna cult," said Kilralla. "Outdated nowadays, I'll admit, but still fun to watch."

"For a sadist…" gasped Randy, holding his throat.

**(R: 2,600) -------------------- (K: 7,600)**

"I end my turn," said Kilralla. "And due to Balfael's presence, my Spirit Monster does not return to my hand."

_We're finished…_ thought Nadia_. We failed Russell. And if Fortunado gets someone as powerful as Kali on his side, the fight will be lost…_

Sweat poured down Randy's face as he got up.

"Surrender," said Kilralla. "Submit to the Black Mother peacefully. You do not want more pain."

Randy paused. More sweat poured down his face.

He closed his eyes and slowly moved his hand towards his deck…

His hand hovered over it…

From somewhere in his deck, a light shone, and reached to him.

He stopped. He grit his teeth, and then drew the top card off his deck.

"I'll never give up, Kilralla!" he shouted. "I'll fight you to the end!"

"I play Graceful Charity!"

He played the card, and the angel appeared in front of him. He drew three cards.

He discarded Silent Doom and King of the Swamp.

"Okay, time to combo…" he said. "First, I summon… Elemental Hero Sparkman."

In a flash of light, the sparking Hero of Light appeared. (1,600/1,400)

"Next, I play a Spell Card…"

A Spell Card appeared, showing two boxers roughing up a referee.

"It's called Guard Penalty," he continued. "Here's how it works. I choose one Monster on the field, and if that Monster moves to Defense Mode during this turn, I get to draw one card. And I choose that rotten Asura Priest."

"Oh?" asked Kilralla. "And just how do you intend to move it to Defense Mode?"

"With this…" said Randy, playing a card. "The Equip Spell, Spark Blaster."

He played the card, and with a flash, Sparkman's favorite weapon appeared in his hand.

"You like old-fashioned knotted cords?" he said. "Well, time to go modern! This weapon has three charges, and each can change the battle position of a Monster.

"So I'll move your Asura Priest from Attack Mode, to Defense Mode."

Sparkman fired a blast from the weapon, and Asura Priest knelt and shielded itself with all six arms.

"So I get to draw once," said Randy, drawing a card. "Of course, like I said, Spark Blaster has three charges, so why waste them? I'll use the second charge to move it back to Attack Mode…"

Sparkman fired again, and the Spirit moved back to Attack Mode.

"And one more time," continued Randy, "moving it to Defense again…"

Sparkman fired again, and Asura Priest crouched in Defense again.

The Spark Blaster shattered

"So I get to draw again," said Randy, drawing a card. "Even better, Asura Priest has been moved from Attack Mode where it's strong, to Defense Mode, where it's weak.

"Sparkman, attack! Shining surge flash!"

Sparkman blasted lightning at Asura Priest, and the Spirit was blown into pixels.

"You dare mock me?" asked Kilralla. "Do you not know the stakes of this battle?"

"Stakes?" asked Randy, placing a card in his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

"Kilralla…" he said, "if I dwell on them too much, I may come apart at the seams. So excuse me if I keep my sanity in my own way.

"That's my turn…"

Kilralla growled as she drew.

"Balfael…" she ordered. "Attack his Sparkman!"

The statue lunged forward with its blade…

"Activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Randy.

Kilralla gasped as the Trap lifted, and the force barrier formed around Randy and Sparkman. Balfael's sword slammed into it, and Randy glowed as energy fed into him.

Kilralla paused.

"Make… your… move…" she said through her teeth.

**(R: 4,900) -------------------- (K: 7,600)**

Randy drew.

"I'll move Sparkman to Defense Mode…" he said.

Sparkman knelt in Defense.

"Then I'll set another Monster in Defense Mode," he continued.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a concealed Monster appeared.

"That ends my turn."

Kilralla drew.

_Ergh,_ she thought. _These Shadow Games were so much easier when we used stone tablets and talismans rather than these cards… Not as much was left to chance. But if I must use them to adjust to the modern world, I guess I have no choice…_

"Balfael, prove to me you can dispose of that blasted Sparkman!" she shouted.

Balfael slashed with its weapon, and this time, nothing opposed the attack. Sparkman exploded from the impact.

"Your move…" muttered Kilralla.

Randy drew a card. He looked at the fiendish-looking Warrior on the card…

"I pass for this turn…" he said.

"Then I draw…" said Kilralla.

She did so.

"I'll start with one card facedown," she said.

She placed a card in her Disk, and it appeared.

"Then I summon Fushi No Tori in Attack Mode."

A bird that seemed to be made completely out of fire appeared, hovering in mid-air. (1,200/0)

"Balfael, destroy his defense!" she ordered.

Once again, the living monolith lunged forward with his weapon…

Wroughtweiler appeared on the card, and was smashed to bits.

"Well," said Randy, "when Wroughtweiler is defeated, I get to take one Elemental Hero and one Polymerization card from my Graveyard."

Two cards slipped out of his discard slot.

"And I think Wildheart will do…"

"So be it…" replied Kilralla. "Fushi No Tori, attack Randy directly. Spirit fire."

Fushi No Tori breathed a ball of flame at Randy, and he screamed as flames burned his skin.

He gasped. Welts were forming on his flesh after that attack…

"And when Fushi No Tori damages your Life Points, I gain the same amount," said Kilralla. "Once again, I conclude my turn, and Balfael prevents my Spirit from returning to my hand."

**(R: 3,700) -------------------- (K: 8,800)**

"As if you needed any more Life Points…" said Randy, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"Well," he said. "Now it's time to clean up!

"I play Polymerization, to fuse together Wildheart with Elemental Hero Necroshade!"

Wildheart appeared on the field, and then a fiendish-looking Hero in armor with claws appeared next to him…

They merged into a vortex…

"And together they form Elemental Hero Necroid Shaman."

From out of the vortex, a curious-looking Warrior emerged. He was a witch doctor covered with tattoos, wearing face paint, with long red hair. He wore white pants tied with a rope belt, and carried a gold-tipped staff. (1,900/1,800)

"He can't defeat Balfael," said Kilralla.

"Yes he can," answered Randy. "When Necroid Shaman is summoned, I can destroy one of your Monsters."

Necroid Shaman started to chant a spell, and his staff started to glow. He shot a beam of dark energy, and Balfael blew into shards of rock.

"Balfael…" gasped Kilralla. "Blown into little pieces… Curse you, Randy, you and your Heroes! He was one of Kali's most favored servants!"

"You're breaking my heart," said Randy. "Anyway, as per the second part of Necroid Shaman's effect, I now Special Summon one Monster from your Graveyard to your side of the field. Of course, there's only one Monster in your Graveyard that Ican/I be Special Summoned."

Flame Ruler appeared on Kilralla's side of the field in Attack Mode. (1,500/1,600)

"And I'm not done," said Randy, taking another card. "You see, since I Fusion Summoned Necroid Shaman, I sent Necroshade to the Graveyard, and that lets me activate his effect, and summon a high-level Elemental Hero with no sacrifice.

"So, I summon Elemental Hero Bladedge."

He threw a card on his Disk, and the golden-armored Hero appeared next to Necroid Shaman. (2,600/1,800)

"Now, let's show her the ropes guys!" he said. "Necroid Shaman, attack Flame Ruler!"

Necroid Shaman twirled his staff above his head, and leapt forward, clobbering Flame Ruler on the noggin with it. The Pyro burst.

"Bladedge, attack Fushi No Tori! Slice 'n dice attack!"

Bladedge bore his blades, and his jetpack ignited. He flew forward, and swiped at the Spirit, slashing it to ribbons.

"I'll place one card facedown, and end my turn…" said Randy, placing a card in his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

**(R: 3,700) -------------------- (K: 7,000)**

Nadia looked up.

_We may have a chance!_ she thought. _He summoned two powerful Monsters in one turn! Maybe we're not doomed…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado nervously drank the last of the screwdriver.

He looked at the glass for a minute.

_How long can this duel last?_ he thought. _Oh, I want Randy to win… But if I show any visible support towards him, the Master will kill me…_

_And that might not be a figure of speech in her case._

He picked up the carton of orange juice. He'd had enough hard liquor for now, but he had to drink something, and plain old vitamin C would do.

He looked at the clock.

_The Black Moon will rise soon,_ he thought. _The Reckoning will begin before we know it…_

He paused.

He bowed his head.

_This has gone far out of proportion, _he thought. _This shouldn't be happening…_

_But I can't stop it now…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"All right, Randy…" said Kilralla. "I draw!"

She drew a card.

"And my Trap activates," said Randy, as his facedown card, lifted. "Elemental Recharge! Now I gain 1,000 Life Points for every Elemental Hero on my side of the field, and as you can see, I have two of them."

Kilralla glared at him.

"I activate my facedown card as well," she said, as her facedown card lifted. "Ground Breaking."

A Trap Card lifted.

"Now I can move one Spirit Monster from my Graveyard to my hand…"

A card materialized in her hand.

"And I choose Yamata Dragon.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Next World. It's time I introduce you to someone who you will soon become acquainted with…

"Soon you and your sister will bow before her…"

She played the card, and then a large, golden sphere appeared in the center of the arena…

Then a dark, feminine form appeared over it. Randy drew back in fear as she gazed at him. It was the image of Kali herself!

Kali smirked at Randy, and raised her four arms. Then she pointed to Bladedge, and he glowed.

"What's happening?" asked Randy.

"Kali's avatar has granted me a blessing," replied Kilralla, "allowing me to Normal Summon a Spirit with the same number of stars as one of your Monsters. In this case, seven."

Yamata Dragon appeared on the field again! (2,600/3,100)

"Now I play… Rush Recklessly," she continued.

She played the card, and Yamata Dragon's Attack shot up to 3,300.

"Attack his Bladedge!" shouted Kilralla.

Yamata Dragon shot forth its eight streams of flame, and Bladedge screamed as his armor melted like wax. He shattered into triangles.

"I will avenge you…" muttered Randy.

"Again…" said Kilralla, "I get to draw until I have five cards…"

She drew two cards.

"And now, Yamata Dragon returns to my hand, activating my Spring of Rebirth…"

Yamata Dragon vanished.

"Attack me if you dare…" she said.

**(R: 5,000) -------------------- (K: 7,500)**

Randy drew a card.

"I dare all right," he said. "Necroid Shaman, attack her directly!"

Necroid Shaman leapt at Kilralla with his staff, and the evil priestess screamed as he clobbered her over the head.

She fell to her knees.

The vision of Kali shook her head, and then vanished.

"Clearly, that was all the help she could give you for now," said Randy. "It's your move."

Kilralla didn't get up…

"Hello?" said Randy. "Your move?"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…" laughed Kilralla.

"What?" asked Randy. "Mind letting me in on the joke? Did I hurt you badly, or did that blow to the head knock some sense into you?"

Her eyes glowed purple as she got up. Randy stepped back in fright.

"Randy…" she said. "Not many have ever dared to strike me… Now, you've done so twice. I was angry the first time…

"But this time… I'm impressed. You are quite skilled… Indeed you are a powerful warrior of the shadows…

"This duel need not continue, Randy. I will tell you, as much as my master likes to subjugate and enslave, she better likes those who serve by choice."

"You gotta be kidding…" said Randy.

"Why do you care for your sister so much?" asked Kilralla. "I can see into your past… Oh yes… Many times when the two of you dueled… Duels where she faced you with child Spellcasters and princesses, foes not worthy for your Warriors to face. But more often than not, she bested you, did she not?

"Why try to save her? Join my side, and you will be much better off than she will be.

"She will be the slave, while you will be the favored servant. What better chance could be offered?

"Think… Kali may even give her to you as _your_ slave."

Randy looked at her in disgust.

"Kilralla…" he said, shaking his head. "A question… Do you have any siblings?"

"No," she answered, bluntly.

"Then I guess you won't understand when I say… Go suck a lemon."

Kilralla scowled.

"Very well…" she said, drawing a card. "If you wish the life of a slave over that of a favored servant, I'll give it to you!"

**(R: 5,000) -------------------- (K: 5,600)**

"First, I will activate this Spell Card," she said.

She played a card. A Continuous Spell appeared on field, bearing the image of Mystical Knight of Jackal looming over some other, unidentifiable Monsters.

"It is called Lighten the Load, and I can use its effect every round. I first have to reshuffle into my deck a Monster who has seven stars or more."

She held up Yamata Dragon. Then she placed it onto her deck, and reshuffled.

"Then," she said, putting it back. "I get to draw once."

She drew a card.

"And I couldn't have asked for better," she said. "I summon Susa Soldier in Attack Mode."

She threw the card on her Disk, and in a burst of lightning, a soldier in East Oriental armor with a broadsword appeared, his body crackling with electricity. (2,000/1,600)

"Attack the Necroid Shaman!" she shouted. "Thunder blade!"

Susa Soldier slammed his sword into the ground, and a bolt of lightning shot towards Necroid Shaman, blowing him away.

"Of course, you only lose fifty Life Points instead of a hundred, but Susa Soldier can defeat almost any four-star Monster you summon.

"Now, return to my hand, my Spirit!"

Susa Soldier vanished.

**(R: 4,950) -------------------- (K: 6,100)**

"It's your move…" said Kilralla.

_She's right…_ thought Randy, looking at the three cards in his hand. _Nothing I could summon without a sacrifice or a Fusion could withstand it…_

Randy drew a card.

_But this might work…_

"I place one card facedown…" he said, placing the card in his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

"Next, I play Monster Reincarnation. I'll discard this…"

He discarded his one of his two cards.

"And bring Bladedge back to my hand."

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"And that's my turn."

"HA!" laughed Kilralla, drawing a card. "How did you intend to summon him?  
Necroshade's effect only works once, and you had nothing to sacrifice."

She placed a card on her Disk, and Susa Soldier appeared again. (2,000/1,600)

"Attack him directly!" she ordered.

"I activate… A Hero Emerges!" shouted Randy.

His Trap Card lifted.

"A Hero Emerges?" asked Kilralla.

"Yeah," said Randy, "as in, _emerges_ onto the field. When this card is activated, you have to choose a card from my hand, and if it's a Monster, I get to Special Summon it."

He held up his two cards nervously…

Kilralla stared at him.

"Left…" she said pointing.

Randy grinned…

He threw the card on his Disk, and Bladedge appeared again in Attack Mode. (2,600/1,800)

Kilralla grunted.

"Well, my turn isn't over…" she said. "I play Nightmare's Steelcage."

She played the card, and in an eruption of fire, the iron, spike-studded cage formed around Randy and Bladedge.

"Now I end my turn…" said Kilralla.

Susa Soldier vanished again.

**(R: 4,950) -------------------- (K: 6,600)**

Randy drew a card.

"I pass for my turn…" he said.

The steel cage started to chip and rust. Kilralla drew.

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode then," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That will do."

Randy drew another card.

"Eh, I pass again," he said.

The Nightmare's Steelcage rusted over, crumbled, and fell apart.

Kilralla drew a card.

"I place another Monster in Defense Mode, and a card facedown," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared, and then a facedown card.

She waved her hand.

Randy drew a card.

"Do you know what Bladedge's effect is?" he asked. "He can hurt you even if he attacks a Monster in Defense Mode."

"If he could attack, which he can't," said Kilralla.

Her Trap Card lifted.

"I activate A Feint Plan," she said. "For this round, you are forbidden to attack my Monsters that are in facedown Defense Mode."

"Then I have to end my turn," said Randy, with a sigh.

Kilralla drew a card.

"Then prepare to feel the pain, child…" she said.

She opened the Field Slot on her Disk.

"I play… Temple of Vishnu."

The walls of the strange chamber rippled and blurred, and formed into a beautiful marble temple. A statue of the six-armed Vishnu rose behind Kilralla, taking the place of Kali's.

"I hate to use a card that pays homage to another god," she said, "but it seems I must. So long as I pay 500 Life Points per round to keep this card, Spirits don't return to their owners' hands, and they gain 300 extra Attack Points. Now I flip Susa Soldier and Maharaghi into Attack Mode…"

The facedown Monsters flipped face-up, revealing Susa Soldier (2,000/1,600) and a… thing that looked more or less like a clay jar with carved designs all over it. (1,200/1,700)

"Next I activate Maharaghi's effect," she continued. "I get to look at the top card on my deck, and then decide whether or not to keep it on top, or place it at the bottom."

She looked at the card.

"I believe I'll put this on the bottom…" she said, putting it under her other cards.

_Probably would have been a dead draw…_ thought Randy.

"And now I'll sacrifice both my Spirits to summon the king of Spirits… Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi."

Susa Soldier and Maharaghi burst into flames, and were consumed into a fiery pit. Then, from out of the pit, a giant with flaming hair and flames shrouding its fists rose out! It wore a simple kilt, and was covered with strange tattoos. (2,800/2,900) –) (3,100/2,900)

"Attack Bladedge!" she shouted. "Hellish flame fist!"

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi roared, and punched Bladedge. He screamed, and was consumed by flames from the inside out!

"BLADEDGE!" screamed Randy.

"And its effect is a powerful one, Randy," said Kilralla. "You must discard your whole hand before you draw on your next Draw Phase.

"He won't be coming back again. Even if he did, he wouldn't stand a chance. You can't win. Just give up."

**(R: 4,450) -------------------- (K: 6,600)**

"No…" said Randy.

"Then I end my turn…" said Kilralla.

The four cards in Randy's hand vanished.

Randy paused…

Once again, a faint glimmer glowed from somewhere in his deck.

He drew.

"I play… The Warrior Returning Alive," said Randy, playing the card.

He played the Spell Card.

"Now I can take one Warrior from my Graveyard, and add it to my hand."

"None of your Warriors can help you!" laughed Kilralla.

"Depends…" said Randy, as a card slipped out of his discard slot. "It all depends on how lucky I am, and so long as I don't give up hope."

"Soon, your hope will be dashed to pieces," replied Kilralla.

"The Warrior I choose," said Randy, ignoring the comment, "is one you made me discard…

"Elemental Hero Bubbleman!"

Bubbleman appeared on the field, and struck a pose. (800/1,200)

"Now, Bubbleman will just burst his bubble if he's alone," he continued. "So when he's summoned when I have no cards on the field or in my hand, like right now, I get to draw two cards."

He made two draws.

"And I just drew a powerful card," he said, "and an appropriate one. You see, Bubbleman was the fifth member of the Elemental Heroes…

"And the card I drew was… Hope of Fifth.

"Here's how it works. I take five Elemental Heroes from my Graveyard, and then shuffle them into my deck…"

Wildheart, Bladedge, Shadowblade, Necroshade, and Sparkman fell out of his discard slot, and he combined them with his deck.

"Then…" he continued. "I get to draw three times."

He made three draws, and brought his hand size up to four.

_All right,_ he thought. _Now I still might have a chance…_

"I place one of them facedown, and activate Mirage of Nightmare."

Two facedown cards, and Mirage of Nightmare appeared.

"Now I Equip Bubbleman with this… Bubble Blaster!"

Bubbleman got down on one knee, and his weapon of choice fell from the ceiling. He caught it and pointed it defiantly at Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi as his Attack Points went up to 1,600.

"Do you really think that overgrown squirtgun makes him a match for Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi?" asked Kilralla. "Not even close!"

"We'll see…" said Randy. "It's your move."

"Very well," said Kilralla, drawing a card. "I draw… And I pay 500 Life Points to keep Temple of Vishnu…"

"And Mirage of Nightmare activates," said Randy.

He drew three cards.

"And just so I won't have to discard any…"

One of his facedown cards lifted, and Mystical Space Typhoon blasted forth, shattering the Mirage Card.

"You'll discard them anyway," said Kilralla. "Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi, destroy his Bubbleman!"

The giant Spirit flew forward.

Bubbleman shielded himself with the Blaster, and it shattered… But he was unharmed, as were Randy's Life Points.

"What?" asked Kilralla.

"Forgot to mention," said Randy. "When Bubbleman is attacked when he has Bubble Blaster, he doesn't pop, his weapon does."

Kilralla placed the card she had just drawn in her Disk and a facedown card appeared.

"You have one turn left," she said. "No more."

She waved to signal the end of her turn.

**(R: 4,450) -------------------- (K: 6,100)**

Randy looked at the cards in his hand.

_One card would make this perfect…_ he thought.

He drew.

_Hey... It's that card that that strange kid traded to me! This will do…_

Kilralla's facedown card lifted.

"I activate another Ground Breaking," she said. "Which, as you remember, returns one Spirit from the Graveyard to my hand."

The card appeared in her hand.

Randy chuckled.

"Your Asura Priest, right?" he asked with a smirk. "Well, it could certainly destroy Bubbleman… IF I ever gave you a chance to use it!"

He opened his Field Slot and placed a card in.

"I play… Skyscraper 2: Hero City!"

The Temple of Vishnu shattered to pieces, and around them, the spires of a shining, futuristic metropolis rose around them! Space age buildings loomed above them, and flying cars sped above on elevated streets.

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi fell to 2,800 Attack.

"What's the point?" asked Kilralla, angrily. "What's with these buildings?"

"Not only did I demolish your Temple," said Randy, "but in this place, once per turn, I can Special Summon one Elemental Hero who was destroyed in battle. And I choose the one who started it all… Welcome back, Elemental Hero Burstinatrix."

Burstinatrix appeared next to Bubbleman in an inferno of fire. (1,200/800)

"And I'm just getting started," he said. "Now I play… Premature Burial. I'll use it to bring Clayman back to the land of the living."

He played the card, and the ground cracked, and Clayman rose to the surface. (800/2,000)

"Next, I play Fusion Recovery. Now I can recover one Polymerization card, and one Monster that I used in a Fusion. And I choose Avian. Remember him?"

The two cards fell out of his discard slot.

Then he fit Polymerization into his Disk, and Avian appeared on the field next to Clayman.

"Now…" he said. "I'm going to show you what makes the Elemental Heroes so… well, Elemental…"

Burstinatrix leapt up and flames surrounded her.

"_Fire!"_ she shouted.

Avian hovered over the ground, and a whirlwind surrounded him.

"_Wind!"_ he shouted.

Bubbleman raised his arms, and a wave of water gushed up behind him.

"_Water!"_ he shouted.

Clayman stomped his foot, sending a shockwave forward.

"**Earth!"** he shouted.

"Combine as one…" exclaimed Randy. "Form… Elemental Hero Electrum!"

The four Heroes turned into pure energy and combined…

…forming into a Hero of solid gold! (2,900/2,600)

"Now let me explain how this guy works," said Randy. "He gains 300 more Attack Points for every Light, Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth Monster on the field. And your ugly… thing there is clearly a Fire Monster.

"Attack Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi! Elemental radiant burst!"

Electrum's Attack score rose to 3,200, and he glowed with pure, blinding energy. Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi bellowed, and was blasted into pieces.

"It isn't over!" cursed Kilralla.

Randy played another card.

"I play De-Fusion!" he shouted. "De-fuse everyone!"

Electrum split, dividing into Burstinatrix (1,200/800), Avian (1,000/1,000), Bubbleman (800/1,200), and Clayman (800/2,000), all in Attack Mode.

"I _dare_ you to attack me with all of them!" shouted Kilralla, angrily. "I'll survive, and next round my Asura will kill all four of them, and you'll be punished for it dearly!"

"Uhm, 1,200, plus 1,000, plus 800, plus 800…" said Randy. "Gee, you're right…

"Oh well…"

He shrugged.

"Burstinatrix, you're up first!" he shouted. "Burstfire attack!"

Burstinatrix roasted the evil priestess with her flame.

"Avian, quill cascade!"

Avian shot a blizzard of feathers.

"Bubbleman, bubble blast!"

Bubbleman shot a burst of water.

"Clayman, clay clobber!"

Clayman ran up and socked Kilralla hard.

**(R: 3,450) -------------------- (K: 1,800)**

"And finally…" said Randy. "I play my last card…"

He played the last card in his hand.

"It's Heroic Fusion! This Quickplay lets me fuse them together one more time, so long as the resulting Fusion Monster goes back to my Fusion Deck at the end of my turn."

The four heroes fused into Electrum again. (2,900/2,600)

"Attack directly and finish this! Elemental radiant burst!"

Electrum blasted his beam of light, and Kilralla screamed…

She fell to the floor in a heap…

**(R: 3,650) -------------------- (K: 0)**

"Thanks guys…" said Randy, as the spirits of the four Heroes appeared over Electrum. That was one in a million…"

"Don't mention it," they all said at once.

The mirror started to glow…

Nadia fell out.

"Randy…" she said.

They looked at Kilralla as she stumbled to her feet.

Then the mirror started to glow again.

Kilralla screamed as she was sucked into it.

And then, the mirror shattered into pieces.

Randy breathed a sigh of relief.

He leafed through the rest of his deck and found the card Jason had given him. It was called Call of the Crusader. For the cost of 1,000 Life Points, it could let him add any Warrior to his hand from his deck or Graveyard; a combination of both Reinforcement of the Army and The Warrior Returning Alive…

But it was a Card of Virtue that represented Hope, and just by being in his deck, it had been the only thing that had convinced him to keep going…

Then he noticed something among the shards… He slowly picked it up.

"Randy…" muttered Nadia. "You could have run when you had the chance…"

"Well…" said Randy. "I guess it wasn't something that the Elemental Heroes would have done. And when I said I would protect you, I meant it.

"Even if I lost, Nadia, it would have been better for you than if I had run… Because at least then, you wouldn't have had to suffer alone."

Nadia paused.

And then she hugged him.

"Next time we duel," she said, "I'll try my best not to clobber you!"

He looked at what he had picked up.

A red letter T.

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"Thank goodness…" muttered Fortunado. "Never thought I'd be glad that a plan failed…"

"_Fortunado,"_ said the Master's voice.

Fortunado didn't respond at first.

"_Fortunado!"_ shouted the Master.

"You know…" muttered Fortunado. "It wouldn't kill you to come in here and talk to me to my face once in a while…"

"_As you wish…"_ said the voice.

Fortunado's eyes opened wide…

He had NOT actually meant it!

Then he drew back in terror as _she_ walked in.

She was a woman standing seven feet tall, with skin as dark as midnight. She had black hair down to the floor, and glowing eyes. Her well-endowed figure was dressed in a halter top and mini-skirt that seemed to be made of a strange, silvery metal. Dark, feathered wings, that seemed to have a wingspan three times her height grew from her back…

It was incredibly rare that she ever let any of her servants see her. When she did, the servant always wished he hadn't…

"Fortunado," she said, walking up to him, "I'm beginning to think you're having second thoughts about our arrangement… Do I detect a hint of disloyalty in you?"

"N-no!" he gasped. "You have my loyalty, my obedience…"

She reached forward with one claw and grabbed him by the neck.

"…my throat…" he gasped.

"And don't you forget it," she said. "Don't forget that I could snuff your life out with a flick of my wrist. The perks your organization give to me have benefited me greatly, but you _are_ replaceable."

She released him. He gasped.

"Besides, you don't want to bail out now. Everything is falling into place. The Dark Messiah thinks he's winning…

"But every victory only fattens him for the slaughter that eventually will come. Once every piece of the puzzle is put into place, we can attack without restraint.

"Until then, do your job, and don't question.

"I warn you…

"I can be a pretty nasty bitch when I get mad…"

She turned to leave, leaving him gasping for breath.

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 8:15 PM_

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**SPIRITED AWAY (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A shadowy claw reaching out from the darkness to grab a young girl.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon "Balfael, the Guardian of Ten-Thousand Terrors". You must also offer Monsters whose total star levels equal eight or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand.

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**BALFAEL, THE GUARDIAN OF TEN-THOUSAND TERRORS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **2,300  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description**: This card is Ritual Summoned via the effect of "Spirited Away". You must also offer Monsters whose total star levels equal eight or more as a Tribute from the field or your hand. This card cannot be Special Summoned from the Graveyard. When this card is face-up on your side of the field, all Spirit Monsters you summon do not return to your hand at the end of the turn in which they are summoned. If this card is destroyed or removed from the field, all Spirit Monsters on your side of the field return to your hand at the next End Phase.

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**TEMPLE OF VISHNU (Spell Card) **

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Field  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: An Eastern Oriental temple, dominated by the statue of an eight-armed man sitting cross-legged.

**Card Description:** Pay 500 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases that this card is active. If you do not pay, this card is destroyed. All Spirit Monsters on the field gain a 300-point bonus to their ATK. Spirit Monsters do no return to the owner's hands at the end of the players' respective turns. If this card leaves the field, all Spirit Monsters currently on the field return to their owners' hands at the next End Phase.

_Note: Vishnu is a very old Hindu god (dating from the religion's founding) who makes up their version of the Holy Trinity. In this Trinity, Brahmin is the Creator, Vishnu is the Preserver, and Shiva is the Destroyer, each playing a vital part of the life cycle. Vishnu is the most popular of the three (and the most popular god in Hindu period) in modern times. As the Preserver who maintains things, it makes sense that his temple would keep Spirits from leaving the field, as his power "preserves" their presence._

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**NEXT WORLD (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: An angelic form holding a large, golden sphere.

**Card Description: **Normal Summon one Spirit Monster from your hand with the same number of level stars as a Monster that is face-up on your opponent's side of the field. No Tributes are necessary for Monsters of five stars or more. This counts as your Normal Summon for the turn.

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**GROUND BREAKING (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A delicate crystal shrine, covered with cracks.

**Card Description:** Take one Spirit Monster from your Graveyard and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Next World" and "Ground Breaking" were used by Noah in the multi-part anime episode "Noah's Final Threat". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SKYSCRAPER 2: HERO CITY (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Field  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A futuristic metropolis, full of space-age buildings.

**Card Description:** Once per their turns, each player can Special Summon from their Graveyards a Monster with the words "Elemental Hero" in its name that was destroyed as a result of battle.

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**HOPE OF FIFTH (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Bubbleman kneeling in front of Avian, Clayman, Sparkman, and Burstinatrix.

**Card Description:** Select five Monsters in your Graveyard that have the words "Elemental Hero" in their card names and shuffle them into your deck. Then draw three cards from your deck. If this card is played when you have no cards on the field and it is the only card in your hand, draw one additional card from your deck.

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**HEROIC FUSION (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Quickplay  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Avian and Burstinatrix slowly disappearing, as Flame Wingman starts to appear above them.

**Card Description:** Remove Fusion Material Monsters on your side of the field from play listed on the requirements for a Fusion Monster who has the words "Elemental Hero" in its name. Special Summon the appropriate Fusion Monster from your Fusion Deck. (This is considered a Fusion Summon.) Return the Fusion Monster to your Fusion Deck at the End Phase of the current turn.

_Note: "Skyscraper 2: Hero City" and "Hope of Fifth" are cards that will be used by Jaden in future episodes of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". "Heroic Fusion" was based on his version of "Instant Fusion". However, a real version of "Instant Fusion" has been released with much different rules. All creative credit goes to the writers of the episodes. "Skyscraper 2: Hero City" will be released as a real card in the "Strike of Neos" booster pack._

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**ELEMENTAL HERO ELECTRUM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **5  
**ATK: **2,900  
**DEF: **2,600

**Card Description**: _Elemental Hero Burstinatrix plus Elemental Hero Avian plus Elemental Hero Bubbleman plus Elemental Hero Clayman_

This card can only be Special Summoned by Fusion Summon. When this card is Fusion Summoned, return all cards that have been removed from play to their respective owners' decks. Both players then shuffle their decks. This card is considered to be a Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind Attribute Monster. For each face-up Monster on the field that matches one of this card's Attributes, increase this card's ATK by 300.

_Note: "Elemental Hero Electrum" is a Japanese promotional card that has not been released in the United States. It was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Amnael's Endgame (Part Two)"._

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**CALL OF THE CRUSADER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Virtue**: Hope

**Image:** A pious knight kneeling on a hill, holding a flag.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points. Take one WARRIOR-Type Monster from your deck or Graveyard and add it to your hand. When you choose to summon this Monster, it cannot attack on the round it is summoned.

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Malvolio Lark comes from a long line of exceptional duelists, whose line started with the famed Demetrius Lark. Demetrius was undefeated as a duelist… But family lore tells of one duel where his flawless record was nearly broken.**_

**_Next chapter, Malvolio faces an opponent armed with the weapon that almost took Demetrius down. It's a chapter called "Pole Position" coming soon._**


	57. Pole Position

_**My name is Malvolio Lark. I'm the latest in a family of exceptional duelists. A family of duelists that started with a man who was undefeated. One of his greatest regrets in his life is the fact that he never got a chance to challenge one of the Trinity. Could he have beaten them? I don't know… Some members of my family think he could have… Others are a bit more realistic.**_

_**But right now… I'm afraid. **_

_**I didn't take this duelist seriously at first. His Monsters are silly things that looked easy to defeat.**_

_**But for the past hundred years, one card has been infamous among my family. A card which almost defeated our founder's perfect record. **_

_**My father was warned about it… His father warned him…**_

_**I hoped I'd never face it…**_

_**But as our forces scale this tower of evil, I should have expected that the ones behind it would try every trick in the book to bring us down…**_

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX**

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**Pole Position**

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_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 7:40 PM_

Malvolio was wandering through a series of rooms on the twenty-fifth floor. He hadn't found much yet except a lot of empty studios.

His cell phone rang. He answered it.

"Mal?" asked Trisha's voice. "How's it going up there?"

"Slow," he replied. "No sign of any duelists… In fact, I think this floor may well be unused…"

He walked into a room.

"Nothing…" he said into the phone. "Nothing but a bunch of empty rooms…"

Then a metal door slid closed behind him, blocking off the way he came.

Two more doors to each side closed as well.

"Trisha?" he said. "I'll call you back. Something is happening…"

"Be careful, Mal," warned Trisha.

Malvolio looked at the door right in front of him. Sure enough, someone was coming.

Malvolio raised an eyebrow when he saw who it was. It was a teenager about his age, with carefully styled blonde hair, blue eyes, and casual clothes. He had an Orichalcos Disk on his arm, and a deck in what looked like a grade-A deck box on his belt. He glared at Malvolio.

"Well…" he said, in an accent that sounded Scandinavian. "Malvolio Lark, right? The heir to the legacy of Demetrius Lark… I kind of expected someone… taller."

"I am, and you are?" asked Malvolio.

The youth frowned.

"Call me Franct for now," he said. "My last name is something I can't reveal. I've been waiting to duel you for a long time, Malvolio…"

"Why?" asked Malvolio. "I've never met you…"

Franct narrowed his eyes.

"A member of your family humiliated a member of mine," he replied.

"Do you have any idea how little that narrows it down?" asked Malvolio.

"That's just the point…" said Franct. "You don't know who I am, and it's because the Lark family humiliated mine. But I'm reasonable, Malvolio, so why not I make you a deal…

"Due to the privileges I've been given serving Fortunado, I can make this duel a Shadow Game, and you will lose… But… If you manage to figure out who I am before this duel ends, I'll call it off and your soul will be spared.

"Did I mention you don't have a choice?"

"Fine…" said Malvolio. "I can beat you anyway… I have trust in my family's deck, and the skill in my blood. And I won't be scared the same way I was with Arkana!"

"Arkana was a ghost," replied Franct. "I'm flesh and blood."

Franct placed his deck in his Disk, and Malvolio followed suit.

"Then let the Shadow Game commence," said Franct.

The Disks activated.

**(Malvolio: 8,000) -------------------- (Franct: 8,000)**

They both drew five cards.

"I'll give you the honor of the first move…" said Franct. "It really doesn't matter."

"Why thank you…" said Malvolio, drawing his first card.

He looked over his hand.

_Only one Monster that I can summon,_ he thought, _but he's a good one._

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and a card facedown," he stated.

A hidden Monster appeared, and then a facedown card followed.

"That will do for now," he said.

_I've got it all planned,_ he thought. _When he attacks my Penguin Soldier, his Monster will be shot off the field. Then on my next turn, I'll use Monster Reborn, and then sacrifice it for Hade-Hane._

Franct drew a card.

"I'll start by playing the Spell Card… Confiscation," he said.

"Oh, crud…" muttered Malvolio.

"So, I can pay 1,000 Life Points to see your hand and banish one of them," continued Franct, playing it.

Images of Monster Reborn, Hade-Hane, Mystical Space Typhoon, and Sword of Deep-Seated appeared in front of him.

"Aye…" he said. "I don't like your Hade-Hane, so I'll send that to the Graveyard."

The card in Malvolio's hand vanished.

"Now, I'll place a card facedown…" he stated.

A facedown card appeared.

"And then I'll summon Patroid in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and a cartoonish robot resembling a humanoid police car with a policeman's hat appeared. (1,200/1,200)

"Now to decide whether your facedown card is worth me wasting my Spell Card," he continued. "And with Patroid's effect, I can see just what it is."

Patroid produced a whistle, and blew. Malvolio's facedown card lifted, showing that it was Begone, Knave!

"Can't have that," said Malvolio, taking another card from his hand. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon."

He played the card, and a cyclone whipped across the field, shattering the Trap Card.

"And I'll end my turn."

**(M: 8,000) -------------------- (F: 7,000)**

_A Vehicroid?_ though Malvolio, drawing a card. _This is weird. And why did he set a facedown card when he knew I had my own Mystical Space Typhoon?_

_His mistake…_

"I play my own Mystical Space Typhoon!" he shouted.

Another cyclone tore across the field. A strange trap lifted up on Franct's side, and shattered.

"You took the bait!" laughed Franct. "I wanted you to do that, because that was a special Trap called Wonder Garage."

A weird, dome-shaped building appeared behind Franct. It had satellite dishes, a raised platform, and a rocket coming out of the roof.

"When Wonder Garage is destroyed," he explained, "I get to Special Summon a Vehicroid from my hand, so long as it has four stars or less, so I summon Gyroid in Attack Mode."

The Wonder Garage shattered, and a cartoonish helicopter appeared on the field. (1,000/1,000)

_Okay…_ thought Malvolio. _Now I have a problem…_

_I have no Monsters to summon… Only my Penguin Soldier on the field. If I flip it, I can send two Monsters back to the owners' hands…_

_So I can send back both of his, or one of his, and Penguin Soldier itself._

_If I take the first option, Penguin Soldier will definitely be destroyed when he attacks it…_

_The second option will let me reuse its effect, but then I'd be wide open to _two_ direct attacks on his next turn…_

_The first option is better…_

"I flip-summon Penguin Soldier!" he exclaimed.

The card flipped up, and a cute-looking penguin holding a sword appeared. (750/500)

He waved his sword, and both Patroid and Gyroid vanished. The cards appeared in Franct's hands.

"Attack!" shouted Malvolio.

Penguin Soldier waddled up and stabbed Franct with his sword. He made a slight grimace.

**(M: 8,000) -------------------- (F: 6,250)**

"Not bad…" said Franct. "But this is far from over…"

He drew a card.

"I summon the mighty Steamroid in Attack Mode," he said.

He placed a card on his Disk, and with a low whistle, what appeared to be a cartoon version of Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive chugged into view. It stared at Malvolio with a bored expression. (1,800/1,800)

"And when this guy attacks a Monster, he gains 500 Attack Points," added Franct. "Steamroid, attack! Full steam ahead!"

Steam blew from Steamroid's stack, and it rolled forward, smashing Penguin Soldier flat.

Malvolio grunted…

**(M: 6,850) -------------------- (F: 6,250)**

"All right," muttered Malvolio, "you've had your fun. If you think you can beat me with a bunch of toys…"

He drew a card.

_All right!_ he thought. _Guardian Sphinx!_

"I play Monster Reborn," he exclaimed, "to bring back Penguin Soldier."

Penguin Soldier reappeared. (750/500)

"And now I sacrifice him, for a Monster that I'll put in Defense Mode."

Penguin Soldier vanished, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Your move…"

"That's Guardian Sphinx, right?" asked Franct.

Malvolio stared at him.

"I studied your family, Malvolio, I know all your moves. There's no way you can surprise me."

He drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity."

He played the card, and then drew three.

He made a slight grin…

He discarded Patroid and a Dekoichi.

"Now I summon Drillroid in Attack Mode."

The floor shook, and another cartoonish robot, this one resembling a drilling machine with a face and drills for hands, burst through the floor. (1,600/1,600)

"You ever been to the dentist, Malvolio?" he asked.

Malvolio frowned.

"I take it that means yes, but you don't like doing so," replied Franct. "Hey, I don't like seeing mine either… I hate drills. But this drill I like, because any Monster in Defense Mode that it attacks is destroyed automatically.

"Open wide!"

Drillroid's drill started to spin rapidly, and it rushed towards the facedown card. Guardian Sphinx appeared on the card, and was blasted into pebbles.

"Now, Steamroid, attack him directly!"

Malvolio stepped back as the huge train rushed at him…

It charged into him, and he fell over.

**(M: 5,050) -------------------- (F: 6,250)**

"They're pretty effective for a 'bunch of toys', wouldn't you say?" laughed Franct.

Malvolio held his head.

"You're a mess… You almost look like you were run over by a freight train.

"Oh, that's right… you just were."

Malvolio glared at him…

_We'll see who's laughing soon…_ he thought.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn…" said Franct.

He fit a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Wonder what it could be?" asked Franct. "Mirror Force? Bottomless Trap Hole? Torrential Tribute?

"Or maybe something far, far worse…"

Malvolio stared at him.

_A Trap that's worse than Torrential Tribute?_ he thought. _That's crazy!_

He drew a card.

_Well, if it's Bottomless Trap Hole, this guy is immune to it… And with the Equip I have, he can destroy both of those Vehicroids._

"I summon Mataza the Zapper in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

In a burst of darkness, the green-armored ronin appeared. He drew his katana, and it glimmered in the light. (1,300/800)

"Next…" he said, "I Equip him with Sword of Deep-Seated."

Mataza's katana vanished, and was replaced by the dark blade. His Attack went up to 1,800.

"And by the way…" said Malvolio with a smirk. "I know your toy train's weakness. It may gain 500 Attack Points when it's attacked, but it_ loses _500 when it's _being _attacked.

"Mataza… Smash his Roids! Double attack!"

Mataza faded into a blur, and split into two identical Matazas. They leapt forward, and slashed at Steamroid and Drillroid! Two explosions erupted, sending scrap metal flying.

"Ergh…" muttered Franct.

**(M: 5,050) -------------------- (F: 5,550)**

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Malvolio. "Your move…"

Franct drew a card.

"I play my Pot of Greed," he said, playing the card. "Now I'll draw twice…"

He made the draws, and he looked at them.

"Not bad," he said. "I'll play my Magical Mallet Spell Card. Now I get to reshuffle the cards from my hand into my deck, and draw the same number…"

He played the card.

"Think I'll do it with all three of my cards…"

He reshuffled, and drew three times. He looked at them.

"I place another card facedown," he said, fitting a card into his Disk.

A second facedown card appeared.

"And then, I'll summon Jetroid in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and another cartoonish Machine appeared. This one was a fighter plane with an angry face. (1,200/1,800)

Malvolio raised an eyebrow.

"Why that Monster?" he asked. "Why in Attack Mode?"

"Oh, right, where's my mind?" asked Franct, with a slight smile. "Mataza has 1,800 Attack Points, and Jetroid only has 1,200! So you could destroy it and then attack me with his second attack…

"Ah well, I guess I deserve it for such a boneheaded move. I end my turn…"

_Yeah… right…_ thought Malvolio, drawing a card. _It may look funny, but Jetroid is a very dangerous Monster. If that last card in his hand is a Trap Card, he can activate it from his hand when I attack…_

"Sorry, Franct, I'm not falling for that… I pass this turn."

"Suit yourself," said Franct, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"Aw, this is no good," he said, smirking again. "I pass as well."

Malvolio drew again.

"I activate the Spell Card, The Dark Door," he said, playing a card.

The Spell Card appeared.

"And so long as this door remains open, both of us can only attack with one Monster per turn."

"And I attack with Mataza the Zapper!"

Mataza flew forward…

"I can't believe you fell for it!" laughed Franct, throwing a card into his Disk. "I activate Jetroid's effect, to activate Mirror Force from my hand!"

The Trap appeared on the field, and Mataza was blasted to pieces.

"I'm far from done, you Swedish meatball," said Malvolio. "I my own Pot of Greed from my hand…"

He played the card. The jar appeared, and then vanished as he drew twice.

He looked at the two cards, one of which was Sword of Deep-Seated.

_This might be risky…_ he thought. _If he brings Drillroid back… But I have to try…_

"Next, I play another Spell Card… The Shallow Grave…"

He played the card.

"Meaning we can both summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode…" replied Franct. "I'm okay with that..."

Facedown Monsters appeared on both sides of the field.

"That will be my turn…" said Malvolio.

"Very well," said Franct. "First, I draw…"

He drew.

"And by the way," he said, looking at the card, "I resent that 'Swedish meatball' crack. It might have been a little funny if I were a Swede, but for your information, I'm a Dane…

"I move Jetroid into Defense Mode…"

Jetroid shielded itself.

"And I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive."

The card flipped, and the familiar Monster that Trisha often used appeared. (1,400/1,000)

_What?_ thought Malvolio. _He didn't bring back Drillroid?_

"Now I get to draw one card," said Franct, drawing.

He looked at the card, and added it to his hand.

"I end my turn there."

Malvolio drew a card.

"Hmm…" he said.

"You know Franct…" he said. "Every card has a story behind it…"

"Does it look like my bedtime?" asked Franct.

"Once, long ago, there was a monk who wanted to be the greatest swordsman who ever lived," said Malvolio. "He'd accomplish this feat by defeating one thousand warriors.

"He won 999 battles, and took the swords of his opponents as trophies. However, as fate would have it, his thousandth opponent was a legendary Samurai named Minamoto no Yoshitomo. The swordsman proved no match for Yoshitomo, and was handed his first defeat.

"After the battle, the swordsman became Yoshitomo's retainer, fighting alongside him in Genpei War against the Taira Clan, and…

"Uh, well, that's kind of the part of the story where Yoshitomo takes over. But the swordsman is revered as a symbol of honor and loyalty for serving him."

"Is there a point to this?" asked Franct.

"Yes," said Malvolio, taking the card he just drew. "I now summon that swordsman…

"Come forth, Armed Samurai Ben Kei!"

In a flash of light, a battle-worn warrior in ragged armor with a white cowl covering his head and a sack full of weapons slung over his back appeared. He held two spears and twirled them above his head. He stared at Franct's weird Monsters. (500/800)

"Next, since he likes weapons so much, I arm him with _two_ Swords of Deep-Seated!"

Ben Kei's spears vanished, and two of the dark swords appeared in his hands. (1,500/800)

"And since he has two Equips, he can attack three times!

"And this duel is over… I flip-summon my facedown Monster… Guardian Sphinx!"

The card flipped face-up, and Guardian Sphinx appeared. (1,700/2,400)

"It isn't over yet, Malvolio…" said Franct with an evil grin. "I activate my Trap Card…"

One of his facedown cards flipped up. It showed the image of a Penguin Soldier stuck in a sticky mire.

"Tarfoot!"

Malvolio stopped. He froze.

"Something wrong?" asked Franct. "Hmm… My Monsters don't seem to have left the field… Wonder why that is…

"Oh yes… It has something to do with this Trap Card. You know about it…

"…don't you?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Malvolio didn't know how long he stood, simply standing there…

…frozen in fear… too terrified to move…

Frankly, at this point, he would rather have been facing all three of the Egyptian God Cards than the Trap his opponent had just activated…

He knew about it, yes… That card was the dreaded bane of his family…

Demetrius Lark had been an exceptional duelist. He had been the top duelist in America, having taken Rebecca Hawkins's place in that spot after she lost to Leon Von Schroder in the KaibaCorp Grand Prix. Demetrius had a perfect record… He was undefeated…

But at one point, he came very close to that flawless record being tarnished.

You see, being such a public figure, the theme of Demetrius's deck was well known. Several of his opponents tried to find ways to combat it. Some cards gave him a hard time, like Nobleman of Crossout, Ceasefire, Mystic Swordsmen, and Sasuke Samurai, to name a few. But his opponent could stock his deck with as many of these cards as he'd like, and Demetrius could find a way around them and win anyway.

But one opponent who was determined to defeat him at all costs did clever research… And found out about the obscure card called Tarfoot.

Simply put, this Continuous Trap could nullify the effect of any card whose effect involved sending a Monster from the field to the owner's hand.

Demetrius had no idea going into the duel that he was facing an opponent with this Trap. And with just one card, this opponent intended to completely seal off Demetrius's whole strategy.

Demetrius was rather impressed by the attempt. Fortunately, his opponent may have had a powerful card, but he wasn't too skilled otherwise. Demetrius easily destroyed the Trap and won the duel.

But he remained wary after that. He kept a copy of Royal Surrender in his deck from that point on, just in case…

But nothing at all could prepare him for his next encounter with Tarfoot, where his opponent was far more skilled, and the stakes were much higher. His opponent tricked him into wasting Royal Surrender on a different Continuous Trap early in the duel, and Demetrius was taken off guard by the Trap, which now looked like it would pose a serious threat.

But he would not give up. He reasoned that if he was truly a duelist, he could overcome even this. And being a man who had trained his mind to near-perfection, his faith and spirit could not be broken. It was hard, but after an exhausting battle, he emerged victorious.

But the memory of that horrible duel lingered on. When he passed down the mantle to his two sons, he warned them about that card. The card that almost defeated him. And they took the warning to heart. Even though they never encountered it, when their own children came of age, they relayed the same warning.

And with each generation of the Lark family line, with each son and daughter who picked up a Duel Disk, the same warning was passed down. The Trap Card became legendary, and all members of the family stood wary, knowing that the bane of the family could show up at any time.

Unfortunately, one hundred years later, with Tarfoot never having shown up since, the warning for Malvolio was incomplete. His father had sadly died when he was young, and all Malvolio had heard about it were ominous stories from his grandfather. Had his father lived long enough to personally give him the family deck, he would have told Malvolio what to do, how to handle it, and mostly, how not to panic…

And now, after a century, it was back, facing a Lark who was just as unprepared. Maybe it had been biding its time, lurking in the shadows until the time was right for another chance to strike at the descendent of Demetrius Lark. It was back…

The card that had almost defeated his ancestor was staring him in the face…

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"What's the matter?" asked Franct. "Scared? Scared of a simple Trap Card?"

Malvolio tried hard to come to his senses…

"I'm not scared!" he shouted, lying. "My Guardian Sphinx can still attack, and its Attack Score is higher than Dekoichi's!

"Attack! Monolith smash!"

Guardian Sphinx clapped its paws, and Dekoichi was smashed flat.

"Now I'll use its effect…" he muttered. "To switch it to facedown Defense Mode…"

Guardian Sphinx transformed into a facedown card.

"It's your move…" he muttered.

**(M: 5,050) -------------------- (F: 5,250)**

Franct drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "Now I have you just where I want you.

"You're scared, Malvolio… You're on the edge of panic, and you aren't thinking clearly. That will be your undoing…

"I move Jetroid into Attack Mode…"

Jetroid rose up.

"And now I play… Limiter Removal!"

He played the card, and Jetroid glowed with red energy. Its Attack Score shot up to 2,400.

"Attack his Armed Samurai Ben Kei!" he shouted. "Missile assault!"

Jetroid blasted a barrage of heat-seeking missiles, and Ben Kei was blown to pieces.

"You used Limiter Removal to do that," said Malvolio, pointing. "Jetroid will be destroyed when you end your turn, and you'll be defenseless."

"Maybe…" said Franct. "But you have very few options. Since Ben Kei was Equipped with two Swords of Deep Seated when he was destroyed, both of them are now at the top of your deck. Your next two turns will be dead draws!

"Heh, heh…

"My turn is over…"

**(M: 4,150) -------------------- (F: 5,250)**

Malvolio drew a card. Franct was right, of course…

Guardian Sphinx flipped into Attack Mode.

_Pull yourself together, Malvolio!_ he thought. _You have a Monster, he doesn't… You can attack him directly…_

"I still have my Sphinx…" he said. "Attack him directly!"

Guardian Sphinx clapped its paws together, smashing Franct. The Dane staggered back and sneered at him.

Then it moved back into facedown Defense Mode.

**(M: 4,150) -------------------- (F: 3,550)**

"I'll end my turn there…" he muttered.

Franct drew a card.

"Now I'll summon someone who'll make your Sphinx worthless. I summon Submarineroid in Attack Mode."

With a series of ping, ping, ping sounds, a large blue and yellow submarine with a face on the front slowly appeared in front of Franct. (800/1,800)

"Okay, that's a new one on me…" said Malvolio. "But your toy boat isn't even close to being able to beat my Sphinx's Defense."

"It won't be aiming for your Sphinx," said Franct. "Watch what this 'toy boat' can do. Submarineroid, attack Malvolio with subterranean sneak attack!"

Then, the floor seemingly turned to liquid, and Submarineroid dove under the surface.

"Still not scared?" asked Franct, as Malvolio saw a shadow under the surface rush towards him. "Well it's hard not to be when a submarine has you in its sights…"

Then an explosion of liquid burst around Malvolio, and he staggered backwards.

Submarineroid reappeared on Franct's side.

"And the best part is," continued Franct. "When it successfully attacks directly, it moves into Defense Mode."

Submarineroid shielded itself in Defense.

**(M: 3,350) -------------------- (F: 3,550)**

"You're Life Points are falling, your strategy has been sealed off…" said Franct. "Seems the only way you can save your soul is to find out who I am… It shouldn't be hard, Malvolio. Just look at my deck."

"You're nuts!" shouted Malvolio. "Heck, Demetrius Lark himself must have dueled guys who used Vehicroids four times! In fact, an opponent in his first major tournament used them. He…"

He paused.

"Oh… God…" he muttered. "Sven Marlowe… In the first National Tournament where Demetrius competed, he was his opponent in the final round, and he used Vehicroids… And he was Danish…

"He was _your_ family's founder…"

Franct's eyes narrowed.

"Yes…" he said. "And my family should have been the one with the fame and the glory. The Marlowes would have been at the top of the dueling world. But it was ruined when Sven was beaten. Demetrius humiliated him. His Bounce Strategy couldn't be stopped…

"Sven had just gotten a card that would have made him a household name…"

He slowly reached into a pouch on his belt (presumably his side deck) and took out a card.

"The ultra-rare Fusion Monster known as Super Vehicroid Stealth Union," he continued. "It's a fusion of four Vehicroids, it has 3,600 Attack Points, you can Equip other Monsters to it, and it gains the effect of the Monster that's Equipped to it.

"Six confirmed copies of this card exist… Syrus Truesdale's family owns one of them. Rich collectors own four others… This is the sixth.

"And when Sven used it, it was defeated by a blasted Penguin Soldier! It was the worst humiliation…"

"And Sven just gave up after he came in second place in a major tournament?" asked Malvolio in disbelief. "That has to be the most awful thing I ever heard of!"

Franct returned it to his side deck.

"Why don't you use it?" asked Malvolio.

"The card was ashamed to have been beaten by such a wimp," said Franct. "That's what Sven said. He said that not until he or a member of his family defeated a Lark would that card get its dignity back, and only then would a Marlowe be able to play it. For a century, a member of my family has kept it in a side deck, waiting for the chance."

Malvolio frowned.

"Well, I figured out who you were," he shouted, "so call off the Shadows like you promised you would!"

"No…" growled Franct. "I told a fib. This duel will continue… I will defeat you, and Sven Marlowe's prize card will rise again!

"The Lark legacy began with a member defeating a Marlowe, and it will end with a Marlowe defeating a Lark!"

**(M: 3,350) -------------------- (F: 3,550)**

"Well then, we both know you're a liar…" said Malvolio, drawing a card. "We'll see if you're a very good duelist."

He looked at the other Sword of Deep Seated.

Sorry, Uncle Iago, he said, but once this is over, I'm replacing these two cards with Fusion Sword Murasame Blades. This was always the weak part of your strategy…

"I'll keep my Sphinx in Defense Mode for now, and pass for this turn…"

Franct drew a card.

"Now I'll move Submarineroid into Attack Mode, and attack again! Since you saw the sneak attack, let's try something new. Attack with Tuscan Torpedo!"

Submarineroid rose up and shot a torpedo at Malvolio, striking him in the chest. He staggered backwards.

He grunted as he held his chest…

**(M: 2,550) -------------------- (F: 3,550)**

"Pitiful…" said Franct, as Submarineroid moved into Defense Mode. "Pitiful that such a great legacy is going to end like this."

Malvolio drew a card.

"All right, Franct," he said, "I play Graceful Charity."

The angel appeared in a wisp of light, and he drew three cards.

He grinned. He discarded both of his Swords of Deep-Seated.

"First I summon Chain Thrasher in Defense Mode," he said, playing a card.

The chain-wielding Warrior appeared, and knelt. (1,000/600)

"Next," he continued, "I'll place one card, facedown, and activate Mirage of Nightmare."

He played his last two cards, and the face-up card and the facedown card appeared.

"And that will end my turn."

"A clever combo," said Franct, drawing. "Well, make your four draws and activate Emergency Provisions."

"I will," said Malvolio, drawing four.

He looked at them, two of which were the Swords of Deep-Seated.

"And by the way, this facedown card isn't Emergency Provisions," he said. "I mean, I'm not lucky enough to have both in my hand every time."

The facedown card lifted, showing the image of three men in suits behind a laser barrier.

"It's a Trap called Insurance," he said. "When I activate it, I can send one Spell or Trap Card on the field back to my hand."

Mirage of Nightmare vanished. He held it up.

"And Tarfoot only negates effects that send Monsters to the owners' hand, not Spells and Traps… Thought I couldn't figure that out? That's the problem with Continuous Traps, Franct, the text is written right there."

"Clever…" said Franct, as Submarineroid moved into Attack Mode.

He sighed.

"It's a shame…" he said. "When all is said and done, everything in life always becomes routine. Submarineroid…"

The Roid blasted its torpedo again, and Malvolio fell backwards.

**(M: 1,750) -------------------- (F: 3,550)**

Submarineroid moved into Defense Mode.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," said Franct, playing a card.

Now two facedown cards were on his side of the field, one to each side of Tarfoot.

Malvolio nervously drew…

_If this keeps up, I'm finished in three turns…_ he thought.

"All right, Franct," he said, "I play… Reload!

He returned his cards to his deck.

"Now, I return my five cards back to my deck, reshuffle, and draw five new cards…"

He made five draws.

"I flip Guardian Sphinx into Attack Mode once more…" he said.

Guardian Sphinx appeared again. (1,700/2,400)

"Then I play… Mystik Wok," he said, playing a Spell Card. "I'll sacrifice Guardian Sphinx to gain 2,400 Life Points."

The Wok appeared, and the Sphinx vanished.

"Now, I'll summon Hayabusa Knight in Defense Mode."

The peregrine-headed, saber-wielding Warrior appeared, and crouched in Defense. (1,000/700)

"That's all for my turn"

**(M: 4,150) -------------------- (F: 3,550)**

"Eh…" said Franct, drawing a card.

"I could destroy that guy, or attack you directly again…

"But this is getting repetitive. I'm just going to pass for my turn."

_He's up to something…_ thought Malvolio. _He's planning something big… I don't like it…_

He drew.

He grinned.

"You know, Franct?" he said. "I was scared for nothing. Tarfoot isn't a cursed and evil artifact. It isn't some dark god come to claim my family and drag us into a pit of eternal despair...

"It's a Trap Card, nothing more.

"And as such, I can destroy it, by playing Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and the fierce storm erupted over the field. Tarfoot flew into the air, and shattered…

…and so did The Dark Door and the other two facedown cards.

"Nice," said Franct. "But once again, I've set you up! To destroy it, you also had to destroy_ two_ Wonder Garage cards!"

A Steamroid (1,800/1,800) and a Drillroid (1,600/1,600) appeared on the field.

"That was your plan all along…" muttered Malvolio. "You wanted me to destroy it with Heavy Storm so I'd take out my own Dark Door, and you'd summon two more Vehicroids in the same instant."

"Clever again," said Franct.

Malvolio placed a card on his Disk, and Mataza the Zapper appeared, kneeling in Defense. (1,300/800)

He waved his hand.

Franct drew.

"Perfect…" he said.

"First, I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Submarineroid moved into Attack Mode.

"Submarineroid, attack Hayabusa Knight!" he shouted.

Submarineroid blasted its torpedo, and Hayabusa Knight burst.

"Drillroid, attack Mataza the Zapper!"

Drillroid charged forward drill-first, and Mataza screamed as the drill stabbed into him. He shattered.

"Steamroid, attack Chain Thrasher!"

Steamroid chugged forward, and ran over Chain Thrasher.

Malvolio growled.

"And now, Malvolio…" said Franct, taking a card, "I'm going to summon a creature that Sven never got to summon in his match with Demetrius. It's a Vehicroid that's second only to Super Vehicroid Stealth Union…"

"If you're talking about Steam Gyroid, I'm way ahead of you," said Malvolio.

"That upstart?" laughed Franct. "No, this one is much stronger than Steam Gyroid…

"I play… Vehicroid Connection Zone."

He played a Spell Card.

"Vehicroid Connection Zone?" asked Malvolio. "I've never heard of that one."

"It's like Polymerization," said Franct, "but it can only summon Fusion Monsters with the word 'Vehicroid' in their names. I fuse together Steamroid…"

Steamroid vanished.

"AND Drillroid…"

Drillroid followed.

"AND Submarineroid…"

The last Vehicroid vanished.

The floor started to rumble…

"To summon _Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill_!"

A gargantuan vehicle burst out of the floor. It was a drilling machine, but it was much larger and bulkier than Drillroid, with a huge drill and claws. It glared at Malvolio with evil eyes. (3,000/2,000)

"This charming Machine has a trampling effect," said Franct, "so you can't hide in Defense Mode. And since I summoned it using Vehicroid Connection Zone, it cannot be destroyed by Spells, Traps, and Monster effects, not even my own."

_Not even his own?_ thought Malvolio. _That includes Limiter Removal…_

_Clearly, that Monster he set in Defense Mode is Magician of Faith…_

"However…" said Franct, "I finished my Battle Phase, so I must end my turn, and savor what comes next."

Malvolio's hand shook as he drew.

He looked at the card.

"I place a card facedown…" he said, playing the card.

A facedown card appeared.

"And next, I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"That's all for now…" he said.

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Franct, drawing a card. "Could that facedown card be… Ordeal of a Traveler?"

His facedown Monster flipped face-up, and Magician of Faith appeared. (300/400)

"I'll use her effect to get back Confiscation," he said, as a card slipped out of his discard slot. "And I'll play it!"

He played the card, and two cards appeared in front of him – Lightning Blade, and Chain Thrasher.

"I choose to banish… Chain Thrasher!" he laughed.

The card in Malvolio's hand vanished.

**(M: 4,150) -------------------- (F: 2,550)**

"And now that I know that your last card is a Spell," cackled Franct, "I can't miss when I guess on your Trap Card!"

He took a Spell Card from his hand.

"Next, I'll play this… Magic Shard Excavation. By discarding two cards…"

He discarded two cards into his discard slot.

"I get one more Spell Card back…"

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Naturally, I choose Limiter Removal."

He played the card, and the huge Machine shot up to an Attack of 6,000.

"Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill, attack his facedown Monster!"

The Vehicroid's drill roared, and it sped forward…

"Who ever said this was Ordeal of a Traveler?" asked Malvolio.

His Trap Card lifted, revealing it to be Negate Attack. The Vehicroid was stopped dead in its tracks.

"I'm not that predictable, you know."

"Big deal," said Franct. "Have you forgotten about the effect of Vehicroid Connection Zone? My Monster can't be destroyed by Spell Cards, even my own. So my Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill won't be destroyed by Limiter Removal, and it stays at 6,000 Attack Points."

"Perhaps you have forgotten how my deck works," said Malvolio. "I don't have to destroy your Monsters to beat them, and your Tarfoot is gone."

Franct turned white…

"Now I draw…" said Malvolio.

He looked at the card.

"Gee…" he said. "Now I get to do something I've never been able to do…"

"I summon my third Chain Thrasher."

He played the card, and Chain Thrasher appeared. (1,000/600)

"Now say goodbye to your Monsters. I flip-summon Penguin Soldier!"

His facedown card flipped up, and Penguin Soldier appeared. (750/500)

Franct stared in horror as Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill and Magician of Faith vanished…

"And by the way…" continued Malvolio, "since your Confiscation sent his brother to the Graveyard, and you destroyed another, Chain Thrasher here is now able to attack three times!

"This duel is over…

"Attack him directly! Chain of vengeance!"

Chain Thrasher leapt up, and twirled his chain. He lashed at Franct once… twice…

Franct staggered back, and barely was able to catch his breath before the Warrior lashed at him a third time.

**(M: 3,350) -------------------- (F: 0)**

The Warrior vanished, and Franct collapsed on the floor.

"Humph," said Malvolio. "I guess it's true what they say… History does repeat itself."

He bent over Franct's comatose form. He noticed a small red square that he had dropped.

Then he looked through his dropped cards…

He sorted through them, and found the three Tarfoot cards.

He pocketed them. They were far too dangerous to leave in the hands of an enemy of his family.

Then he reached into the side deck, and found it… the Super Vehicroid Stealth Union.

_Such an incredible Monster…_ he thought. _Its talent has been wasted all this time, because its original owner… gave up. Such a pity. All these years, it could have done good, but it was used as a symbol of bile and hate._

He placed it in his own side deck.

_I'll find another duelist who uses Vehicroids. This card will be happier not being used as the symbol of one duelist's revenge._

He punched in a number on his cell phone.

"Trisha," he said. "Yeah, I beat the guy. And I found a red letter E if that means anything…

"Listen, Trisha, you'd best tell everyone to watch out. These guys might be putting cards in their decks to counter ours. I know there's no rule against it, but it seems like they're fighting dirty.

"Of course… I'll be careful. I'll get back to you."

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 8:20 PM_

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**TARFOOT (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Penguin Soldier stuck in a sticky mire.

**Card Description:** Negate the effects of all cards which send Monsters from the field to their owners' hands while this card remains in play.

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**INSURANCE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Three men in business suits behind a laser grid.

**Card Description:** Send one Spell or Trap Card from your side of the field to your hand. If this card is returned to your hand from the field, gain 500 Life Points.

_Note: "Insurance" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Field of Screams (Part Three)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_**Sean finds himself face-to-face with someone he remembers from his first year… Someone he hated. And this reunion might end badly, because this duelist not only has years more experience, but is packing a deck full of cards that Sean cannot possibly have prepared for. The future looks grim, but he'll try to change that.**_

**_Don't miss "Destruction of Destiny", coming soon._**


	58. Destruction of Destiny

I'd like to say something before this chapter starts.

This chapter features the Destiny Heroes. I like the Destiny Heroes. However, I think that they got a raw deal when they came to America. The names that they were given for American release turned out ridiculous (Captain Tenacious? He sounds like he should be fighting Captain Planet!)

I refuse to call these Monsters by these utterly stupid monikers. Therefore, just this once, I am using their original names. I don't encourage or discourage this for any other fanfic writer. It is simply my preference.

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_**The students at the Academy are scared of Dr. Artemis. She's quick to give detention to anyone who steps out of line, or chew out a student who breaks the rules.**_

_**But even the staff of the college are not above her jurisdiction. She has been known to discipline them as well. **_

_**The guy I'm facing now was once a teacher who did something bad, and got caught. I didn't think he'd go this far to get back at us, but he has…**_

_**And I really didn't think he'd ever get a deck like this…**_

_**After all, the cards he's using are cards he simply can't have. But to my unbelieving eyes, he has them.**_

_**How? I don't know…**_

_**How can I fight Monsters that have only been mentioned in passages in a few textbooks?**_

_**The future looms before me, and it looks dark.**_

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN**

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**Destruction of Destiny**

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_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 7:40 PM_

"Sean, where are you?" asked Jason, over his cell.

"Uh, I seem to be in some sort of cafeteria," answered Sean. "But dinner doesn't appear to have been served yet."

"Well, be on guard," said Jason. "And not that I want to rush you, but we have only about four and a half hours left."

"Gotcha," said Sean. "I'll…"

A loud whirring sound came through the cafeteria. The tables all lowered their legs into the floor.

"Uh, Jason?" said Sean. "How about I get back to you? Something's cooking… And it doesn't seem to be beef stroganoff."

The light went on.

"Okay…" said Sean. "I don't like guessing games. So come on out already."

"I'm already, here, Sean," said a voice that he recognized.

Sean didn't notice him before, but a man that seemed to be around thirty had been lurking in the shadows. He had straight hair and a goatee, both of which were salt-and-pepper grey. He also wore a grey suit that looked expensive…

But Sean new that Professor Robert Zander always bought off the rack. He was a cheapskate.

"Professor Zander…" said Sean. "My old teacher…"

"Sean Kishore…" said Zander. "My best student. Made Ra, I see. Guess my lessons weren't for naught."

"I won't deny that your classes weren't… interesting," said Sean with an annoyed look. "Your theory on how Duel Monsters evolved from pagan tarots and similar fortunetelling tools was… groundbreaking. It was like a death in the family when Dr. Artemis canned you."

Zander smirked. He took a golden metronex watch out of his coat pocket and looked at it.

Sean frowned. This was the most annoying thing about this man – he checked that expensive watch every five minutes, as if he was obsessed with an appointment.

"By the way," continued Sean, "I was being sarcastic. That theory was dumb."

"What did I do that was so wrong?" asked Zander, putting the watch back.

Sean looked at him.

"Promising students to raise the grades on their tests one full letter grade in exchange for a rare card?" he asked. "That was bribery, Zander. And you were greedy for rare cards that you couldn't – or wouldn't – pay money for yourself.

"You'd have done anything for the latest secret rare…"

"Yes, but things will change once this night is over," said Zander. "Fortunado has promised me that Dr. Artemis will be taken down, and that I will be running your Academy once the world is covered with darkness."

"And what will the students be taught?" asked Sean. "Will they be trained as some sort of Army of the Night who will crush all duelists who oppose the tyrannical rule of this new order?"

"Hmm," said Zander. "That's an idea… Let me take a note of that…"

He took a cell phone out of his jacket.

"Note to self…" he said, pressing a button. "Train students as an Army of Night to…"

He paused.

"Uh, what was the rest of what you said?" he asked Sean.

"You disgust me," said Sean, taking his deck. "I'm taking you down."

"Very well," said Zander, taking his own. "But before we start, I have a question for you."

He quickly shuffled, and then placed it in his Disk.

"This better not be one of your dumb lectures," said Sean.

"Not at all," said Zander. "I simply want to ask… Do you believe in Fate?"

"Uhm… No," said Sean, offhand.

"You're wrong," said Zander. "Fate is the predominant force in the universe. Everything happens because it was predetermined. It doesn't make much sense complaining about the fact that I was caught… If Fate wanted it to happen, it had to happen."

"That's a stupid theory!" shouted Sean. "You're practically saying that humans don't have free will!"

"Who knows?" asked Zander. "Perhaps they don't. And I am sure that the way the laws of Fate are written will arrange for your master to fall, and for mine to triumph."

"Jason is not my master," said Sean. "I chose to follow him, of my own free will. No one controls me. Not him, and not Fate.

"And I'll take you down anyway!"

"Easier said than done," laughed Zander, as the two Disks activated.

**(Sean: 8,000) -------------------- (Zander: 8,000)**

"Age before beauty, I always say…" said Zander, drawing six cards.

He looked them over.

"And I summon Destiny Hero Devil Guy in Attack Mode."

A haunting laughter echoed over the room, and a creepy figure leapt from the ceiling. It was a dark figure in black, with claws on his hands, wearing a cape with a high, fancy collar, and a white, skull-like mask. (600/800)

_What in the name of…_ thought Sean.

He paused.

_Destiny Hero Devil Guy… That… sounds kinda familiar, but…_

He paused again.

"I admit he looks creepy," he said, "but he only has 600 measly Attack Points."

"Isn't life full of mysteries?" asked Zander. "I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared behind Devil Guy.

"All right!" shouted Sean, drawing a card.

"You think that Trap is going to protect that weirdo?" he asked. "Guess again! I summon Tenkabito Shien in Attack Mode!"

In a burst of flame, the fiery Samurai appeared on his black horse. He held his fiery nodachi up high.(1,500/1,000)

"And guess what?" continued Sean. "Traps don't work on him. Shien, attack Destiny Hero Devil Guy with Zantesuken!"

Shien's sword burned with flames, and he galloped forward. He smote Devil Guy, and the Dark Hero groaned before bursting into pixels.

"Ergh…" muttered Zander. "What the heck does 'Zantesuken' mean?"

"It's a Japanese term for 'Sword That Cuts Through Steel'. See, Shien here is Japanese, he's a Samurai, a nobleman, and he's very good with a blade."

"I see…" muttered Zander.

**(S: 8,000) -------------------- (Z: 7,100)**

Then he grinned.

"I never said that this Trap would stop your Monster," he said.

The Trap Card lifted.

"Call of the Haunted! Now Devil Guy returns!"

The spooky Hero burst out of the floor with the same haunting laugh. (600/800)

Sean looked at the cards in his hand.

"I'll place my own card facedown, and end my turn," he said.

Zander made a draw.

"Let's see…" he said. "What next… Think I'll summon another Destiny Hero.

"I summon Destiny Hero Diehard Guy in Attack Mode."

A large grey stone shaped like an egg appeared, and then it burst open, revealing another strange Warrior who wore the halves of the stone on his arms like shells. He was muscular and bare-chested, wearing trunks and knee-high boots. He had a wild mane of carrot-red hair. (800/800)

"These guys are heroes?" asked Sean. "I'd hate to see the villains they're fighting."

"We'll get to him in a minute…" said Zander. "For now, let me show you Devil Guy's special power…

"Devil Guy… Impending doom grip!"

Devil Guy leapt into the air and reached for Shien… Sean drew back in surprise…

And then Shien and his mount simply vanished in a burst of light.

"What the…?" gasped Sean. "What happened? Shien's Attack Score was over twice as high!"

"That was not an attack," said Zander. "It was his special ability."

He grinned.

"What's the name of this group, Sean? Destiny Heroes. These Warriors represent Destiny, Destruction, and Death. They can control destiny, manipulate Fate itself. The future isn't predetermined for them, because they can control it.

"Here's how Devil Guy's effect works. So long as I have him in Attack Mode and I'm willing to skip my Battle Phase, he can transport one of your Monsters two rounds into the future."

"That doesn't even make sense!" shouted Sean.

"Am I going too fast for you?" asked Zander. "And my turn isn't over. First, I'll place one card facedown…"

He played a card, and another facedown card appeared.

"And finally… I'll play this… One of the Destiny Heroes' battlegrounds…"

His Field Slot opened, and he placed a card in it.

The room went dark, and mist shrouded the field. And ominous building rose on all four sides… They were in a courtyard…

And behind Zander was what looked like the main part of the building. A fancy and equally ominous clock tower with Roman numerals on its face.

"Welcome… to Clock Tower Prison," said Zander.

"Hold on one minute…" said Sean. "I remember now… Dark heroes… Clock Towers… These cards were Aster Phoenix's cards… And he owned the only copies. You can't have a deck of them!"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Zander. "Perhaps I defeated his heir and took them from him."

Sean paused.

He didn't know, of course, that Phoenix was still alive and still using his deck…

…so the only possibility to him was, Zander wasn't lying.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Heh, heh, heh," said Fortunado. "I must say, you did an excellent job…"

"_For one who can counterfeit a Sacred Beast," _said the voice of the Master, _"counterfeiting these cards was an easy matter."_

"Too bad you couldn't have included Bloo-D," added Fortunado.

"_That card was enchanted and cursed,"_ said the Master. _"Its powers were comparable to a Card of Sin. I could have duplicated it if I had time, but I did not, and even if I did, using my own version might have required the Seal. And the Destiny Heroes are weak without their Field Cards."_

"True," said Fortunado.

"_Too bad Zander is deluded," _said the voice. _"If Fate exists, I certainly have never met such a being, and my own future is certainly not predetermined if I can help it."_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Clock Tower Prison…" said Zander. "Begin the countdown!"

The hands on Clock Tower Prison moved to twelve o'clock, and a single loud chime ran out.

"Noon…" said Sean. "So… What exactly does it do?"

"Not telling…" said Zander, with a grin. "But seeing as it's a clock, you can likely guess that the time you have before its effect is unleashed is limited.

"I end my turn."

"Then I draw!" shouted Sean, drawing.

"And the countdown to your demise begins!" laughed Zander.

Clock Tower Prison's hands moved from twelve o'clock, to one, to two, and stopped at three.

"Each time you start your turn," he said, "three hours will pass. If you don't find a way to prevent its power from being unleashed… you're history, so to speak."

"Maybe I should just have you look at it," said Sean. "You do have a face that could stop a clock."

"Okay, that one wasn't very funny…" muttered Zander.

Sean placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita in Attack Mode."

In a burst of fire, Hiita appeared, holding her flaming staff with her fox by her feet. (1,850/1,500)

"Attack Destiny Hero Devil Guy!" he shouted. "Kitsune flame strike!"

Hiita's fox blazed with fire, and it leapt at Devil Guy, blowing him to bits.

**(S: 8,000) -------------------- (Z: 5,850)**

"So much for him…" said Sean.

"Or so you think…" said Zander. "Is that your turn?"

"Mmm!" said Sean.

As Zander drew, a spinning gear appeared on the field, and Diehard Guy glowed.

"What?" asked Sean.

"You were so concerned about Devil Guy, you disregarded Diehard Guy," replied Zander. "Devil Guy sends things to future, Diehard Guy brings things from the past. On my turn, he can resurrect any Destiny Hero that you destroyed on your turn."

Devil Guy appeared again. (600/800)

"Great…" muttered Sean.

"Now I'll use Devil Guy's ability," said Zander. "You remember this, right?"

Devil Guy flew forward and grabbed at Hiita. She gasped, and then vanished in a flash of light.

"Not again!" shouted Sean.

"And now I'll summon someone new…" continued Zander. "Destiny Hero Diamond Guy in Attack Mode."

A huge diamond appeared on the field, and then it shattered, revealing a new Warrior. He was dressed in black with a tattered cape, with sharp diamond shards sticking out of his body. (1,400/1,600)

"Now, let me explain Diamond Guy's powerful effect," he said. "Every round, I get to look at the top card on my deck. If it's a Normal Spell Card…"

He took the top card from his deck.

"…and it is…"

He showed him Pot of Greed.

"I discard it, and on my next turn, it activates… from my Graveyard. That negates any conditions or costs, and keeps you from negating it."

He slipped it into his discard slot.

"Good lord…" muttered Sean.

"It's your move…" said Zander.

"About time…" muttered Sean, drawing a card.

"Speaking of time…" said Zander with a grin.

Clock Tower Prison moved to four o'clock, then five, then six.

"…it tends to fly when you're having fun."

"This is _not_ fun," said Sean.

He nervously looked at his cards.

_I don't know what happens when Big Ben up there reaches midnight,_ he thought, _but I have a feeling that I don't want to know. I have to stop it somehow…_

_But I have to deal with the immediate problem first. If Diehard Guy can revive his Monsters, I have to take him out first, and that shouldn't be hard._

"I summon Flame Ruler in Attack Mode," he said.

The burning Pyro in regal clothing and a beard appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"Flame Ruler, show Diehard Guy how you got your name!" he shouted.

Flame Ruler breathed a blast of flames at the Hero. Diehard Guy didn't exactly live up to his name… He tried to shield himself with his shells, but he shattered into triangles.

**(S: 8,000) -------------------- (Z: 5,150)**

"You always were my best student…" said Zander, with a grin.

His facedown card lifted.

"Too bad for you, I was a lousy teacher! I activate Destiny Signal!"

A beam of light shot from the card, into the sky above Clock Tower Prison. It was like the famous Bat-Signal, but instead of a bat, it had the letter D in it.

"Uh…" muttered Sean. "I'm guessing… that's the Destiny Heroes' version of Hero Signal…"

"You learn fast," said Zander, taking his deck. "And it does the exact same thing. When a Monster on my side of the field is destroyed, I get to Special Summon a low-level Destiny Hero from my deck.

"So I'll summon Destiny Hero Defend Guy, in Defense Mode, naturally."

A hulking figure appeared in front of Zander. It looked like a statue made of cinderblock in the shape of a bulky human… It had a grate where its face would be that only showed darkness inside. (100/2,700)

"You call _that_ low-level?" asked Sean.

"Four stars, believe it or not," said Zander. "Your Monsters will find attacking Defend Guy to be like hitting a stone wall, because, well, he _is_ a stone wall!"

"All right prof…" said Sean. "I don't know how a four-star Monster could have a Defense that high, but I can't do anything else…"

"Then I draw…" said Zander, drawing a card.

"First, since it's been two rounds, your Tenkabito Shien arrives from his little jaunt."

Tenkabito Shien appeared, none the worse for wear. (1,500/1,000)

"Second," he continued, "the Spell Card I discarded with Diamond Guy's effect last turn activates."

Pot of Greed materialized in a spooky mist, and he drew two cards.

"Next, I'll use Diamond Guy's effect again…"

He took the top card off of his deck.

"Eh…" muttered Zander, showing it to him. "Sadly, this is a Monster… Which means I put it at the bottom of my deck."

He slid it under his deck.

Sean drew back in surprise.

_That Monster had eight stars!_ he thought. _And he doesn't seem the least bit upset about losing it?_

_Something's up…_

"Now, let's see…" said Zander. "Your Flame Ruler counts as two Monsters if you sacrifice him to summon a fire Monster, right? We can't have that…

"Oh, Devil Guy…"

Devil Guy flew forward, and grasped Flame Ruler with his claw. The Pyro vanished in a flash.

Sean glared at him.

This was getting out of hand…

"I still have another Monster left this time…" he growled.

"True…" said Zander, "but my turn is far from over…"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive. And since Warrior is the… uh, ethnic group of Monster that the Destiny Heroes belong to, that means one of them is returning… uhm, alive."

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"You remember Diehard Guy, don't you?"

He placed the card on his Disk, and Diehard Guy appeared again. (800/800)

"I'll just kill him again!" shouted Sean.

"No you won't," said Zander. "I'll bet you think this can't get worse, but it can, because now I'm Equipping Defend Guy with Raregold Armor."

He played the card, and Defend Guy's rocky skin turned to solid gold.

"Now the only Monster you can attack is him. So unless you can summon a Monster with more than 2,700 Attack Points, my other Heroes are untouchable.

"Get it yet, Sean? My Destiny Heroes control your future. They've looked into it, and they already see you languishing in eternal darkness! You can't defeat ones who can change the wheels of Fate!"

"Excuse me…" said Sean. "In case you didn't notice, I'm winning this duel, and you can't defeat me if you keep skipping your Battle Phase. It seems your strategy has a major flaw."

Zander just grinned.

He placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Before you take your turn," he said, "I should tell you that, although Defend Guy has incredible Defense for a four-star Monster, he comes with a small catch. So long as I have him on the field, you get to draw_ two_ cards during your Draw Phase instead of one. Not that I care.

"So draw!"

Sean looked at Clock Tower Prison.

_This is it…_ he thought. _If I can't draw something this round that can stop that crazy clock, there's no telling what it will do…_

_Come on… Heavy Storm, Mystical Space Typhoon… Gimme something…_

He drew two cards.

Clock Tower Prison moved to seven o'clock, to eight, and then to nine…

_Yes!_ thought Sean, looking at the two cards. _Dust Tornado!_

"Draw something good?" asked Zander. "Something that can destroy my Clock Tower?

"Well, too bad… Your time has run out…"

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate… Eternal Dread!"

The Trap Card glowed, and the tower moved again, moving to ten o'clock, then to eleven…

Then to midnight…

"How?" shouted Sean. "No fair! I had one round left!"

"Eternal Dread is a special Trap that can fast forward Clock Tower Prison six hours," said Zander. "But it only needed three…"

A loud chime rang out of the horrible clock… Then another, and it was followed by ten more…

"Like I said, Sean…" said Zander, "controlling Destiny is what these guys are all about. You didn't really think I couldn't make it go faster, did you?"

"So now what?" asked Sean, nervously.

"Now, I can't lose Life Points from battles so long as this Field stands," said Zander. "No matter how much you attack, you won't hurt me in the slightest."

Sean paused. He was relieved. He was almost expecting instant death when the clock hit midnight…

"I set one card facedown," he said, "and summon UFO Turtle in Attack Mode."

A facedown card appeared, and the reptilian spaceship appeared. (1,400/1,200)

"And that will be my turn…" he said with a grin.

"Very well…" said Zander, drawing.

"Go!" shouted Sean, as his Trap Card sprang up. "Dust Tornado!"

A violent wind tore through Clock Tower Prison, and the great clock burst into an explosion of glass, bricks, and timbers. Within seconds, the whole structure had been reduced to a pile of rubble.

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Zander. "Thank you… That's just what I wanted you to do."

"What?" asked Sean. "WHY?"

Zander grinned.

"The name of that card was Clock Tower Prison, Sean," he replied. "It was a _prison_. Where there's a prison, wouldn't it make sense that there'd be an inmate hiding inside?

"I didn't mention that Clock Tower Prison had another power that could be activated if it was destroyed when it was at midnight. Since you did it for me…"

He took his deck, and took the card that was right at the bottom of it.

"…I can summon one of the mightiest of the Destiny Heroes. I summon Destiny Hero Dread Guy!"

With a bellowing roar, a huge figure rose behind the other four Heroes. It was a twenty-foot-tall giant, bare-chested and muscular, wearing a ragged pair of trousers with broken shackles on his wrists and ankles. His face was covered by a mask that made of iron bars that had been bent into shape haphazardly.

"Okay…" gulped Sean. "_Definitely_ not friendly!"

"In case you're wondering about his Attack and Defense Scores," continued Zander, "it's that of all other Destiny Heroes on the field, combined."

(2,900/5,900)

"That's… Not good…" muttered Sean.

"Anyway, now Devil Guy's effect on Hiita expires," said Zander.

Familiar-Possessed Hiita reappeared. (1,850/1,500)

"Now, let's see what boon Diamond Guy will grant me…" he said with a grin.

He took the card off his deck.

He smiled an evil smile.

"One of my rarest cards…" he said, flipping it around. "One that a student gave me so I'd change his grade from a C to a B… Lightning Vortex!"

He discarded it.

"And by the way, Sean, don't feel so bad. Even if you hadn't destroyed my clock, I was going to destroy it myself. You see, unlike most Monsters, the Destiny Heroes have two Field Spells unique to them…"

He placed a card in his Field Slot.

"I play Dark City."

The rubble of Clock Tower Prison vanished, and with a rumble, a group of buildings rose around them. They were ominous, dark structures, with dim lights in the windows. The full moon shone in the sky.

"Welcome to Gotham…" muttered Sean.

"In Dark City," said Zander, "a Destiny Hero gains 1,000 Attack Points when he attacks a Monster who has more Attack Points than he does.

"But before I attack, I'll Equip Diamond Guy with this… Cyclone Blade."

He played the card, and a three-bladed knife appeared in Diamond Guy's hand.

"All right…" said Zander. "The time for subtlety is over! Diamond Guy, attack Hiita!"

Diamond Guy leapt up, his Attack rose to 2,400, and the Cyclone Blade spun.

"I activate Backfire!" shouted Sean.

His first Trap lifted up…

…and then it shattered…

Diamond Guy struck Hiita, and she screamed before shattering to pieces.

"Confused?" asked Zander. "When a Destiny Hero attacks with the Cyclone Blade, he can destroy one Spell or Trap Card.

"Devil Guy, attack Tenkabito Shien!"

Devil Guy's Attack rose to 1,600, he made a savage swipe with his claw, and Shien and his mount burst into flames.

"Diehard Guy, attack the UFO Turtle!"

Diehard Guy's Attack rose to 1,800, and he slammed his shells into the Machine, crushing it.

"Forget UFO Turtle's effect?" asked Sean. "When it's destroyed, I get to Special Summon another Fire Monster, like another UFO Turtle."

A second UFO Turtle appeared.

"Fine…" said Zander. "Dread Guy, take it out!"

Dread Guy roared, and slammed his hand down, crushing the UFO Turtle.

Sean placed a card on his Disk, and Solar Flare Dragon appeared. (1,500/1,000)

"Very well…" said Zander. "I end my turn. You won't have anything to hide behind next round."

**(S: 5,450) -------------------- (Z: 5,150)**

Sean drew twice again.

"I play… Graceful Charity," he said.

He played the card, and drew three times.

He looked over his hand, and then discarded Fox Fire and Ultimate Baseball Kid.

_That Lightning Vortex will wipe out my side on his next turn,_ he thought. _But I'll have a surprise for him…_

"I move Solar Flare Dragon to Defense Mode…" he said.

The Pyro curled up in Defense.

"And then I place one card facedown."

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn, and you know what that means."

Solar Flare Dragon blasted a stream of flame at Zander. He shielded himself as it hit him.

**(S: 5,450) -------------------- (Z: 4,650)**

"Then I draw," said Zander, drawing. "And your Flame Ruler returns…"

Flame Ruler reappeared. (1,500/1,600)

"And now… Lightning Vortex!"

Lightning crashed from the sky of Dark City, vaporizing Sean's two Monsters!

"Activate… Scapegoat!" shouted Sean.

His facedown card lifted, and the four sheep tokens appeared.

"I always hated those little twerps…" said Zander with a scowl.

"I'm sure they hate you pretty much too," answered Sean.

Zander looked at the two cards in his hand. He paused.

_I could switch Defend Guy into Attack Mode and use him to attack one of those sheep,_ he thought. _One hundred points is better than zero, and I could attack directly with Dread Guy. But that wouldn't finish him, and Defend Guy would be a sitting duck._

_Let's see what Diamond Guy's effect brings me._

"I activate Diamond Guy's effect," he said.

He took the card.

"Vase of Unholy Blight," he said, showing it to him. "Not the best, but it will do…"

He discarded it.

"Devil Guy, Diehard Guy, Diamond Guy, Dread Guy…" he commanded. "Take out his tokens!"

The three smaller Heroes slashed with their weapons, destroying three sheep. Dread Guy simply stomped down with his foot, flattening the last one.

He fit a card into his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"Your move…" he said.

_Okay, we're in trouble now…_ thought Sean.

He drew two cards.

"Don't tell me," said Zander, "that with six cards in your hand, you have nothing useful?"

"Here comes two more," said Sean. "I play Pot of Greed."

He played the card, and the green jar appeared. He drew two cards, bringing his hand size up to seven.

"All right…" said Sean. "Time to get serious!"

He played a card.

"I play… Heavy Storm!"

A ferocious wind covered the arena. Zander drew back…

"Not so fast!" he shouted. "I activate Emergency Provisions! I'll sacrifice my three cards before they're destroyed."

The facedown card lifted, and Cyclone Blade, Raregold Armor, and Dark City vanished.

"And I get 3,000 Life Points back to boot," he continued, "so I'm stronger than ever…"

**(S: 5,450) -------------------- (Z: 7,650)**

"Well, you're gonna need 'em…" said Sean. "I play… Monster Reborn! Return!"

Tenkabito Shien appeared again. (1,500/1,000)

"Next, I summon… Hand of Nephthys."

He placed a card down, and a young girl dressed in the clothing of an Egyptian priestess appeared. (600/600)

"And now I activate the Hand's special ability," said Sean. "By offering her and one other Monster as a sacrifice, I can Special Summon her master from my deck…"

"Her master?" said Zander. "Who?"

The Hand of Nephthys and Tenkabito Shien vanished into light…

A great bonfire appeared in front of Sean…

"Lets give a warm welcome to a divine beast who's truly in charge of his destiny," said Sean. "I summon **_Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys_**!"

A huge, fiery bird with feathers made of golden metal rose out of the bonfire. He was as big as Dread Guy, and radiated burning light. (2,400/1,600)

Fear appeared on the faces of the five Destiny Heroes…

_Thanks, Russell…_ thought Sean.

But Zander was not impressed.

"So you managed to summon a powerful Monster," he said. "Have you forgotten my unbeatable combo?

"If you attack Devil Guy, Diehard Guy will revive him, and he'll send your Phoenix away.

"Attack Diehard Guy, and he'll do it anyway."

"Actually," said Sean, "I was thinking of taking them both out at once."

"And just how do you intend to have that flaming chicken attack twice?" asked Zander.

"With this!" shouted Sean, showing him a card. "The Spell Card, Double Attack!"

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Zander. "I thought you were taught better! If you want to use Double Attack, you have to discard a Monster who has more stars than the Monster who's attacking! And that thing has eight stars!"

Sean smiled.

He flipped another card in his hand around.

"Infernal Flame Emperor?" shouted Zander. "That has _nine_ stars!"

"Yep," said Sean. "And so, I play Double Attack."

He played the Spell Card, and discarded Infernal Flame Emperor.

"You can't!" shouted Zander. "I've been in control of this duel the whole time!"

"I told you, prof," said Sean, "my future is NOT predetermined, no one controls it. Especially not you. So prepare to lose your gruesome twosome.

"Sacred Phoenix, attack Devil Guy and Diehard Guy!"

Sacred Phoenix roared.

Sacred Phoenix blasted two streams of fire, and the two Destiny Heroes were burned to ashes. Zander screamed…

**(S: 5,450) -------------------- (Z: 4,250)**

"There," said Sean. "And now, Dread Guy loses 1,400 Attack Points, making him truly a lamb in lion's clothing. And your annoying Diamond Guy is next, by the way."

Diamond Guy, Defend Guy, and Dread Guy looked at Zander, clearly angry.

"I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," said Sean.

A facedown card appeared.

_How could I have lost control of this duel?_ thought Zander. _The one card in my hand is a Monster that isn't any good right now, and…_

_Wait… Diamond Guy's effect… I still have a chance…_

"I draw…" he said, drawing a card.

"And now the effect of the Vase of Unholy Blight that I discarded kicks in, letting me draw three times."

He drew three cards.

He looked at them, and then looked at Sean.

"First I'll use Diamond Guy's effect again…" he said.

He took the card off the top of his deck…

Then he snarled.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Sean. "I have a feeling that the card you got doesn't qualify, and it's a good one too."

Zander showed it to him.

Mirror Force.

"So…" said Sean. "Diamond Guy's effect has a big drawback after all."

"It doesn't matter…" said Zander, placing it on the bottom of his deck, "because I'm sacrificing him. You see, Sean, Dread Guy is NOT the most powerful of the Destiny Heroes… An even mightier one lurks over him.

"And I'm summoning him by sacrificing all three of the Monsters I have on the field!"

Diamond Guy, Defend Guy, and Dread Guy shattered into triangles…

And then a dark shape loomed up where they had been…

It was a huge, hulking creature in black armor shaped like some sort of demon, with wings like a great bat. A long sword blade protruded from his wrist.

His eyes glowed with feral red light. (3,400/2,400)

"Ho boy…" muttered Sean.

"Allow me to introduce Destiny Hero Dogma Guy," said Zander. "And now allow me to introduce him to your Phoenix!"

Dogma Guy glowed with blue fire, and blasted a steam of pure energy. Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys exploded in a fiery burst. Sean shielded himself from the impact…

**(S: 4,450) -------------------- (Z: 4,250)**

"I've seen more heroic characters in independent comics," muttered Sean.

"Watch what you say," said Zander. "Dogma Guy has been known to cut people in half for less than that.

"I'll end my turn by Equipping him with Invincible Destiny."

He played a card.

"When a Destiny Hero is Equipped with this," he explained, "I can negate any Spell, Trap, or Monster effect that would destroy him. Unless you can summon something that's stronger, he's… invincible.

"Now make your move, if you dare…"

Sean drew a card, now regretting the fact that Defend Guy had left the field…

_Apollo's Blessing,_ he thought. _This might…_

And then he screamed as flaming energy erupted around him! He fell to his knees…

"What happened?" he gasped, sweating.

His Life Points started to plummet.

"On the round after Dogma Guy is summoned, he cuts your Life Points in half," said Zander. "Didn't I just tell you he's been known to do that?"

**(S: 2,225) -------------------- (Z: 4,250)**

_Please let this get me something that can get me out of this mess…_ thought Sean.

"I play Apollo's Blessing…" he said, playing the card.

In a burst of flame, Apollo appeared on the field, mounted on his solar chariot.

Sean took a second Solar Flare Dragon from his deck, reshuffled, and then drew three times.

"I play Pot of Avarice now…" he said. "I'm sure you know how this works…"

He took Tenkabito Shien, Solar Flare Dragon, Familiar Possessed Hiita, The Hand of Nephthys, and Infernal Flame Emperor from his Graveyard, combined them with his deck, and reshuffled.

Then he drew twice…

"Hmm…" he said.

"Hey, Prof…" he said. "Care to see Infernal Flame Emperor again?"

"That Monster can't be Special Summoned," said Zander. "So even if it was one of the cards you just drew, you'd never be able to summon it this turn."

"It isn't," answered Sean. "But I did draw a Spell Card called Fire Soul."

He played the card.

"Here's how it works. First, you get to make one draw…"

Zander shrugged, and drew one card.

_Doom Guy…_ he thought. _He'll be useful…_

"Now…" continued Sean, "I take any Pyro-Type Monster in my deck and remove it from play, and then you lose Life Points equal to half that Monster's Attack Score."

"Hey, wait one minute…" said Zander, as Sean looked through his deck.

"So…" said Sean with a slight grin, as he held up the Infernal Flame Emperor card. "How quickly can you divide 2,700 by two?"

In an eruption of flames, a ghostly Infernal Flame Emperor appeared in front of Zander, and socked him with a flaming fist. Zander shrieked and fell over.

**(S: 2,225) -------------------- (Z: 2,900)**

"Not bad…" he grumbled, getting up. "But you still have nothing that can stand up to Dogma Guy…"

"It's still my turn…" said Sean.

He looked at the other cards in his hand.

_Let's see…_ he thought. _Offerings to the Doomed, Inferno, Abaki, Flame Barricade, and…_

_Hmm…_

He looked at his facedown card.

_I've got an idea…_

"I activate Call of the Haunted," he said, as his Trap Card lifted. "Now my Phoenix rises again."

Sacred Phoenix appeared again. (2,400/1,600)

"Next," he said. "I'll remove Fox Fire in my Graveyard from play, to summon Inferno in Defense Mode."

The flaming elemental appeared, in Defense. (1,100/1,800)

"And now…" he said, "I play Big Bang Shot."

"News flash," said Zander. "That Equip will only raise Sacred Phoenix to an Attack of 2,800, and that isn't strong enough."

"I'm not Equipping it to my Sacred Phoenix," said Sean. "I can't attack this turn anyway, since I used Fire Soul. I'm Equipping it to Dogma Guy."

He played the card, and Dogma Guy's Attack rose to 3,800.

"WHAT?" shouted Zander. "That has to be the stupidest move I've ever seen!"

"Next…" said Sean, "I'll place one card facedown…"

He placed a card in a slot, and a facedown card appeared.

"And then I'll play Offerings to the Doomed."

"This is why only darkness looms in your future," said Zander. "You don't listen! My Invincible Destiny can negate that Spell."

"Only if I target Dogma Guy with it, which I'm not," said Sean. "I'm targeting my Sacred Phoenix."

He played the card, and a beam of light blasted from the card, blowing Sacred Phoenix to shards.

"I stand corrected…" said Zander. "_That_ was the stupidest move I've ever seen! You're nuts! Destroying your own Monsters, making mine stronger… I'd almost think you want to lose."

"Your move…" said Sean.

"Well fine," said Zander, drawing a card. "But you brought this on yourself…"

He looked at the card, and then placed it on his Disk.

"I summon Destiny Hero Doom Guy in Attack Mode."

In a flash of light, a grey and green creature appeared that seemed to be a cross between a robot and a walking tank. A pair of wings like those of a jet plane was on its back and a huge blaster replaced its right hand. (1,000/1,000)

"Dogma Guy… Attack Inferno!"

"I activate… Flame Barricade!" shouted Sean.

His Trap Card lifted, and Inferno erupted into a wall of flames.

"Now, by sacrificing one Fire Monster on my side of the field, I can't lose any Life Points this round."

"But then what?" said Zander, as the flames subsided. "Look at you… You have no cards on your side of the field except the one that's Equipped to my Monster, and you have to skip your next Draw Phase because you played Offerings to the Doomed! Unless that one card left in your hand is… Frankly, I don't know what you could do with one card.

"Nothing can save you! You're through! It's over! Accept it…"

"You're something else…" said Sean. "You were so greedy for secret rares and hard-to-get cards, and you know nothing about the rarest card in my deck?"

"What do you mean?" screamed Zander. "What are you planning?"

"Let me take my turn!" said Sean, through his teeth. "I am NOT going to surrender!"

Zander looked at him hard.

He took a card from his hand.

"Just in case…" he muttered, "I play the Spell Card called Doctor-D. This lets me remove one Destiny Hero in my Graveyard from play to Special Summon another one."

He played the card.

"So I'll remove Defend Guy to summon Diehard Guy in Defense Mode."

Diehard Guy appeared, shielding himself with his shells. (800/800)

"Your move…"

"I skip my Draw Phase…" said Sean. "Go right to my Standby Phase… and then…"

He snapped his fingers.

"Abracadabra…"

A burst of flame erupted on the field, and Sacred Phoenix flew out of it! (2,400/1,600)

Zander stepped back…

"When Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys is destroyed by a card effect," said Sean, "even my own, he is automatically resurrected on my next Standby Phase, and when this effect activates, all Spells and Traps on the field go up in smoke."

Invincible Destiny and Big Bang Shot burst into flames!

"And when Big Bang Shot is destroyed, the Monster that it is Equipped to is removed from play."

Destiny Hero Dogma Guy looked startled, and then faded into nothing.

"Wha… buh… guh…" said Zander.

"Still think my moves where stupid?" asked Sean. "Next I summon Abaki in Attack Mode…"

He played the card, and vicious devil with a toothy mouth holding a spiked club appeared. (1,700/1,000)

"Abaki, destroy Diehard Guy with flaming smash!"

The Fiend's club burned with fire, and he brought it down hard on the Hero, blasting him to bits.

"Sacred Phoenix, attack Doom Guy!"

Sacred Phoenix blasted his fire, and Doom Guy melted into slag before exploding into triangles.

**(S: 2,225) -------------------- (Z: 1,500)**

"Very clever…" snarled Zander. "But by destroying Doom Guy, you activated his effect, allowing me to Special Summon one Destiny Hero from my Graveyard. You remember Diamond Guy, right?"

In a flash of light, Diamond Guy reappeared. (1,400/1,600)

"And since you can't do anything else, I'll make my move…"

He drew a card.

"First, let's see what the hands of Fate deal me with Diamond Guy's effect…"

He took the top card off his deck.

"Heh, heh…" he said, showing the card to Sean. "It's a card called Misfortune. And you'll experience its painful effect next turn…"

He discarded it.

_Misfortune?_ thought Sean. _Wait… That one I know about…_

"Now I'll sacrifice Diamond Guy, to summon Destiny Hero Double Guy, in Defense Mode."

Diamond Guy vanished, and a new figure appeared on the field. It seemed like the kind of guy you'd meet on a dark, foggy night in London. He was a tall figure in a black formal suit, gloves, cloak, fedora, and a scarf covering the lower half of his face. Only his eyes were visible, and they were glowing white. He held a cane in his right hand.

He crouched in Defense Mode. (1,000/1,000)

Sean looked at the new Hero.

_I don't know what's creepier,_ he thought. _His looks, or the fact that he's a Tribute Monster with less Attack and Defense than some three-star Monsters…_

"Now I'll place my final card facedown, and that will be all," said Zander.

A facedown card appeared.

He drew a card.

_Hmm… Molten Destruction. This would just make it worse next turn…_

"Sacred Phoenix… Attack Destiny Hero Double Guy!"

Phoenix blasted its fire, and Double Guy was incinerated…

Or was he? Scattered on the floor were his clothes in a haphazard pile.

"Abaki, end this!" he shouted.

"Stop right there!" shouted Zander. "I activate D-Fortune!"

His Trap Card lifted.

"Now all I have to do is remove one more Destiny Hero from play, and your direct attack is negated, and your Battle Phase ends."

Doom Guy slipped out of his discard slot.

Abaki stopped short.

"Uh, that will be my turn…" muttered Sean.

"Then I draw!" said Zander, with a sneer.

A misty cloud appeared on the field, and two figures materialized. They looked just like Double Guy, again crouching in Defense Mode. (1,000/1,000 x2)

"Double Guy, you might say, has a multiple personality," said Zander. "By destroying him, you've let me summon these two Double Guy Tokens.

"And now, Misfortune activates!"

The Spell Card appeared on the field, and Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys glowed.

"That means you lose Life Points equal to half your Monster's Attack Points."

Sean screamed as fire erupted around him.

**(S: 1,025) -------------------- (Z: 1,500)**

Zander looked at the card he had drawn.

"And now to seal your fate!" laughed Zander. "I couldn't have drawn a better card… Looks like Fate was truly on my side…

"I sacrifice one Token, to summon Destiny Hero Dash Guy!"

A sound like a noisy motorcycle erupted as one Token vanished. A robot made of black metal with wheels on its feet "skated" into view, and glared at Sean with eyes that looked like headlights. (2,100/1,000)

"Now, I activate his ability," he continued. "I sacrifice my other Token, to raise his Attack Score by 1,000 for one round."

Dash Guy looked surprised at this. Sean frowned, as the other Double Guy Token vanished, and the Hero's Attack rose to 3,100.

"Let's see you get out of this," laughed Zander. "Dash Guy, attack his Abaki!"

There was a long pause.

Dash Guy glared at Zander, and then crossed his arms.

"What?" shouted Zander. "I said attack, you bucket of bolts!"

"He can't, pal," said Sean. "I think you may not know as much about your cards as you think…"

"What do you mean?" shouted Zander.

"I may not know much about Destiny Heroes," said Sean, "but Misfortune I know about. You can't attack on the round you activate it. Didn't you know that?"

"Of course I did!" shouted Zander. "But I activated it with Diamond Guy's effect! He removes conditions and costs!"

"You should have read the rules closer, prof," replied Sean. "Not being able to attack when you use it is neither condition nor cost. It's part of the Spell's actual effect. It's a drawback that Diamond Guy could _not_ remove. Guess I learned that before you did.

"How can you control Destiny… When you don't even know the limitations of the Destiny Heroes?"

Destiny Hero Dash Guy looked at Zander with an angry glare.

"My move!" shouted Sean, drawing a card.

Dash Guy's Attack fell back to 2,100.

"…and now I attack with Sacred Phoenix!"

Sacred Phoenix blasted its flame. Dash Guy didn't budge as the flames hit him and he burst into pixels.

"Abaki, let's finish this twisted lesson. Attack directly!"

The fiend rushed Zander and clobbered him with his club. Zander bellowed in pain, and fell over.

**(S: 1,025) -------------------- (Z: 0)**

Sean paused to catch his breath as the Monsters vanished.

He walked over to Zander's prone form, and took the cards from his Disk.

"Everything is predetermined…" he muttered. "Things are controlled by fate… Isn't that what Ishizu Ishtar thought before Kaiba beat her good in the Battle City finals?"

He sighed.

"Everyone should have a philosophy to live by, but you have one that's more optimistic… One that stresses freedom rather than some sort of… cosmic slavery…

"Are these really Aster Phoenix's cards?"

"No…" said a spooky voice.

Sean jumped and turned around.

He backed away in fear…

The ghostly form of Destiny Hero Devil Guy was behind him.

"Stay away…" gulped Sean.

The Warrior raised his hands.

"Aster Phoenix's cards are safe," said the Hero. "Those are forgeries, created by an unholy spell. The Monsters you battled were nothing more than imposters. Unworthy imitations.

"So speaking on behalf of myself and the other Destiny Heroes, thank you for defeating them. They were abominations.

"Now finish the job, and tear them to shreds."

"I will, but… a question…" said Sean.

Devil Guy looked at him.

"Uh… Can you guys _really_ see the future?" he asked.

"Why?" asked the Duel Monster. "Do you want to know yours?"

"Well… uhm…" answered Sean.

"Sean…" said the Hero with a sigh. "Humans are better off not knowing their destinies. If I told you that you were destined for great things, your ego would inflate. If I told you your future was bleak, you'd work hard to change it, regardless of whether you could or not.

"Suffice to say this…

"For most mortals… destiny is not yet written… Only you have the power to do so…"

He vanished into mist.

Sean held his head…

He collected the counterfeit cards…

And then he noticed it on Zander's pocket. Another metal square, this one a blue letter A.

He picked up his cell.

"Jason?" he asked. "Scratch one more duelist."

"I hope so," said Jason. "Time is running out."

"Please don't say that," said Sean. "Anyway, I found a blue letter A."

"Really?" said Jason. "Uh, hold on…"

Jason turned to his two friends.

"Silver won," said Trisha, "but no letter."

"Ami did too," said Russell. "But nothing."

Jason sighed.

"Sean, take it easy for half an hour," he said into the phone. "And that may be a cafeteria, but for the love of God, do NOT eat anything you find in there!

"This puzzle is starting to take shape. But we seem to be missing a few pieces…"

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 8:25 PM_

**0**

**0**

**0**

**INVINCIBLE DESTINY (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Destiny Hero Dogma Guy on a dark street being shot at by Cyber Commander and Ancient Gear Soldier, with the bullets bouncing off his chest.

**Card Description:** This card may be Equipped to a Monster with the words "Destiny Hero" in its card name. The Equipped Monster is not affected by Spells, Traps, or Monster effects that destroy Monsters.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ETERNAL DREAD (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Clock Tower Prison with the full moon looming over it, and the letter D on the moon's face.

**Card Description:** This card may be activated when "Clock Tower Prison" is face-up on the field. Place two Clock Counters on "Clock Tower Prison".

_Note: "Eternal Dread" will be released in the Aster Phoenix Duelist Pack. It was used by Aster in the anime._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**DOCTOR-D (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A nutty mad scientist surrounded by beakers of smoking chemicals.

**Card Description:** Remove one Monster with the words "Destiny Hero" in its card name in your Graveyard from play. Then, Special Summon one Monster with the words "Destiny Hero" in its card name from your Graveyard.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**D-FORTUNE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Destiny Hero Diamond Guy fading into shadow.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you are attacked directly. Remove one Monster with the words "Destiny Hero" in its card name in your Graveyard from play. Negate the attack, and end the current Battle Phase.

_Note: "Doctor-D" and "D-Fortune" were used by Aster in a second season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**FIRE SOUL (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A shadowy silhouette of a man in an explosion of flames.

**Card Description:** Your opponent draws one card. Choose one PYRO-Type Monster from your deck and remove it from play. Inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to half the ATK of the removed Monster. Your Monsters may not attack during the round you use this card.

_Note: "Fire Soul" was first used by "Fiery" Austin O'Brien in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". This card will supposedly be released as a real card in a future set, but it has not been 100 confirmed._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**FLAME BARRICADE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Hiita the Fire Charmer chanting and conjuring up a wall of fire.

**Card Description:** Offer one face-up Fire-Attribute Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. During this turn, any Battle Damage and Effect Damage you take from your opponent becomes zero.

**0**

**0**

**0**

_**Double Guy is not the only one with a multiple personality. You might remember that one of the folks that Jason has recruited, Janus Omastus, has lived with a dark personality in him for a long time.**_

_**Most sufferers of Dissociative Identity Disorder can never confront their other personalities. For Janus, that is going to change in a big way. What may be a chance to defeat Omaly forever is coming up next chapter.**_

**_I call it "De-Fusion". Don't miss it._**


	59. De Fusion

_**Not many people know that the kindly and sensitive Janus Omastas and the sadistic, lustful fiend called Omaly are just two sides of the same coin. Russell knows, and I've shared it with a few shrinks too.**_

_**Some say I have Disassociate Identity Disorder. Well, that's a nice way of saying it. I have a very extreme case. I would call it Jekyll and Hyde Disorder if there was really such a thing.**_

_**I suppose Omaly's creation was partially my fault. He said he would solve my problems if I let him out, and I agreed. But I thought the voice was that of an angel. It wasn't. It was a honey-tongued devil, who has caused so many innocent people so much pain.**_

_**The whole reason I became a serious duelist myself, using exalted beings of Light, was to find a way to confront him. Russell tried to banish him, but he's my responsibility. I'm the one who set him loose all those years ago.**_

_**Now I have my chance.**_

_**It's him against me…**_

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT**

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**De-Fusion**

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**0 0 0 0 0**

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 7:50 PM_

As Janus wandered the hallways, one thing was on his mind…

Omaly.

He remembered Omaly's first appearance. He was fourteen, and wouldn't enter Duel Academy for two years. At that point, he played a toolbox Warrior Deck.

He had always been a very effeminate boy, and he was teased and tormented often. One group of three bullies was the worst, a group consisting of one big guy and two toadies. They made the assumption that he was a homosexual, and cruelly harassed him. Time and again, he came home with bruises, with his lunch money stolen.

One night, while wallowing in self pity, he heard a voice that said, _"Let me out… I'll take care of them."_

Janus didn't know what to say. Eventually, he simply said yes. That was all it took.

He later learned that someone best described as a sinister-looking version of himself had obtained a Disk and challenged those bullies using his deck. He said he could beat all of them one after another – if he couldn't, his deck and anything they wanted was theirs. But if he defeated them, they would take one-hundred direct attacks apiece.

They never bothered Janus again.

But it didn't end there. Omaly – as he named himself – started to hunt for lone duelists. Many of them were just as bad as those bullies, but some of them were innocents, and he'd make terrible wagers. It became clear that Omaly was a creation of everything negative inside Janus, parts of him that he had kept hidden and suppressed, too fearful to ever show.

Omaly, it seemed, was a being born from Janus's negative emotions. Anger, greed, and raw lust. Emotions that he didn't want.

The climax came when Omaly cornered a girl his age. He demanded a duel, saying if she won, she was free to go, but if she lost, he could have his way with her. The girl had no choice to agree, and Omaly attacked without mercy, winning easily.

Omaly demanded that the girl remove her clothes before he did for her. The poor girl sobbed and started to comply…

Fortunately, Omaly had let his guard down. Janus broke free at that point, and locked his dark side away. He fled… Beginning a struggle that would last for years.

Janus traded the cards in the Warrior Deck away, building a deck of Fairies. He figured that Omaly would never dare attempt evil with such sanctified beings. Unfortunately, Omaly emerged for short periods, and eventually constructed a deck with darker Fairies, a grim parody of Janus's deck.

Janus knew that the one way to rid him of this curse forever was to challenge him and win…

…but since they both shared the same body, it seemed impossible… A faraway, unreachable goal…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was about ten minutes after Trisha's duel with Patrick, and she was leaning against the wall of the room.

"_Trisha…"_ said a voice.

Trisha paused. She took The Fang of Critias from her side deck.

"Yes?" she whispered.

"_I worry about you,"_ said the voice from the card. _"I realize in that last duel it was either him or you… But your attitude was downright mean._

"_Does no respect towards your own blood still exist? What he did was wrong, for certain, but he was your kin…"_

Trisha paused.

"He started it…" she muttered.

"_Perhaps…"_ said the voice. _"But Trisha, there exists a fine line between hero and antihero that one must be careful not to cross. If you become as merciless as they are, you become no better than they. _

"_I will give you one more chance, Trisha… But if you show any lack of mercy to your next foe, call on me no more…"_

Trisha looked hard at the card.

"Still sore?" asked Jason.

"A little…" she muttered. "But… Oh, I feel so helpless! What if one or more of our friends are losing right now? We can't even help them…"

Jason thought for a minute.

"We can't help them, no…" he said. "But I think I can make it so we can view one of them."

"Really?" asked Russell.

"Shouldn't be too hard…" said Jason.

He thought for a minute.

"Yes… I think we should check in on Janus. Something tells me that he might be in the most trouble right now."

He concentrated, and a vision appeared in front of them. They saw Janus…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Janus didn't know how he had gotten to this place. A soft voice had been calling his name, and had been urging him towards these strange, black doors. He couldn't resist it.

He pushed them open, and entered a frightening room. The walls were painted deep purple, and an altar made of black stone was on the far end of the room, on which was a crystal ball made of black crystal.

His three allies saw him quite clearly.

"Janus, are you nuts?" shouted Trisha. "Don't go near that!"

"He can't hear you," said Jason, taking his cell phone, "but I can ring him before it's too late…"

Janus froze.

"No…" said Jason. "It's already too late…"

"What?" gasped Russell.

"His opponent is coming…" said Jason. "And I know who it is."

And then, the looked in horror, as Janus collapsed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They watched for a minute, and nothing seemed to happen.

"No fair!" shouted Trisha. "Fortunado can't just take him without…"

And then two forms floated out of his body…

One looked just like Janus. The other…

"Omaly…" growled Russell.

The two stared at each other.

"Hello, Janus," said Omaly, with an evil grin. "So glad we could finally meet like this…"

"The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure," said Janus.

Omaly grinned.

"Why do you hate me so much?" he asked, walking towards him. "We're so alike… Two sides, same coin. Do you know where I came from? Do you?"

He walked behind Janus and looked over his shoulder.

"It all started when you were four, and your mother made liver for dinner. You expressed your dislike for it, and your father sternly told you to eat it. You were irked, but you decided to be a good boy and obey your father…

"That small amount of anger that you suppressed planted a seed that became the embryo that would grow into me…

"Over the years, you had so many sinful thoughts. You saw girls and wanted to possess them. You saw things you wanted that weren't yours and wanted to steal them. People made you angry, and you wanted to punch them. But your conscience said no, and your moral side prevailed.

"But all those negative feelings… All the greed, lust, and anger, it didn't disappear… It fueled my growth. And eventually, I matured. All I needed to do was trick you into giving me permission to come out… Those three bullies were the chance I had."

"I thought you were a guardian angel…" muttered Janus. "You were anything but…"

The two looked at each other.

"You led me to this room, didn't you?" he asked.

"Of course," said Omaly. "It's a special room created by the Master of this building, someone who I wish to serve. It was created just for us…

"For only in this room can we meet face-to-face."

Janus looked and saw his body lying on the ground.

"Don't worry," said Omaly. "You aren't dead. The body we share is simply in temporal stasis. If you ever go back to it, as if, you'll recover as if you had a great night's sleep. Now, I want to make you an offer, Janus. It's in your best interests to hear me out."

"That seems unlikely," muttered Janus.

"Listen closely, Janus," said Omaly. "I don't like you, and you don't like me. That's a given. However, I'm sick of fighting you in order to gain control for only a few hours at a time. I thought I could bury you and gain complete control, but you were just too resilient. I thought you were a pansy wimp, but who would have guessed you were actually quite tough?"

"Sorry to disappoint," said Janus.

"But I know you don't like what I've done with your body either," said Omaly. "So I'm going to give you the chance you've wanted for so long.

"We're both duelists, so now that we can confront each other, I'll duel you if you desire…"

He pointed to the sinister crystal ball.

"…the loser will be sealed in that, and the winner will have total control of our body. He'll be completely free of the other, permanently!"

"Suppose I say no?" asked Janus.

Omaly shrugged.

"Then we both go back to our body," he said, "and we continue struggling for dominance for the rest of our days. Do you truly want that?

"I warn you Janus, this room is the only place anywhere where we can confront each other. You'll never have another chance. Ever!"

"And just how do you intend to duel me?" asked Janus. "I sold and traded all the cards in your deck after Russell gave it to me."

Omaly smiled.

"I was thinking up the composition for a new one while I was locked up," he replied, "and it will be a simple matter for the Master to supply me with the cards. No Seal, I promise – I'd love to use one on you, for sure, but the Master has to save the ones she has left."

"Janus would be crazy to accept such a wager!" shouted Russell. "He doesn't even know what he's up against! He…"

"I accept!" exclaimed Janus. "I'll do anything to be rid of you for good."

Omaly smiled.

In flashes of light, Duel Disks appeared on their arms.

"_Omaly, listen to me,"_ said the Master's voice in his head. _"Prove yourself by destroying your good side, and I will give you what I promised you. _

"_And the new deck has been arranged to your specifications. You will find it sufficient."_

"Yes, your excellence," he whispered. "Trust me, I am far better than this pansy Fairy Duelist…"

"I hope you're prepared, Janus," he said out loud. "Tonight, I send you to the darkness!"

**(Janus: 8,000) -------------------- (Omaly: 8,000)**

"Can Janus do this?" asked Trisha.

"We can only hope," said Jason. "Because if he can't, not only do we lose one of member of our forces, but our enemy adds a member to his.

"And it might be harder than it seems. Dueling an enemy is tough enough, but can a duelist actually outduel _himself_?"

"The first move is yours," said Omaly, with a sinister grin.

Janus drew his first card, and considered his hand.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown defensive Monster appeared.

"Go ahead…" he said.

"That's all?" asked Omaly, drawing. "I expected a more spectacular beginning.

"I do hope you can handle me with more courage than did that girl you tried to ask to last year's Octoberfest dance…"

"You're a riot, Omaly," said Janus. "You think you're so clever because you know all my dirty little secrets. You think that will give you an advantage here, right?

"Well guess what? I know all of _your_ secrets too. I wasn't blinded every time you escaped. I was paying _very_ close attention every time I struggled to take back control!

"You talk about me not having courage around girls? I remember one time you bothered the wrong girl, and she turned out to be a tenth degree black belt in Karate. To make it worse, I'm the one who had to explain why I had two black eyes after that was over."

"Your too smart for your own good, Janus…" growled Omaly. "But anyway, I'll start by playing Graceful Charity…"

He played the card, and drew three times.

He looked over the cards, and then discarded Lesser Fiend and Chthonian Polymer.

"Then I'll place a Monster in Defense Mode as well…"

He set a card, and a facedown Monster appeared on his side.

"And I'll also place a card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"Your move…"

_Summon whatever you like,_ he thought. _My Bottomless Trap Hole will annihilate it._

Janus drew a card.

"I summon Royal Knight in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and in a beam of light, a beautiful male form appeared in front of him. It was an angelic figure in metallic armor with metal wings, holding a sword. (1,300/800)

Omaly was about to trigger his Trap…

But then…

_What the?_ he thought. _Damn… Bottomless Trap Hole only works on Monsters with at least 1,500 Attack Points! He summoned a weakling…_

"Since when was _that_ in your deck?" he asked.

"I've given my deck a major overhaul," said Janus. "The money I got from selling your cards helped a great deal, by the way. Now I'm using Fairies of a different variety. I guess you weren't able to watch after you lost that duel to Russell."

Omaly frowned. That was true, actually. He had been locked up in chains for a while due to losing the wager, and he would still be there if the Master hadn't helped him.

"In the Higher Planes," said Janus, "the Royal Knights are the soldiers of the celestial armies. But don't call them grunts… There, everyone has value. Not something you'd know about.

"Attack his facedown Monster! Royal slash!"

Royal Knight spread his wings and flew forward towards the card. A fiendish-looking treasure chest appeared on the card, and he cleaved it in half.

"You just flipped my Dark Mimic LV 1," said Omaly. "That means I get to draw one card…"

He drew. He looked at the Trap Card.

"Royal Knight has a special ability as well," replied Janus. "When he destroys an enemy Monster, that Monster's Defense Score is added to my Life Points. So they increase by 1,000."

**(J: 9,000) -------------------- (O: 8,000)**

"You'll need them," said Omaly, drawing again.

He looked at the very strange Spell Card.

"I'll place another Monster in Defense Mode," he said. "And that will be all…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

Janus drew again.

"First, I'll flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode," he said. "I reveal the Divine Messenger… Majestic Mech – Senku."

The card flipped, and a new Fairy appeared. He looked similar to Royal Knight, but lankier, and had no sword. (1,000/500)

Omaly growled. Not only was this one also too weak for Bottomless Trap Hole to work on, but it was another Monster that was strange to him. Not to mention weird.

"Royal Knight, attack his facedown Monster."

Once again, Royal Knight flew forward. Sangan appeared on the card, and the Fairy cleaved it in half.

"And once again, the Defense of that Monster is added to my Life Points…" said Janus.

"I still get to enact Sangan's effect," said Omaly, looking through his deck.

He found the Monster he needed, and added it to his hand.

"Well I'm not done," said Janus. "Senku, attack Omaly directly! Bright arrow!"

Senku's hands glowed, and he shot an orb of light at Omaly. He cringed a little…

"Heh…" chuckled Omaly. "I can tell you've wanted to do that for a long time, huh?"

"Yes," said Janus. "And it helps me too, because when Senku attacks directly, I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

**(J: 9,600) -------------------- (O: 7,000)**

"Of course, there is a little catch," he continued. "Senku goes to the Graveyard at the end of the turn in which he's summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned. But before that happens…"

He switched cards on his Disk.

"I'll sacrifice him, to summon an ally of his… the Divine Protector, Majestic Mech – Ohka."

Senku vanished, and a new creature appeared. This one looked like some sort of celestial lion, with metallic skin, feathered wings, and a mane of fiery hair. (2,400/1,400)

"I activate Bottomless Trap Hole!" shouted Omaly with a grin, as his facedown card lifted.

"I think not…" said Janus.

He threw two of the cards in his hand into his discard slot, and the Trap Card shattered in an explosion of light.

"WHAT?" shouted Omaly. "HOW? There were no Counter Traps on the field!"

"No, but I had a special Monster called Herald of Purple Light in my hand," said Janus. "By discarding this helpful cherubim and one other Fairy, I can negate and destroy any Trap."

Omaly scowled again.

"I'll place one card facedown, and that will end my turn," said Janus.

A facedown card appeared.

"He's not doing too bad," said Russell. "This might actually work out pretty well."

"We can only hope…" said Trisha.

Omaly made his draw.

"I summon the dreaded Opticlops in Attack Mode," he exclaimed.

He played the card, and a muscular ogre with one eye and a horn on his forehead materialized. (1,800/1,700)

"This is too weird…" said Russell. "A guy with a multiple personality, his two personalities dueling each other… The good side using Fairies, the evil side using Fiends… How symbolic can you get?"

"Attack his Royal Knight!" shouted Omaly. "Horn ram!"

Opticlops snorted, and charged, horn first. Royal Knight was thrown backwards from the blow, and broke into crystalline shards.

"Next, I'll place two cards facedown, and turn it over to my better half," he said. "By that, I mean you, of course."

Two facedown cards appeared.

**(J: 9,100) -------------------- (O: 7,000)**

Janus looked at the field as he drew a card.

"I play Pot of Charity," he said, "removing Herald of Purple Light from play to do so."

He played the card. The peaceful ceramic vase appeared on the field, and Herald of Purple Light was drawn into it. He drew three cards.

"I know those two facedown cards are deadly, Omaly," he continued. "So no attack this round. I'll simply summon Dunames Dark Witch in Attack Mode…"

He played the card, and a pretty female Fairy in a red dress and metallic wings appeared. (1,800/1,050)

"And now…" he said, opening his Field Slot, "I play The Sanctuary in the Sky!"

He played the card, and the dark temple gave way to a blinding light. The majestic clouds and ancient buildings of the divine Sanctuary appeared around them. The smell of sweet saffron filled the air.

"Good!" exclaimed Trisha. "Now Omaly can't hurt him by attacking his Fairies."

"I hate this place…" muttered Omaly.

"Why?" asked Janus. "This is the closest you'll ever get to going to Heaven."

"Hardy, har, har," said Omaly, drawing a card. "I'm going to miss that wit when this is over. I play my Pot of Greed…"

He played the card, and drew twice. He looked them over.

"Opticlops, attack Majestic Mech – Ohka!"

The Fiend's eye glowed…

"Has he gone mad, you ask?" asked Omaly. "No… I reveal my Trap Card, Bark of Dark Ruler…"

His Trap Card lifted, and the intimidating form of Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared behind him and let out an evil laugh.

"Now, I simply have to pay 700 Life Points, and Opticlops becomes stronger than your Fairy feline."

Opticlops rose to an Attack of 2,500, and he charged into Ohka, blowing him to shards.

**(J: 9,100) -------------------- (O: 6,300)**

"Nice," said Janus, "but thanks to my Field Spell, I don't lose any Life Points."

"I _know_ that," said Omaly. "Continuing my turn… I now summon the Witty Phantom…"

He played the card, and a tall Fiend in a purple tuxedo and derby hat with orange skin and pointed ears appeared. (1,400/1,300)

"Witty Phantom?" asked Janus. "Why would you have that old thing in your deck?"

"Eh, I gotta agree with Janus here," said Trisha. "That sort of card just doesn't cut it in today's meta…"

"You ever hear the saying that no card is worthless?" asked Omaly. "True, he isn't much of a card. Still, the world of Fiends may be an evil system, but it's an orderly one, where each individual plays a vital role. Witty Phantom may just be a rank-and-file paper pusher, but without such folks, the system wouldn't work.

"And by the way, he won't be staying for long…

"I play the Spell Card, Stygian Compact."

He revealed a Spell Card.

"Stygian Compact?" said Janus, in surprise. "What does that do?"

An ominous image of a hooded, cloaked, ferryman on a skiff appeared behind Omaly…

"To play this card, I have to sacrifice one Fiend," explained Omaly, "so farewell, my Witty Phantom…"

Witty Phantom vanished.

"…and in return, I get to search my deck for any card with the words 'Dark Ruler' in its name…"

He looked through his deck and got what he wanted.

"And that includes the Dark Ruler himself…" he said, showing Janus the card.

"Dark Ruler Ha Des?" gulped Russell.

"Of course…" said Omaly, adding it to his hand, "I've already summoned this turn, so I'll just have to save this card and savor my next turn, when he makes his grand appearance. It's your move…"

The fiendish ferryman vanished.

Janus frowned as he drew.

"Look familiar?" he asked, showing him the card. "You're far from the only one who can use Pot of Greed…"

He played the card, and drew twice.

"Sorry, Omaly," he said, "but there's no way I'm letting you summon a Monster that dangerous!

"I play Celestial Transformation. This Spell Card lets me Special Summon a Fairy from my hand, so long as I cut its Attack Score in half. So let's bring out Absorbing Kid From The Sky."

He played the card, and beams of light shone from above. A young, pudgy kid with wings appeared in front of him. (1,300/1,000) –) (650/1,000)

"And now, you've seen two of the Majestic Mechs… Now I sacrifice my Absorbing Kid From the Sky to call forth a much greater power…"

The Kid vanished, and thunder rolled…

"I summon the Divine Destroyer, the mightiest of the Majestic Mechs… Goryu!"

Lightning flashed over the Sanctuary, and a huge form appeared out of the ether. It was a metallic, golden serpent-dragon, with wings and stern-looking face. It let out a bellowing roar! (2,900/1,800)

Omaly drew back in surprise.

"I know…" said Janus. "You're wondering how I summoned an eight-star Monster with only one sacrifice. Well, Goryu can be summoned with one sacrifice, although if I do that, he goes to the Graveyard at the end of my turn.

"Not that it matters much. Goryu, annihilate Opticlops with Radiant Eruption!"

Thunder crashed from what seemed to be all of creation, and Opticlops screamed as he was struck by it. The Fiend was reduced to ashes!

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Omaly. "Call of the Haunted!"

His facedown card lifted, and Opticlops appeared again, still a little dizzy. (1,800/1,700)

"So what are you gonna do now?" asked Omaly.

Janus gritted his teeth and looked at Dunames Dark Witch…

"I'm sorry…" he muttered. "Dunames Dark Witch, attack the Opticlops!"

Dunames Dark Witch flew at the Fiend, and made a flying tackle! There was a great explosion at the point of impact!

"Good lord!" shouted Russell. "It was a draw!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh..." chuckled Omaly. "Not bad… A desperate attempt, but a worthy one…"

**(J: 9,100) -------------------- (O: 5,200)**

"To finish my turn…" said Janus, taking another card from his hand, "I'll play Soul Release, removing from play five of the Fairies in my Graveyard."

"Why the heck would you do that?" asked Omaly. "If you were smart, you would have removed the Monsters in _my_ Graveyard so I couldn't use them again."

"I have my reasons," said Janus, taking the cards out of his discard slot. "My turn ends, meaning Goryu goes to the Graveyard."

With a rumble, Goryu sank into the cloudy surface of The Sanctuary in the Sky.

"Attack me if you want… I can take it. Lord knows I've been taking it from you for years."

Janus looked at his facedown card. Then he looked at the two remaining cards in his hand, one of which was Monster Reborn.

_I had hoped to keep both of them,_ he thought, _but at least I can bring back Goryu next round._

"All right, Janus…" said Omaly. "I draw!"

He drew a card.

"And all your attempts to stop me were for naught. I not only can summon Ha Des, but _another_ powerful Fiend."

"First, I'll play Fiend's Sanctuary…"

He played the card, and an ominous pentagram appeared on the cloudy surface. A Metal Fiend Token appeared. (0/0)

"Now I'll sacrifice it," he continued, "to summon the one and only…"

"Dark Ruler Ha Des…" muttered Janus.

A dark shadow appeared over Omaly, and the dreaded ruler of Fiends appeared, dressed in his formal robes and clutching a wine glass full of smoking liquid. (2,450/1,600)

"This is bad…" said Russell.

"Next, I play Monster Reborn," said Omaly, "to bring back someone who I discarded with Graceful Charity. You made a big mistake not using Soul Release on my Graveyard. Meet Lesser Fiend."

He played the card, and a hideous creature with four arms, garbed in a kilt appeared. (2,100/1,000)

"And I'll just keep going…" said Omaly, playing a Spell Card, "by playing… Metamorphosis. Now I can swap my Lesser Fiend, for a Monster from my Fusion Deck who has the same number of stars…"

Lesser Fiend vanished.

"And since it has five, you can probably guess who I'm summoning. Say hello to Dark Balter the Terrible."

A hulking Fiend appeared next to Ha Des. He was dressed in golden armor with a breastplate shaped like a bestial face, with a flowing cape, had an evil-looking face, wicked claws, and flowing, tangled hair. (2,000/1,200)

"Ooh, that's just as bad…" muttered Jason.

"Really?" asked Trisha. "He's got 100 less Attack Points than Lesser Fiend."

"Don't underestimate that guy," said Jason. "There are two reasons that Metamorphosis is a Limited card, and that guy is one of them."

"Well…" chuckled Omaly. "Two powerful Monsters on my side… None on yours… I think we both know what comes next, Janus…

"Dark Balter, show him why they call you terrible! Attack him directly!

"I've been waiting a long time for this…"

Dark Balter flew forward, and slashed at Janus with his nasty claws. Janus hollered and stumbled backwards.

"And now my Dark Ruler…" continued Omaly.

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Janus. "Go, Miraculous Descent!"

His Trap lifted, showing the image of a many-armed seraphim glowing with radiance.

"This lets me Special Summon one of my Fairies that has been removed from play," explained Janus. "So I'll bring back my Absorbing Kid From The Sky in Defense Mode!"

In another beam of light, Absorbing Kid From The Sky appeared, crouching in defense. (1,300/1,000)

"Now your Dark Ruler will have to attack him instead of me…" he said, with his eyebrows narrowing.

Omaly paused.

"So be it…" he said.

Dark Ruler Ha Des fired a beam of black energy, blasting apart the Fairy.

"Thanks for taking the blow…" muttered Janus. "I will get your revenge…"

"That was smart…" said Russell. "He let Balter's attack go through, saving his Trap to block the attack of the stronger Monster."

"Yeah…" said Jason. "But now Omaly has two powerful Fiends with nasty effects to deal with. Janus had better draw a good card right now…"

**(J: 7,100) -------------------- (O: 5,200)**

"Draw your card…" said Omaly. "It might well be your last."

Janus drew. He looked at the card. Then he looked at the other two cards in his hand.

"I play my own Monster Reborn…" he said, playing the card.

"Janus, no!" shouted Russell. "It won't work!"

"He can't hear you, Russell…" moaned Jason.

"Are you unaware of Dark Balter's effect?" asked Omaly.

Balter waved his hand, and the Spell Card shattered.

"When he's on the field, I can keep you from playing a Normal Spell Card if I don't want you to, and I certainly don't want you to. It may cost me 1,000 Life Points, but it's better than letting you bring that gigantic… thing back."

Janus bowed his head.

He fit another card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared. He waved his hand.

"People, he may stand a chance!" said Jason. "That facedown card is the Card of Virtue I gave him!"

"You can tell?" asked Trisha.

"Yes…" said Jason. "I can sense the divine energy coming from it. But I know how that particular card functions. It will only work if Omaly summons a third Monster, and he's as impulsive as we think. We can only hope…"

He paused.

"He _wanted_ Omaly to counter that Spell Card…" he said. "He did it so Omaly would be forced to spend Life Points…"

**(J: 7,100) -------------------- (O: 4,200)**

Omaly drew a card.

"Well Janus…" he said. "I hardly need this now, but this Sanctuary of yours is giving me a headache. So I'm going to yank you out of the heights of Heaven and drag you straight into the depths of Hell! Let me treat you…"

He opened his Field Slot.

"…to the last Field Spell you'll ever see! I play Domicile of the Dark Ruler!"

He played the card, and The Sanctuary in the Sky faded away, and was replaced by a grim, blasted wasteland with a grey sky. Twisted trees sprang up, and a terrible palace made of bones rose up behind Omaly. Flaming pits erupted in the ground. The smell of saffron was replaced by the unpleasant smell of brimstone.

"Much better…" he said. "Nothing like the smell of fire and ash to get my blood flowing…"

"What's the point?" asked Janus.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Omaly. "This Field can't exist if Ha Des isn't present. But so long as it stands, Fiends cannot be destroyed in battle. My forces can't be defeated…

"And now I summon another. I summon The Bistro Butcher in Attack Mode."

With a cackle, a new Fiend appeared. It was a tall demon with purple skin and pointed ears in a chef's outfit, with a hook for his right hand, holding a cleaver in his other. (1,800/1,000)

…_Temperance…_

"All right, decision time!" shouted Janus. "I activate my Trap Card, Harsh Reality!"

"Harsh Reality?" asked Omaly, surprised.

The Trap Card showed a grim picture of a pious knight looking over a war-torn battlefield, with points of light breaking through an overcast sky.

"Here's how it works, Omaly," exclaimed Janus. "I can only activate this when I have no Monsters on my side of the field, and you have three or more. You now have to decide whether to enter your Battle Phase or not.

"Choose to skip your Battle Phase, in which case you can't attack me, and I lose 2,000 Life Points.

"Choose to enter it, in which case you can attack me, and I get to draw from my deck until I have six cards."

Omaly looked at him oddly.

"Choose wisely, Omaly…" said Janus. "Like the name of the card suggests, reality is harsh when you look at it, and the outcome of things might not fall in your favor… After all, I had to accept it when you were created. Did I deserve to be saddled with you?

"I mean, as much as I compare us to Jekyll and Hyde, we're nothing like them. Mr. Hyde's creation was completely Dr. Jekyll's fault. He's the one who, of his own free will, invented the formula who created his evil self in an attempt to purge the evil from himself. Me… I did nothing but say yes when you knocked on the door, pretending you wanted to help.

"So think before you choose."

Omaly glared at him angrily. Then he did a quick count.

_If I attacked him with all three of my Monsters,_ he thought, _I'd bring his Life Points down to… let's see… carry the one… 850. I'd be way in the lead… But maybe letting him have that many cards would be dangerous…_

"Omaly's having a hard time deciding…" said Trisha.

"Harsh Reality is a Temperance card," said Jason. "You can't act on base impulse with such decisions.

"He no doubt also realizes that one of his Monsters is The Bistro Butcher. That Monster's effect would let Janus draw two additional cards, giving him a total of eight. An incredibly dangerous situation."

"Well, Omaly…" asked Janus. "What's it gonna be?"

A look of shock came over Omaly's face.

_Wait…_ he thought. _He wants me to hold off on attacking because that last card in his hand is something that he needs to spend Life Points to use!_

_Premature Burial? I'll bet it's Premature Burial! Balter can't counter Equip Spells! I can't risk dealing with Goryu again! If I attack, he'll be more reluctant to spend 800 Life Points!_

"Fine!" he shouted. "I choose to attack! Draw your cards! It's worth it to pound you black and blue!"

Janus quickly drew five cards.

"Dark Balter, attack him again!" shouted Omaly.

Janus cringed as the Fiend clawed him a second time.

"Ha Des, Stygian blast!"

The Dark Ruler blasted a wave of dark fire, and Janus screamed.

"Bistro Butcher, cleaver heaver!"

The fiendish chef flew forward, and stabbed at Janus with his blade, and he fell over.

"Now I get… to draw… two more cards…" muttered Janus, drawing two.

**(J: 850) -------------------- (O: 5,200)**

"Take ten," dared Omaly. "I don't care! Your move, you goody-goody… Still think your seraphims and cherubims can save you? Even if you managed to summon Guardian Angel Joan now, she couldn't destroy my Fiends, and I would destroy her in short order."

"Joan isn't… in this… deck…" muttered Omaly, looking at the eight cards in his hand.

He coughed for a minute and took some deep breaths. Then he drew a ninth card and looked at it.

He fit three cards into his Disk and three facedown cards appeared.

"Three cards facedown…" he muttered.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"And one Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode…"

In a flash of light, the adorable, furry Fairy with wings appeared. (300/200)

"Your move…" he muttered.

"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled Omaly. "Winged Kuriboh and facedown cards… Wonder what they are…"

He drew a card.

He frowned. It was The Puppet Magic of Dark Ruler.

"I suppose, one of them is Transcendent Wings. So I were to attack that pathetic fuzzball, you'd trigger it, discard two of your cards, and turn it into a _not_-so-pathetic fuzzball who'd destroy all my Monsters and cost me the duel.

"Or maybe not… Maybe that's what you want me to believe. Maybe those three cards are nothing more than big bluffs…"

Janus crossed his arms.

"Well if that's truly what you believe…" he said. "Then by all means, attack."

"Well…" said Trisha. "If Omaly attacks, at least there's Winged Kuriboh's effect… Janus will survive one more turn…"

"No he won't," replied Jason. "With Ha Des on the field, Winged Kuriboh's effect will be negated. If Janus isn't bluffing, it's all over…"

"Janus…" moaned Trisha.

Omaly stared at Winged Kuriboh.

He raised his hand.

Then he paused.

_What if he's not bluffing?_ he thought. _If I attacked, I'd lose…_

He looked at his deck.

_I have other cards in my deck that can destroy that Kuriboh… And so long as this Field Spell stands, his attacks can't defeat my Fiends. I can play it safe for now…_

"No attack this round, Janus," he said. "But I'll get rid of that winged rat soon enough…"

"Don't insult my Monsters…" said Janus, with a frown.

He drew a card.

"I summon Bountiful Artemis in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and in a shimmering light, a new Fairy appeared. It was a female figure with no face, an inverted cone in place of legs, and metallic wings growing from her shoulders. She wore a flowing purple cape. She radiated mysterious silence. (1,600/1,700)

"Uhm… That's … weird…" muttered Omaly.

"Your move…" said Janus.

Omaly drew.

Soul Demolition.

"Ergh, I'll pass again…" he said with a scowl.

Janus drew again.

"I'll summon Layard the Liberator in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and another weird Fairy appeared. This one was also metallic, with six arms, wings, and no legs, with energy coming out of the spot where legs would normally be. (1,400/1,500)

"I end my turn," he said.

_Grr…_ thought Omaly. _Dark Ruler Ha Des is dark. He's a ruler… He rules over Fiends. He's a sensible and perfectly understandable Monster! At least with him, you know what you're dealing with. But these weirdo Fairies are downright creepy!_

He drew a card.

"I play… Reload," he exclaimed, playing a card.

"Now, I return my two cards to my deck, reshuffle, and draw two new cards…"

He shuffled and then drew twice.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled. "And this duel is over, Janus… At long last, I'll be my own person…

"I play Brain Control!"

He played the card, and the hideous brain appeared above him...

"Come to me, Winged Kuriboh!" he shouted.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do, Omaly…" said Janus. "You've just doomed yourself…"

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"I activate Solemn Judgment!"

Thunder flashed, and an old man in a white robe with a beard holding a cudgel appeared, followed by two beautiful muses.

"It costs me half my Life Points," said Janus, "but it destroys your Brain Control!"

The fiendish brain shattered.

"Big deal…" said Omaly.

"It is a big deal!" said Janus, pointing. "I was waiting for you to play a card so I could activate this Trap… And since you gave me two free turns, you're gonna pay!

"You see, since Solemn Judgment happens to be a Counter Trap, you've activated the effects of three of my Fairies, two of which are in the field, and one of which is in my hand…

"First, Bountiful Artemis lets me draw one card…"

Artemis glowed, and he drew once.

"Second, Layard the Liberator lets me take two of my Fairies that have been removed from play, and add them to my hand…"

Layard glowed, and two cards appeared in Janus's hand.

"I choose Dunames Dark Witch and Majestic Mech – Ohka.

"And finally, all because of this Counter Trap, I can sacrifice all of the Monsters on my side of the field to Special Summon the true master of my deck from my hand… Begone!"

Winged Kuriboh, Bountiful Artemis, and Layard the Liberator vanished into orbs of light.

"I summon… Voltanis the Adjudicator!"

In a blinding flash, an intimidating creature appeared on Janus's side of the field. He was tall and regal, dressed in violet, gem-encrusted robes that seemed to be both cloth and metal at the same time. He had no face, aside from a lavender gem where his eyes would be, and had huge wings that seemed to float behind him rather than attach to his back. He held a jeweled scepter. (2,800/1,400)

"And when Voltanis is summoned in this way," continued Janus, "he destroys one card for each Fairy I used as a sacrifice.

"It's time judgment was truly passed…"

Voltanis raised his scepter, and lightning flashed, striking Dark Ruler Ha Des, Dark Balter the Terrible, and The Bistro Butcher! They hollered, and were blown to atoms!

Omaly drew back in fear, as the palace behind him crumbled into rubble and the wasteland around them shattered into dust.

"Oh right…" said Janus. "That Field Card can't exist if the Dark Ruler isn't on the field, huh?"

"Wow…" said Trisha. "What a Monster…"

Omaly looked at the last card in his hand.

Nightmare Wheel.

He fit it into his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"Make… your… move…" he muttered.

His finger edged towards his Disk…

**(J: 425) -------------------- (O: 3,400)**

Janus drew a card.

"I activate Nightmare Wheel!" shouted Omaly.

The hideous torture device appeared, and grabbed hold of Voltanis!

"Did you really think I'd let you defeat me, Janus?" he mocked. "I've been the superior one since I first emerged, and I won't let a waste like you do away with me!

"Now your precious Monster is helpless, and as soon as I start my turn, you'll lose 500 Life Points, which is more than you have!"

Janus closed his eyes.

"I might pity you, Omaly…" he said. "But you know something? You were created out of my dark side, my negative emotions, my hatred… The part of me I wasn't willing to show. All humans have both good and evil in them, and you were a product of the evil in me…

"I can't feel pity for you… Because you have no redeemable features. There was never any good in you… You were born evil. And I'm going to throw you away like the garbage you are."

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Majestic Mech – Ohka in Attack Mode."

Once again, the bestial-looking but beautiful Fairy appeared, and roared loudly. (2,400/1,400)

"WHAT?" screamed Omaly. "You sacrificed a Monster to summon that thing last time!"

"So I did…" said Janus. "But I didn't really have to. Ohka's effect is similar to Goryu's. He can be summoned with no sacrifice, so long as he goes to the Graveyard at the end of my turn.

"Attack him directly! Righteous Flame!"

Ohka blasted a burst of divine fire from his jaws, striking Omaly and sending him staggering backwards.

"You've still lost…" he gasped. "I still have a thousand Life Points left! And you can't summon any more Monsters. I'm not finished yet…"

One of Janus's remaining facedown cards lifted.

"Now you are," he said. "I activate Solar Ray. This Trap inflicts 600 points of damage to your Life Points for each Light Attribute Monster on my side of the field. And despite the Nightmare Wheel, Voltanis still counts."

A burning beam of light shot from the card, and Omaly screamed.

He fell down on his knees.

**(J: 425) -------------------- (O: 0)**

Omaly felt dizzy. His head was swimming.

He looked for his enemy, but he wasn't there…

Then he saw the prone body that he left – and had forced Janus out of – get up.

Janus walked over to him. He slunk back in fear.

"You lose…" he said. "After all these years, I finally was given the chance, and I finally beat you. Seems I was the superior one all along."

Omaly started to fade away…

"Begone…" said Janus.

In the next second he was gone.

Janus held his head.

It was strange. His head had never felt clearer. It was if a weight had been lifted off of it that had been there for years.

It was hard to believe it, but Omaly _was_ gone…

Then he noticed something at his feet where his foe had fallen.

As he picked it up, his cell phone rang.

"Hello?" he said, answering it. "Oh, Russell, hi…"

"Congratulations, Janus," said Russell. "We saw the whole thing. That must have been hard."

"Oh, I never felt better!" said Janus. "Bring on the next one! I can take him!

"Oh, by the way, I found something… a blue letter B."

"You don't say…" said Russell. "Okay, get out of that creepy temple. There might be other dangerous stuff in there, after all.

"And it was a good thing he fell for your bluff, by the way."

"Bluff?" asked Janus with a laugh. "You actually think I was bluffing? I had a third facedown card, remember?"

"You mean…" asked Russell.

"The Winged Kuriboh wasn't a bluff…" said Janus with a smile. "That setup had two plans to defeat him. He made a big mistake giving me so many cards.

"But hey, I knew he would choose to attack. If given a choice between hurting someone or doing nothing, Omaly would hurt him, no matter what benefit it gave the guy. But I should have known he wouldn't attack Winged Kuriboh. He hated being hurt back."

"Brilliant," said Russell. "Catch you later."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Karen stood firm as a Sword Hunter charged towards Elemental Mistress Doriado…

Her first facedown card lifted, and Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan blasted the Warrior to pieces.

She smiled. She drew a card.

She ordered a direct attack with Doriado. Finally, she activated her other Trap, Spiritual Fire Art – Kurenai. Doriado erupted into flames and flew into her opponent, knocking him over as his Life Points fell to zero.

Karen wiped her brow and went over to search her opponent.

After about a minute, she frowned, and picked up her cell phone.

"Jason?" she said. "I beat this guy, but he wasn't carrying anything. Sorry."

"Okay…" said Jason. "Take a break then."

He turned to Russell and Trisha.

"It's all up to Sersei, guys," he said. "I have a feeling she has to find one last duelist and find the last piece of the puzzle.

"Cause I have no idea what it is…"

_Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 8:30 PM_

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**STYGIAN COMPACT (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Dark Ruler Ha Des standing on the banks of a foul-looking river. A fiendish-looking ferryman approaches him.

**Card Description: **Offer one FIEND-Type Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. Search your deck for one card with the words "Dark Ruler" in its name and add it to your hand.

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**DOMICILE OF THE DARK RULER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Field  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A hideous palace of bones standing on a dark wasteland.

**Card Description:** This card is destroyed if there is no "Dark Ruler Ha Des" on the controller's side of the field. FIEND-Type Monsters on both sides of the field cannot be destroyed as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies).

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**HARSH REALITY (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Virtue:** Temperance

**Image:** A pious knight looking over a war-torn battlefield, with points of light breaking through an overcast sky.

**Card Description:** You may only activate this card during your opponent's Standby Phase or first Main Phase. You may only activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field, and your opponent has three or more. Your opponent then decides whether or not he will enter or skip his Battle Phase. If he chooses to skip his Battle Phase, inflict 2,000 points of damage to your Life Points. If he chooses to enter his Battle Phase, draw cards from your deck until your hand consists of six cards.

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_**First of all, I'd like to thank Mystic Clown for the contribution of the user character in this chapter. **_

_**I'd also like to warn everyone, and say that Omaly's defeat may not have been final. MC has hinted that he may want to write a spin-off where Janus and his other personality are the main characters. Whether he does or not is up to him, so once this fic is over, I will transfer the character to his hands**_

_**Coming up next:**_

**_Sersei finds an opponent, and she may be outmatched, because while this duelist knows little of Winged Beasts, he knows plenty about Wind Monsters. It's a trip to the mystic land of the Arabian Nights, in a chapter called "Judgment of the Desert", coming soon._**


	60. Judgment of the Desert

I'd like to make a statement before I post this next chapter.

This chapter debuts a new tribe of Monsters created by a friend of mine that were created in the tradition of the classic _Arabian Nights_. There is, however, the fear that someone might take this the wrong way.

Neither my friend or I mean any offense to Islam or Middle Eastern culture. I am Roman Catholic myself, but many of my friends are Muslim. I support equality above else, and would never think of writing anything intentionally offensive.

Some people forget that the Middle East was a pleasant place before the turmoil of modern times. Stories like _Arabian Nights_, tales like those of Aladdin and Ali Baba, are reminders of the wonders that the East used to represent.

If anything, these fanfic cards were created in hopes that someday, the hatred will end. Unlike the Cards of Sin and Cards of Virtue, I _encourage_ that these cards be used in other fanfics.

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_**When I heard that Russell was a part of planning this whole assault on the enemy HQ, I had to be a part of it. He wasn't going to leave Sersei Rhineheart out, not after what I had done to help so far!**_

_**And now I'm in it deep.**_

_**I always thought that the best Wind Monsters in the business were the Harpies that live in my deck. But now I've met a duelist who claims to use other Wind Monsters, and he claims that they're better. He has challenged me to a Shadow Game – not my first – in which everything goes.**_

_**My response?**_

_**Bring it on.**_

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE**

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**Judgment of the Desert**

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_Tuesday, November 10th, 8:25 PM_

As Sersei wandered about the twenty-fifth floor (only ten floors below Fortunado's penthouse, although she didn't know it), her cell phone rang.

"Talk to me," she said, answering it.

"Sersei?" said Russell's voice. "I hate to rush you, but we need you to find the last duelist fast. We think there may be only one more piece of the puzzle, and we only have three and a half more hours left."

"Okay…" said Sersei, opening a door. "I'll see what I can do…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was now only about five minutes after the duel between Janus and Omaly had ended.

"I'm nervous about her…" muttered Russell.

"Russell, if it makes you feel better, we can try to watch her just like we watched Janus," said Jason. "But we have to be careful. My power isn't unlimited."

He concentrated.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sersei looked around, and saw that she was in a sort of library.

"Tired of playing cat and mouse, people," she said. "Come out, come out wherever you are. Olly, olly, oxen free…"

"Such impatience…" said a voice with a strange accent.

She looked, and saw someone on an armchair, reading a book.

"Greetings, Ms. Rhineheart," he said, without getting up.

There was a brief pause. Sersei noticed that the title he was reading was _The Bridge on the River Kwai._

"Interesting…" she said. "I don't have much patience for books that long, but I did rent the movie once…"

"Mmm, I don't get out to movies much," said the man. "Not my thing…"

He put the book down, and got up. He seemed to be a man who was about thirty, dressed in a black business suit, wearing sunglasses and deeply tanned skin. He also wore a white headdress of some type – Sersei guessed it was the type worn in Saudi Arabia.

He wore a luxury model Duel Disk on his left arm. Sersei winced. Those cost more than her first year tuition…

_Lovely…_ she thought. _His deck is likely the dreaded "spoiled brat's deck" – no theme other than the most expensive cards available… Classic Cookie Cutter…_

"Greetings," he said. "I am Musafa Faruk Bin Baden the Third. I am…"

"I know who you are…" said Sersei. "You think that just because I'm a teenager I don't watch the news?"

She looked at him.

"Up until two years ago, you were the senior vice president of some big Saudi oil firm. Then your company got into trouble, when its competitors became the victims of corporate sabotage, and evidence was found fingering you."

Musafa frowned.

"The CEO publicly declared that you had acted alone, and he fired you for doing so. A hearing was held, but charges were dropped for lack of evidence – or maybe it was due to your family's influence."

"Are you suggesting for one minute that my family bribed officials?" asked Musafa.

"You're working for the Orichalcos, aren't you?" asked Sersei with a shrug. "You'd be capable of anything."

"Good point…" muttered Musafa. "As for the CEO, that backstabber was as guilty of as many corporate injustices as I was. The only difference was, I got caught. The reason he complied with the authorities was because he wanted to draw attention away from himself. That and he wanted to get rid of me. And after all I had done for that bastard…"

He clenched his fist…

"I even introduced him to the woman he married… Of course, maybe _that_ was the reason he wanted to get rid of me.

"But all I must do is help the Master, and I will be given a chance to gain my revenge.

"I'd take him down myself, but in the politics of my country, he's a bigger fish, so to speak."

"I didn't know rich oil tycoons dueled," said Sersei with a smirk.

"Dueling is simply a hobby which I happen to be very good at," said Musafa. "I'm good at other things, like poker, blackjack, golf, and games that you wouldn't be familiar with. But in this contest I wanted to face you, Ms. Rhineheart, for I heard of your alleged mastery of Monsters of Wind. You think you are superior when it comes to such creatures, but I am about to prove you wrong…"

_Well, maybe he doesn't use Cookie Cutter…_ thought Sersei.

"Want a bet?" she asked.

"Actually, I do," replied Musafa. "I will wager my entire deck, against your Guardian Treasure!"

Sersei hesitated.

That was a tempting wager, but that card was not truly hers to give…

"Why?" she asked.

"I'd love to have a card that no other duelist could get," said Musafa. "There are only seven copies in the world, you know… The cards in my deck are quite rare – together their value is worth that one card."

"Well…" muttered Sersei, looking at her deck.

"This will be a Shadow Game, after all…" said Musafa, taking off his sunglasses. "The loser will not even have use for his or her cards again."

He put the sunglasses in his shirt pocket and glared at her…

"Okay…" said Sersei, "it's a bet…"

In her mind, Sersei could swear she saw Mai scolding her… If she lost this duel…

The two Disks activated…

At that point, Jason had been able to get a fix on the room.

"Sersei…" muttered Russell. "Be careful… He means business…"

**(Sersei: 8,000) -------------------- (Musafa: 8,000)**

"To prove I have respect for women," said Musafa, "you may move first."

Sersei drew, and looked at her first hand.

_Boy, talk about a bad hand,_ she thought. _I have that Monster that that weird kid traded me for, but I can't summon him right now._

"I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all for me," she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Playing it safe by starting on the defensive?" asked Musafa, drawing a card. "Well in the business world, one knows that one must always stay on the offensive.

"You see, in the world of business, there are three conditions for success. First, seize the chance."

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon Ancient Lamp in Defense Mode."

The old oil lamp on spidery legs appeared in front of him. (900/1,400)

"The second condition is… Use your abilities. To show you what I mean, I'll use Ancient Lamp's ability to Special Summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp from my hand in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and the impressive form of La Jinn appeared, giving a throaty chuckle. (1,800/1,000)

"And this leads to the third condition… Tempt your enemies to destruction! La Jinn… attack!"

La Jinn breathed a gout of flames. Harpie Girl appeared on the card, and was burned up.

"I thought you specialized in Wind Monsters…" sneered Sersei. "That guy is a Dark Monster."

"Let's just say he fits the general theme of my deck," said Musafa, as La Jinn crossed his arms. "Tell me, Ms. Rhineheart… Have you ever read _Arabian Nights_? Those stories are some of my favorites…"

"Yeah, a few times…" answered Sersei.

"Then prepare to be shocked and amazed," said Musafa. "It is your move."

Sersei drew a card.

"All right…" she said. "I play my Graceful Charity."

She played the card, and drew three cards.

_All right…_ she thought, looking at them. _Now we're talking…_

"I'll discard my Eagle Eye, and my Whirlwind Prodigy," she said, holding up two cards.

She discarded them.

"Next…" she said, "I'll toss two cards facedown…"

She placed two cards into her Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Then I'll play Premature Burial, using it to bring Whirlwind Prodigy back from the grave."

She played the card, and a small boy in a brown leather jacket and pants appeared. Birds and bats fluttered around him. (1,500/1,600)

"And by the way…" she continued. "He may not look like much, but…"

"Yes, yes, I know…" said Musafa. "When used as a sacrifice, he counts as two Monsters, so long as he is used to summon a Wind Monster. I have one in my own deck."

"Well, he's perfect for my next Monster…" said Sersei. "Because she needs two sacrifices, and she can only be summoned by sacrificing Wind Monsters.

"I sacrifice Whirlwind Prodigy to summon Simorgh, Bird of Divinity!"

Prodigy vanished, and a huge, avian creature appeared. It was a beautiful bird of prey, with emerald-green feathers, encrusted with jewels. Her face was that of a young woman, flawless and beautiful. (2,700/1,000)

"Whoa!" said Trisha. "Now _that's_ a Monster!"

"Okay… That is rather… impressive…" said Musafa, nervously.

"All right!" shouted Sersei. "Simorgh, attack that genie! Divine wind!"

Simorgh beat her wings, and La Jinn braced himself before he was disintegrated.

"And Simorgh has a great special effect," continued Sersei. "During each player's End Phase, she inflicts 1,000 points of damage on each player's Life Points. But, for each Spell and/or Trap the player has on the field, that amount is lessened by 500.

"And you have none.

"I'm ending my turn now."

Simorgh's eyes glowed, and Musafa howled as burning pain ripped through him.

Then Simorgh turned to Sersei… Then she noticed the two facedown cards, and turned back to Musafa.

"I'm worried…" said Trisha. "Worried about the next time I have to duel her…"

**(S: 7,200) -------------------- (M: 6,100)**

_And all she cost me was an Order to Smash card,_ thought Sersei with a smug smile. _What a bargain…_

"Very clever, Ms. Rhineheart…" muttered Musafa. "I guess you do know a few things about Wind Monsters…"

He drew a card.

"But your Bird of Divinity has got to go. I play the Spell Card, Share the Pain."

"Share the Pain?" asked Trisha.

"Musafa has to destroy one his Monsters," said Jason, "and in return, force Sersei to destroy one of hers."

"So I'll destroy my Ancient Lamp," said Musafa, "and take your Bird of Divinity with it."

He played the card, and the two Monsters shattered. Sersei drew back in surprise.

"Now I summon… Arabian Thief in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and a short man, clad in rags and wearing a turban, holding a dagger, appeared on front of him. (500/900)

"What?" asked Sersei. "Only 500 measly Attack Points?"

"An Arabian?" asked Trisha.

"Yes, but he has a very special ability," said Musafa. "Attack her directly, my Thief!"

Arabian Thief leapt up, and stabbed Sersei in the stomach, making her wince.

"Now, since he attacked directly," he continued, "I get to look at your hand, and force you to discard one card from it."

Sersei frowned. She turned her two cards around, showing Guardian Treasure and Trap Jammer.

"What?" asked Musafa, stunned. "You had Guardian Treasure all this time, and didn't play it?"

"I would have had to discard Simorgh," sulked Sersei, "and she can't be Special Summoned."

"Well, you won't be using it," said Musafa. "I'll have you discard that."

Sersei shrugged, and discarded it.

"And you can forget about ever using that precious card again," he said. "Once this duel is over, it will be mine."

"Yeah, yeah," said Sersei. "Keep telling yourself that…"

**(S: 6,700) -------------------- (M: 6,100)**

She drew a card.

_All right…_ she thought.

"I activate my first facedown card," she said. "Pot of Greed."

The facedown card lifted, and the laughing jar appeared. She drew two more cards.

"Now I'll summon Harpie Lady 2 in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and the Harpie with bangs appeared in a flourish. (1,300/1,400)

"I'll keep on going by playing my other facedown card," she said, as the facedown card lifted. "Elegant Egotist."

She took her deck.

"I'll use it to summon Harpie Lady 1 to the field."

Harpie Lady 2's sister, the one with the long, red hair, alighted beside her. (1,300/1,400)

"And now that she's here, both my Harpies get a few more points."

Both Harpies rose to an Attack of 1,600…

And then, Arabian Thief rose to 800 Attack.

"What?" asked Sersei. "How did your Thief get more Attack Points?"

"Heh, heh," laughed Musafa. "The bulk of my deck is made up of Arabian Warriors. They are Wind Monsters as well. And Harpie Lady 1's effect cannot play favorites. It applies to all Wind Monsters on the field."

"Arabian Warriors?" asked Trisha. "Russell, you're the expert on Warriors… what can these guys do?"

"I must admit, I'm clueless," said Russell. "Clearly, Musafa's cards aren't garden variety. They must be quite rare."

"Big deal…" said Sersei. "My Harpies are still twice as strong as he is. And you have no Traps to protect him. Harpie Lady 1, attack the Arabian Thief!"

Harpie Lady 1 flew forward, and slashed at the Thief with her talons. He gasped, fell over and shattered.

"Harpie Lady 2, attack directly! Dive bomb drop!"

The second Harpie swooped at Musafa and came down upon him hard with her leg talons. He fell over.

**(S: 6,700) -------------------- (M: 3,700)**

"She's winning!" cheered Russell.

"Don't jinx it," warned Jason.

Musafa coughed and got up.

"Maybe you should have stuck to golf," said Sersei. "It isn't exactly a contact sport. I'll end my turn there, _sahib_. Unless you want to quit now."

"Never!" said Musafa drawing.

He looked at the card.

"I will play my own Pot of Greed," he said, playing a card.

He drew twice.

"Mmm…" he said. "This might cost me a few Life Points, but… I will summon Arabian Guide in Attack Mode. And he is a Wind Monster as well."

He played the card, and in a faint breeze, a new Arabian figure appeared. He was dressed in traveling clothes and a turban, and held a walking staff. (700/800) –) (1,000/800)

"Tell me…" said Sersei. "Are all your Monsters wimps? Who taught you how to duel, anyway?"

"Arabian Guide has a very powerful effect, Ms. Rhineheart," he said. "I can only activate it when he is Normal Summoned in Attack Mode."

He took his deck.

"You see, as a guide, he knows the locations of secret places and hidden pathways. So he leads me to a specific card in my deck…"

He took the card and shuffled his deck before putting it back.

"The Field Spell Card, Cave of the Arabians! Which I'll play now!"

The Field Slot on his Disk opened, and he placed the card in it…

With a rumble, the library vanished, and the stony walls of a great cavern appeared around them. They were also surrounded by baskets, barrels, and bushels of gold, silver, gems, and precious things, a king's ransom in treasure.

"One of the most popular stories in _Arabian Nights_," continued Musafa, "is the story of 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'. It is a timeless tale that tells of a commoner who finds the lair of a group of cold-blooded bandits and highwaymen, who not only steal and rob, but command evil magic. Their lair where they hide their ill-gotten gains is this cave, which can only be entered by one who knows the secret password. The commoner learns that password, and becomes rich by stealing their spoils… But he is protected from the thieves' wrath only through the dedication of a very loyal slave girl."

"And what does this Field Spell do?" asked Sersei, nervously.

"First," replied Musafa. "It raises the Attack Scores of any Monster with the word 'Arabian' in its name by 200."

Arabian Guide went up to 1,200 Attack.

"Second…" said Musafa. "In this cave, neither player is allowed to make direct attacks…

"Not without help, that is…"

Sersei looked at him strangely.

"Without help?" asked Russell. "What does he mean by that?"

"I fear he might have a way around that restriction," said Jason. "Just what it is, I don't know."

"I place one card facedown…" said Musafa.

He played a card, and it appeared.

"…and I end my turn."

Sersei drew a card.

_What a time not to have Harpies' Hunting Ground in my hand…_ she thought.

"I place two of my cards facedown…" she said.

She fit two cards into her Disk, and they appeared.

"Next, I'll complete the set… I summon Cyber Harpie Lady in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and the armored Harpie with a whip appeared. (1,800/1,300) –) (2,100/1,300)

"If I can't attack you directly…" she said. "I'd best attack your Guide with my strongest Monster. Cyber Harpie Lady, attack!"

Cyber Harpie Lady flew forward, and lashed with her whip, blowing Arabian Guide to particles. Musafa cringed.

**(S: 6,700) -------------------- (M: 2,800)**

"You're way behind," said Sersei, "and frankly, I'm disappointed. From a guy like you, I expected some cool cards. All I've seen are a few tricky effect Monsters and a Field Spell Card that may be more of a hindrance than a help."

Musafa drew a card.

"I play Card of Sanctity!" he exclaimed.

A bright flash illuminated the cave.

"Humph," said Sersei. "I admit that's a rare card, but I'm getting more out of that than you are…"

She drew five cards, and Musafa drew three.

_Or am I? _she thought, looking at them _The only Monster I just drew was Roc From The Valley Of Haze, and he needs a sacrifice. Sacrificing one of my Harpies might not be a good idea._

She looked at the one Monster that had already been in her hand.

_Oh, if only I could get her on the field…_

"Now, I play Nightmare's Steelcage," said Musafa, playing a card.

Flames erupted around Sersei and her Harpies, and the iron, domed cage formed around them.

"Not again…" muttered Sersei.

"Next…" said Musafa, "I activate my facedown Call of the Haunted."

His facedown card lifted, and Arabian Thief reappeared. (500/900) –) (1,000/900)

"And what's he going to do?" asked Sersei. "He can't hurt my Harpies."

"And that's exactly why I'm going to sacrifice him," replied Musafa. "To summon Arabian Charmer."

Arabian Thief vanished, and another figure appeared. It was an old man with a beard, wearing ragged trousers, no shirt, and a turban. He held an elaborate flute in his hands. (1,700/1,800) –) (2,200/1,800)

"Now I activate his effect," continued Musafa, "which I can do by discarding one card, like my Rivalry of Warlords here."

He discarded the Trap Card.

Arabian Charmer put the flute to his lips, and started to play a haunting melody. Slowly, two large cobras appeared next to him. (800/0) –) (1,100/0 x2)

"As you can see…" said Musafa, "he summons these two Snake Tokens.

"I'll end my turn there."

Sersei nervously drew a card.

_Topdeck Quiz?_ she thought. _Why do I even still keep this in my deck? Playing it would be too risky…_

She added it to her hand and played another card.

"I Equip Cyber Harpie Lady with Arrow Nail," she said.

A nasty blade appeared on the Harpie's left wrist, and her Attack went up to 2,400.

"And that will end my turn."

The Nightmare's Steelcage started to chip and rust.

"I see…" said Musafa, drawing.

He looked at the card.

"I sacrifice one Snake Token to summon my Arabian Visser in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and one of the snakes vanished. A more regal-looking Arabian appeared. He was dressed in expensive-looking robes, and wore a fancy-looking turban. A sharp-looking kopesh was slung to his side. (2,000/1,000) –) (2,500/1,000)

"That will end my turn…" he said.

"Oo…kay…" said Sersei, as she nervously drew.

She looked at the card, and sighed.

"I'll place this facedown, and move my three Harpies to Defense Mode…" she said.

A third facedown card appeared, and the three Harpies shielded themselves with their wings.

"That's my turn…"

The Steelcage crumbled and fell apart.

"She's in trouble…" muttered Trisha.

"Then it's my turn," said Musafa. "And Arabian Visser has a powerful effect."

He took his deck and looked through it.

"By skipping my Draw Phase while he's on the field, I can instead add to my hand from my deck any Monster with the word 'Arabian' in its name."

He found what he wanted, and reshuffled.

"Oh, another Monster with a searching effect," said Russell. "And I used to think that Freed was… well, you know, unique…"

"And I choose my most powerful one…" continued Musafa, "Arabian Sultan."

He put his deck back.

"Now, I summon him, by sacrificing Arabian Charmer, and my other Snake Token."

The Charmer and the other cobra vanished, and yet another Warrior appeared. This one looked like the Visser, but while he was a nobleman, this one was clearly royalty. He was clothed in robes of fine satin, encrusted with precious gems, and wore a practical fortune in jewelry. (2,500/1,400) –) (3,000/1,400)

"Okay…" said Sersei, nervously. "Three-thousand Attack Points… I guess that's pretty…"

"I'm not done…" said Musafa, with a grin. "What would a sultan be without a few of his servants behind him? I mean, you couldn't really call him a sultan then, could you? When he's summoned, I can Special Summon two more Arabians from my hand…

"And I just so happen to have two of them right here.

"First I'll summon Arabian Mercenary…"

He played the card, and in a gust of wind, a fighter dressed in a black robe, a black turban, and wearing a veil over the lower half of his face appeared, holding a nasty kopesh sword. (2,000/800) –) (2,500/800)

"And I'll follow up by summoning Arabian Girl as well."

He played another card, and in another gust of wind, a young teenage girl appeared. She was dressed in a pink harem girl's outfit, with a veil covering the lower half of her face, but she also was armed with a kopesh. (1,300/900) –) (1,800/900)

"And Arabian Girl is not only lovely, she has an impressive ability…" continued Musafa. "She gains 200 more Attack Points for each Arabian in my Graveyard, and I have three."

The Girl glowed, and rose to (2,400/900).

Sersei looked at the formidable army facing her…

_Thank goodness he can't attack me directly…_ she thought.

"Right now you're probably thinking it's a good thing that I can't attack directly," said Musafa. "Well guess what, Ms. Rhineheart…"

He played the last card in his hand.

"I actually can. I play the Spell Card, Arabian Password. _Open sesame_!"

The Spell Card revealed itself, and with a rumble, part of the cave wall behind him opened into a door, swinging open into an outside egress.

"What's happening?" asked Sersei, getting scared.

"By playing Arabian Password," replied Musafa, "for one round only, the feature of this Field Spell that forbids direct attacks does not apply to me."

Sersei drew back…

"First…" said Musafa, "I'll pay 500 Life Points so that my Mercenary can attack. Attack Cyber Harpie Lady."

The Mercenary flew forward and slashed at Cyber Harpie Lady with his sword. She shrieked and shattered into pixels.

"Now, Arabian Girl, destroy Harpie Lady 2."

Arabian Girl leapt up, and smote the Harpie with her kopesh. She shattered as well.

"Arabian Visser, attack the last one."

The Visser drew his own weapon, and made a swipe at Harpie Lady 1, destroying her.

"Well…" said Musafa. "Since she's gone, my Warriors all lose 300 Attack Points… But it's not much of a difference…"

"Arabian Sultan, attack her directly!"

The Sultan's eyes glowed red, and he pointed at Sersei.

_Okay, time to make a decision!_ thought Sersei. _If I spring one of my Traps, I can block his direct attack… But then, I'd lose a Harpie… Can't have that…_

_Ah well… Sometimes you have to fall down before you can get up…_

Arabian Sultan shot forth a stream of lightning bolts, and energy coursed through Sersei! She screamed…

**(S: 4,000) -------------------- (M: 2,300)**

"Leave her alone!" screamed Russell.

"He can't hear you, Russell…" sighed Jason.

"Heh, heh…" muttered Musafa. "My turn is over, so the effects of Arabian Password wear off…"

The stone door closed again with a rumble.

"So make your move…"

Sersei slowly drew a card.

"I place this facedown, and end my turn," she said.

A fourth facedown card appeared.

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Musafa. "Seven cards in your hand, and that was the best you could do?"

"Yeah?" asked Sersei. "Well, like I said, this cave may be more of a hindrance to you than a help.

"You may have four strong Monsters on your side of the field, but none of them can attack me unless your next draw is another Arabian Password."

"Or I could draw something that I could use to get rid of the Cave…" added Musafa. "I have in my deck two more Arabian Passwords, one Heavy Storm, one Mystical Space Typhoon, one Emergency Provisions, and one Giant Trunade. If I draw any of them, you lose. Plus I have a special Equip that would let _one_ of them attack you…"

Sersei paused.

She hadn't considered that…

Musafa drew a card.

"Well, you're lucky for now…" he said. "I'll simply place this facedown, and end my turn."

He played the card, and a facedown card appeared.

Jason looked and held his chin.

_Musafa may think he has the advantage,_ he thought, _but to build up his forces, he's used up every card in his hand, reducing him to topdecking. Not exactly the best strategy…_

Sersei drew.

"I play… Magical Mallet!" she exclaimed.

She played the card.

"Now, I'll take four of the six cards in my hand, shuffle them back into my deck, and draw four new ones…"

She shuffled, and drew four new cards.

She looked at them, and grinned.

"You lose, sheik…" she said.

"Oh? Why?" he asked.

One of Sersei's facedown cards lifted.

"I activate Hysteric Party," she said. "Now, I'll discard one card…"

She discarded her Heavy Storm.

"And now I can bring back all three of my Harpies from the Graveyard."

Harpie Lady 1 (1,300/1,400) –) (1,600/1,400), Harpie Lady 2 (1,300/1,400) –) (1,600/1,400), and Cyber Harpie Lady (1,800/1,300) –) (2,100/1,300) appeared.

"And my Monsters gain 300 Attack Points each…" replied Musafa.

"Good!" replied Sersei. "Because now I play… Harpie Lady – Phoenix Formation! Now I can destroy one of your Monsters for each Harpie I have, and their Attack Points come out of your Life Points!"

"Yes!" shouted Russell. "She's won!"

She played the card. The Harpies screamed, and flew upward, transforming into a great bird made of fire…

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Musafa. "Arabian Rope Trick!"

"Huh?" asked Sersei, as the Trap lifted.

A cloudy portal appeared on the roof of the cave, and a golden rope fell out of it. Quickly, the four Warriors scurried up the rope, vanishing into the portal.

"What happened?" asked Sersei.

"Heh, heh…" laughed Musafa. "This Trap Card can protect Arabian Monsters from being destroyed by card effects. When such an effect is activated, it removes them from play until the End Phase of the turn. So now your Phoenix Formation has nothing to destroy.

"And since you played it, your Harpies can't attack. Not that they could attack me anyway."

The firebird vanished, and the Harpies reappeared.

_Then again…_ thought Jason, _this guy seems to having incredible luck…_

"All right…" muttered Sersei. "I end my turn…"

The four Warriors slid back down the rope. It and the portal vanished.

Musafa drew a card.

"I play Pot of Avarice," he said, playing the card.

_Figures,_ thought Jason.

La Jinn, Ancient Lamp, Arabian Thief, Arabian Guide, and Arabian Charmer slipped out of his discard slot, as Arabian Girl's Attack fell down to 1,800. He combined them with his deck, reshuffled, and drew twice.

He looked at them.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Treasure of the Arabians," he said. "This lets me search my deck for any Spell Card I want, but I can't play it this turn…"

He took a card from his deck.

"…like my second Arabian Password. You get to take one from your deck too, but let's face it… It won't matter. With your Phoenix Formation spent, no Harpy accessory can be as good as this…"

Sersei gave him a strange look.

She took her deck, and quickly found a card. She added it to her hand.

"Now I play the Spell Card, Arabian Palace," he said with a laugh. "This card gives my Warriors a few more Attack Points…"

A beautiful, golden palace appeared behind Musafa. Arabian Sultan grew to 3,300 Attack Points, Arabian Visser and Arabian Mercenary grew to 2,800, and Arabian Girl grew to 2,100.

"Sultan, attack Cyber Harpie Lady!"

"Not this time!" shouted Sersei, as the Trap she had most recently set activated. "I activate Harpie Lady – Sparrow Formation!"

The three Harpies leapt up, and formed into a huge, brown bird. The Sultan blasted his lightning bolts, but they bounced off.

"This Trap needs at least two Harpies on the field," explained Sersei, "but it works just like Waboku."

"Swell," said Musafa. "But Arabian Palace has another effect. It prevents all face-up Monsters on the field from entering Defense Mode. So I'll get your birds next round… I end my turn."

Sersei smirked.

She drew a card.

"See this card?" she said, showing him a card.

"That's a Ritual Card!" he shouted.

"Yeah…" said Sersei. "The one I got from your Treasure of the Arabians. The one you said wouldn't matter.

"Well guess what? It matters. A lot.

"I play Chant of the Harpies!"

The three Harpies flew into the air, and started to fly in a circular pattern. They started to sing a lovely chant.

"I have to sacrifice six stars worth of Monsters," said Sersei, "and since Harpie Ladies 1 and 2 total eight, they'll do…"

The two Harpies vanished.

"And this lets me summon… _Calypso the Harpie Queen_!"

In a bright light, a large form descended. She looked like a Harpie Lady, but more beautiful than the others, with long, golden hair, platinum armor, and metallic wings. She was decked in gold jewelry and a crown.

(1,900/1,900)

"Humph…" said Musafa. "She doesn't come close to being able to beat my Warriors…"

"Did I mention her cool effect?" asked Sersei. "When she's summoned, I can summon all three of her subjects back from the Graveyard, so Harpie Lady 1 and 2 are coming right back…"

The two Harpies reappeared, and Calypso rose to (2,200/1,900)

"Bah!" shouted Musafa.

"And I'll keep on going…" continued Sersei. "By Equipping her with Ritual Weapon!"

She played the card, and Calypso glowed, rising to a score of (3,700/3,400)

"Wait a minute!" shouted Musafa.

"And now for the final part of my plan…" said Sersei. "I play another Spell Card…"

She played one.

"Gift of the Martyr," she continued. "Now I can sacrifice one Monster, like Cyber Harpie Lady, and give her Attack Points to another, like Calypso, for one round."

Cyber Harpie Lady vanished.

"That's 2,100 more points…" he gulped.

"Bingo…" said Sersei, with a smile.

(5,800/1,900)

"Calypso… attack his Arabian Girl! Royal swoop!"

Calypso soared into the air, and brought her talons down on Arabian Girl. Both she and Musafa screamed…

**(S: 4,000) -------------------- (M: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado rubbed his chin with worry.

"_Fortunado,"_ said his benefactor's voice, _"the last of our rank and file has fallen. Jason should get the last piece of the puzzle shortly._

"_The time for games is at an end. It is time to strike with serious opposition."_

Fortunado listened carefully.

"_I'm sending Cleo and Sebastian to the lobby,"_ she continued. _"We'll use them to take Jason's two allies from him._

"_Then we will lure him to the Shrine, where its occupants will engage him._

"_If they fail, you will face him yourself. You know what to do…"_

"Humph," said Fortunado. "Your plan has a flaw… Trisha and Russell might win the duel against those two jerks."

"_If that happens, so be it,"_ said the Master. _"Taking them away is only an attempt to demoralize him. Even if the attempt fails, the horrors in the Shrine will serve that purpose nicely."_

There was a pause.

"_Fortunado… For several millennia, on many worlds, I have orchestrated many Reckonings. Most of them were lost by my side. The ones where my side was victorious proved cold comfort when they lost the next one and the two after that. _

"_This is the reason why I have decided to become involved personally in this one._

"_I grow tired of failures… It sickens me knowing that Issac, Obrimos, and Arcanthum now sit upon golden thrones in Heaven, while my champions only faced oblivion._

"_If I must spend the next millennia confined to the Abyss while the celestial forces laugh in my face, you are going to be there with me!"_

Fortunado shuddered in fear…

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"Well, a deal's a deal…" said Sersei, kneeling over Musafa's form.

She took his cards, and looked over them

"You know…" she thought, "these cards might actually be fun to use… I always wanted a Card of Sanctity…"

Then she noticed something in his jacket pocket.

She took it, and picket up her cell phone.

"Hello, Russell?" she said. "Yeah, mission accomplished. Mmm, this guy has some rare cards. Arabian Monsters.

"I'll show them to you later. Anyway, I found that letter you told me to look for. It's a blue L."

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"Okay, I copy that, Sersei…" said Jason.

He wrote down the L next to the other blue letters that his allies had collected.

He looked at them:

**A E D B L**

**S R K T E A**

"Hmm…" he said.

Trisha looked at it.

"Blade Skater," she said.

Jason paused.

"Of course!" he said. "You mix up the blue ones to get 'Blade' and the red ones to get 'Skater'.

"Look for the Blade Skater!"

They all started to look through the Non-Effect Monsters.

"Gotta be one here somewhere…" muttered Jason.

"Don't waste your time," said a familiar voice. "There isn't one there…"

They slowly turned.

Sebastian and Cleo were standing by the Transporters.

Jason's eyes narrowed.

"So they let you out," he said. "Figures. Where's Cassius?"

"None of your business," said Cleo. "If you must know, we're here due to his loyalty… And generosity…

"I believe you want this…"

She held up a Blade Skater card.

"You want to make some sort of deal for it, right?" asked Jason. "Well sorry… No.

"You see, I happen to know that Ansel has three copies of that card, and he'll gladly lend it to us."

Sebastian paused…

"Sure… uhm, he would," he said. "If he could come down here and give it to you, which he can't…"

He smiled evilly.

Jason looked at them.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Sebastian grinned.

"Did that note ever tell you how to use the Transporters to get back to the lobby, Jason?" he asked. "The Master played you and your friends for fools.

"A different method is needed to get back down here. The cards they used to get up there won't take them anywhere now. They're currently stranded on the floors that they're on.

"Once the Master is done with you, they'll be easy pickings…"

Jason stared at them…

He had never considered that…

…and now…

…he was pissed.

"And since Ansel can't come to you…" continued Cleo, "the only way you'll get this is if your two friends duel us. You'll get the card regardless of the outcome. But if we win, they have to come with us. Without you."

"The same offer Patrick made…" muttered Trisha. "Well, I guess we have to…"

"You don't _have_ to do anything…" interrupted Jason, angrily.

He looked at the two Swordsmen.

"I see inside the two of you…" he said, "and I see worry and fear. A lot is riding on this duel…"

He sat down.

"No. My friends will not duel you…"

"WHAT?" shouted Cleo.

"Go back to Fortunado, and tell him that if he wants us, he can come down here and get us himself. This little game made me sick after about fifteen minutes, and now I learn that it was a setup? You must think I'm pretty stupid. Well, I'm not. He's not calling the shots any more.

"It seems that the bad guys always control the situation… Well, not this time. Like it or not, I'm taking control away from you.

"The only way my friends will even think about dueling you, _maybe,_ that is, is if you _first_ reveal to me how my other friends can leave. If you don't, there'll be no duel…"

"You're bluffing…" said Cleo, angrily.

"Am I?" asked Jason. "Sorry, that is the only offer I am willing to make. If your boss wants the Reckoning to start on time, he'd better comply."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Master brought her fist down on her throne so hard that the armrest shattered.

"NO!" she screamed. "I will not allow this! I have worked too hard!"

She concentrated.

"Cleo! Sebastian! Agree to his terms! Agree to any of his terms! Just make sure they agree to duel!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cleo and Sebastian shook in fear.

"To get down…" squeaked Cleo, "you have to arrange your deck by placing all the Monsters together from highest Attack Points to lowest, the highest on top. Put the Spells below them, and put the Traps below the Spells. If your deck is like that, then the Transporters will take you back."

"See what you can work out if you try?" said Jason. "Now just wait while we make a few phone calls…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Master slumped on her chair, seething in rage.

So much for her victory banquet. Her whole plan to trap her enemy's troops had been ruined…

…all because her henchmen had been forced to spill the secret, because one of her enemies already had three Blade Skaters… How was she to know that Ansel had changed his deck since his duel with Panik?

She wasn't used to being outsmarted, and she didn't like it. Now it seemed like the Messiah's troops would escape. The Dark Messiah was a worthy foe…

But she made a mental note…

Once she was victorious, and was able to craft more Orichalcos cards, she'd hunt every last one of them down.

After all, she had taken the ones they had defeated, and she could access their memories. Their faces could be called to the front of her mind at any time.

She'd win in the end.

_Tuesday, November 10th, 9:10 PM_

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**0**

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**ARABIAN MERCENARY (Monster Card) **

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **800

**Card Description:** This card cannot attack directly. When this card successfully attacks, pay 500 Life Points.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARABIAN THIEF (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **500  
**DEF: **900

**Card Description:** When this card attacks your opponent directly, look at your opponent's hand and choose one of his cards. Your opponent discards that card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARABIAN GUIDE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **700  
**DEF: **800

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned in Attack Position, search your deck for one "Cave of the Arabians" and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARABIAN CHARMER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **5  
**ATK: **1,700  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on your side of the field, you may discard one card from your hand to Special Summon two "Snake Tokens" in Attack Position (Reptile/Wind/3 stars/800 ATK/0 DEF). There cannot be more than two "Snake Tokens" on the field at any given time. "Snake Tokens" cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon except to summon a Monster with the word "Arabian" in its name.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARABIAN VISSER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on your side of the field, during your Draw Phase, you may add one Monster with "Arabian" in it's name from your deck to your hand instead of drawing a card. Shuffle your deck  
afterwards.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARABIAN GIRL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,300  
**DEF: **900

**Card Description:** This card gains 200 Attack Points for each Monster in your Graveyard with the word "Arabian" in its name.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARABIAN SULTAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **8  
**ATK: **2,500  
**DEF: **1,400

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon up to two Monsters with the word "Arabian" in their name from your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARABIAN PASSWORD (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A man in a turban chanting outside a cliff wall.

**Card Description:** If "Cave of the Arabians" is active, during the turn you play this card, the effect of "Cave of the Arabians" that prohibits direct attacks does not apply to your Monsters.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CAVE OF THE ARABIANS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Field  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The interior of a cave, full of chests and pots overflowing with gold.

**Card Description:** All Monsters with the word "Arabian" in their names gain 200 Attack Points. Neither players' Monsters may attack their opponent directly.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**TREASURE OF THE ARABIANS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A peasant in cave laden with golden treasure.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you have two or more Monsters on the field face-up with the word "Arabian" in their names. Both you and your opponent search your decks for any Spell Card except for "Treasure of the Arabians" and add them to your hands. You may not activate or set the Spell Card you search for on the round you use this card.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARABIAN ROPE TRICK (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Counter  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A magician waving his arms and causing a rope to float upwards.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when one or more Monsters with the word "Arabian" in their names would be destroyed by a card effect. Remove the Monsters that would be destroyed from play until the card effect is resolved.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**ARABIAN PALACE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A beautiful palace made of gold.

**Card Description:** Increase the ATK of all Monsters with the word "Arabian" in their names by 300. Also, all face-up Monsters in play are changed to Attack Position, and cannot be changed to Defense Position except by the effect of another card.

_Note: With the exception of "Treasure of the Arabians" the Arabian cards were designed by jkBakura and used with permission. All credit goes to him._

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CHANT OF THE HARPIES (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Ritual  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Three Harpie Ladies dancing over a stone altar decorated with a bird-like motif.

**Card Description:** This card is used to Ritual Summon "Calypso the Harpie Queen". You must also offer Monsters whose total Level Stars equal six or more from the field or your hand.

**0**

**0**

**0**

**CALYPSO THE HARPIE QUEEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Winged Beast/Ritual/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **1,900  
**DEF: **1,900

**Card Description:** This card is Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card "Chant of the Harpies". You must also offer Monsters whose total Level Stars equal six or more from the field or your hand. When this card is successfully Ritual Summoned, you may Special Summon up to three Monsters named "Harpie Lady" from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Chant of the Harpies" and "Calypso the Harpie Queen" were first used in "The Mandate of Heaven"._

**0**

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_**Coming up next: **_

_**Russell and Trisha must combine their efforts to face an onslaught from two duelists who now truly have nothing left to lose. And someone with nothing to lose can truly be a dangerous opponent. Both Cleo and Sebastian have a few new tricks in store, but then again, Russell and Trisha haven't exhausted all of theirs either. **_

_**And even Jason might help a little. How? Prepare to find out.**_

_**The title of the chapter is "United We Stand", for obvious reasons.**_

_**Oh, and brownie points for anyone who can point out the significance of that book that Musafa was reading.**_


	61. United We Stand

_**Sigh…**_

_**Some folks never learn.**_

_**These people are persistent, we'll give them that. We saw Cleo and Sebastian fall, we saw their soulless bodies…**_

_**But now they've come back. Whoever took them gave them one more chance than we would have gotten. **_

_**At least now neither me nor Trisha is alone. We'll be standing beside each other as we face them. We can only hope that we can work as a team better than they can.**_

_**However, I doubt we can.**_

_**See, I use Warriors, Trisha uses Machines. **_

_**Our opponents both use Warriors. Different tribes, maybe, but that still works to their advantage.**_

_**We've learned a few new tricks since we last faced them. Unfortunately…**_

…_**I have a feeling that they have too…**_

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**CHAPTER SIXTY**

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**United We Stand**

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_Tuesday, November 10th, 9:15 PM_

Sebastian and Cleo were getting impatient as the three of them spoke on their phones.

Finally, they hung up.

"Okay you two…" said Jason. "Our friends will wait until ten before coming down here. This duel shouldn't take longer than that."

"So they'll duel us?" asked Cleo.

"On one condition," replied Jason. "If my friends win, you two and Cassius are _never_ to bother us or any student at Duel Academy again! _Ever!_"

The two paused.

"Agreed…" they both said at once, sounding a little sad.

"Russell, Trisha, a word with the two of you…" said Jason.

They huddled. Jason produced two cards.

"I never gave you two any new Cards of Virtue," he whispered. "I was waiting for the right time. These might work for this time.

"But be careful. These fiends can't be trusted."

They took the cards and looked through their decks.

Trisha also took a few other cards from her side deck.

_I wanted to save these for the deal I made with Jason,_ she sadly thought. _I was going to surprise him, and then I'd be able to love him forever. _

_But we have to win this duel… And that deal won't be valid any more anyway after tonight._

She made some changes, and shuffled her deck.

"Can we get started?" asked Sebastian, angrily.

"Fine," said Russell, annoyed.

He took a toothpick out of his pocket and clenched it in his teeth.

"Let's end this right now."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In utter darkness, Cassius was chained down on his back.

"_Afraid?"_ said the voice of the Master.

Cassius saw her eyes look into his…

Then he felt a horrid sensation. She was embracing him.

He'd rather have cuddled with a rabid pit bull…

"_Fear not…"_ she said. _"I have faith in them… Why don't you watch with me? It will pass the time, won't it?"_

Cassius didn't answer…

…but she had a point.

"_Honestly Cassius…"_ she said with a snarl, _"if you don't like this, it's your own fault. I don't know why you made the decision you made…"_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cassius didn't react to that statement…

Why had he made his decision? It was… complex.

When the Master had first told him to choose, he had indeed decided to stay behind. Why? Because he knew that no matter who went with him, he'd lose the duel. He had little faith in himself, Cleo, or Sebastian at that point, and didn't think that any combination could defeat Russell and Trisha. So why leave only to be swallowed again after losing?

Then he thought he was crazy. He'd do anything to leave, if only for a little while. He'd choose… Sure, he'd be leaving one of his allies to suffer, but he was sure he could do it.

But which one? Cleo or Sebastian? That was a tough choice… Which one deserved to suffer more? Which one did he dislike?

He considered Cleo… He had never thought of her as a serious lover, only someone to get him in the mood before he took someone's soul using the Orichalcos…

…but on the other hand, she had been faithful the whole time. She had never cheated on him or done anything that the most dedicated of lovers wouldn't have done. The sex… It was rather enjoyable, actually…

So then… Sebastian?

Sure, he was an ally, but he wasn't a friend… There weren't many friends in this business, especially among ruthless criminals like him…

Then again, Sebastian had never truly done him any wrong… And he had watched his back several times when they dealt with the more unsavory elements of the city. Being a ruthless criminal did have its up side. They had even dueled tag team once before, and he clearly remembered when Sebastian had let Meanae the Thorn die to protect Cassius from a brutal direct attack from an Infernal Incinerator…

Maybe Sebastian _was_ a friend…

Maybe he didn't dislike either of them…

When he had to make his choice, something from out of the darkness of his prison came to him, a small light in the darkness that had covered his heart for so long…

It was loyalty… And he liked the feeling.

So, he changed his mind again, and went back to his original decision.

Maybe it was too late for it to do him any good… While he had little faith in his two allies…

His friends?

…he did not think that Jason could defeat the Master. He had recently been forced to duel her three times, and none of his strategies seemed to stand up to her Reckoning Deck. Even Horus LV 8 had been obliterated on the round after he had summoned it.

But maybe this way, someone, somewhere, would remember his last act as an act of loyalty, not one of betrayal…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The four of them stood in a rectangular pattern.

"We'll follow standard two-on-two rules," said Cleo. "No sharing of advice, no sharing of strategies, no sharing of cards that aren't already on the field. But you can use anything that is already in play. You must get by both your opponents' Monsters before you can reach your opponents."

"We know how to do team dueling," said Trisha. "I've done this before, you know…"

"Then let the battle begin!" shouted Sebastian.

"Good luck, you two…" muttered Jason.

All four of them snatched the top five cards from their decks.

**(Russell and Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (Cleo and Sebastian: 8,000)**

"Let's get things rolling!" said Cleo, with a smirk, drawing a sixth card. "I'll start by summoning one of my favorites… Amazoness Swords Woman in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and the scantily-clad female fighter with a huge sword appeared. (1,500/1,600)

"And I'll end with this…" she said, placing a card in her Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

"Quick and to the point, I see…" said Russell, making his first draw.

"I'll throw out Marauding Captain in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and the battle-scarred veteran appeared, holding his two swords. (1,200/400)

"Now let's use his effect…" he continued.

Marauding Captain whistled, and Axe Raider trudged out, holding his weapon. (1,700/1,150)

"I can't attack until everyone has drawn once," he continued, "so consider yourself lucky."

Sebastian drew a card.

"I'll place one Monster in Defense Mode, and two cards facedown," he said.

He played the cards, and one vertical card and two horizontal ones appeared.

"Over to you, sugar," he said.

"Still haven't given up on that stupid crush on me, huh?" asked Trisha, drawing. "You sicken me."

"It isn't about some crush any more," replied Sebastian. "This duel is about survival…"

She looked at him.

"If we lose this time," he continued, "it's over, not just for us, but for Cassius too. He gave up a lot to get us out."

He stared at her.

"He's still rotting in the place where everyone who loses an Orichalcos duel goes. He had a chance to get out, but he gave it up to let both of us out.

"We are gonna beat you. We're gonna get him out too."

Trisha stared at him. She stared at him for a long time.

"So, you're trying to save Cassius…" she said. "I guess I can respect that… But there's too much at stake for us to let up in this duel. You all made the choice of using the Orichalcos in the first place."

She looked at her hand and grinned.

"I play Advanced Robotics!" she shouted. "Which I can do because I have no Monsters in my Graveyard.

"Now, by discarding two Spell and/or Trap Cards…"

She discarded Sakuretsu Armor and Soul Release.

"…I can Normal Summon Perfect Machine King without a single sacrifice!"

The huge robot appeared on the field, crackling with electricity. (2,700/1,500)

_Yes!_ thought Jason. _She summoned her most powerful Monster on her first turn!_

Trisha thought.

_Attacking that Swords Woman would only hurt me and Russell. I'll deal with Sebastian and let Russell handle her with a weaker Monster._

"Perfect Machine King, attack Sebastian's Monster!"

The machine monarch fired a round of missiles, blowing the Monster to particles. Only a crater was left when the smoke cleared.

Sebastian coughed.

"That was a Mystic Tomato, Trisha," he said. "And now I use its effect…"

He took a card from his deck and placed it on his Disk.

"Don Zaloog in Attack Mode!"

The eyepatched bandit, holding his two rapiers appeared. (1,400/1,500)

Trisha gave him a look.

"I'll place this facedown, and end my turn," she said.

"Good job, Sebastian," said Cleo, drawing. "You summoned the headliner of your deck quickly."

"Too bad he's all alone…" sighed Sebastian.

"Is he?" asked Cleo, with a grin.

She chose a card.

"First I'll summon Amazoness Fighter in Attack Mode," she said.

The muscular, female bodybuilder appeared, flexing her muscles. (1,500/1,300)

"Now I'll play this… Card Destruction!"

She played a Spell Card.

"Now all four of us must fold our hands, and draw an equal number."

Russell snarled.

They all discarded. Cleo drew three, Russell drew four, Sebastian drew three, and Trisha got only one new one out of it.

Cleo looked at her new hand.

"Well, Trisha…" she said. "I see that you only have one card in your hand, and that's a shame. You may think we're all mean, but we can be nice when we want to be. I'm gonna help you out.

"I play this: The Spell Card, Contingency Fee."

"What?" asked Trisha. "What does that do?"

"It lets you draw until you have six cards in your hand," said Cleo, playing it. "But there is a little catch… My partner and I gain 1,000 Life Points for each one you draw.

"So start drawing."

_Good lord…_ thought Jason. _That will bring their Life Points up to… 13,000!_

_Cleo clearly has a more powerful deck. And Sebastian likely has the same._

Trisha growled as she drew five cards.

"Still my turn," continued Cleo. "And I play Amazoness Spellcaster, which I'll use to swap the Attack Scores of my Fighter with Perfect Machine King!"

The Amazon and the Machine glowed, and their Attack Scores switched.

"Amazoness Fighter, attack that hunk of junk!"

Fighter leapt up, and brought both of her fists down on Perfect Machine King, blowing it to fiery pieces!

"Amazoness Swords Woman, attack Marauding Captain!"

Swords Woman locked swords with the Captain. He grunted, and then his swords flew from him. Another swipe, and he shattered.

"That's all for my move…" said Cleo.

**(R and T: 6,500) -------------------- (C and S: 13,000)**

Russell angrily drew.

He was surprised at the card he had drawn…

Saint Knight Issac.

_Sir Issac…_ he thought. _You want to help me again?_

A twinkle in the Warrior's eye was all the proof he needed.

"Very well…" said Russell. "I sacrifice Axe Raider, to summon Saint Knight Issac!"

Axe Raider smiled as he was surrounded by pure light. He vanished, and the mighty Issac flew out of the orb! (2,300/1,800)

_Let's see…_ thought Russell. _Sebastian has two facedown cards… But if I took a risk, I could remove Don Zaloog from play, and completely ruin his whole deck._

_It's worth the risk…_

"Issac, attack Don Zaloog with Crusader's Blade!"

Issac roared and flew at the bandit. Don stepped back in fear…

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Sebastian. "Dark Scorpion Trip-Up!"

The Trap lifted, and suddenly, Meanae the Thorn appeared behind Issac and lashed her whip, entangling his feet. She yanked, and he fell over.

"Close…" said Sebastian.

Meanae vanished, and Issac knelt down.

"This Trap can only be used when a Scorpion is attacked," explained Sebastian. "The attacker is forced into Defense Mode. And you can't switch him back until your next turn."

"Really?" said Russell. "Well get this… Issac has 1,800 Defense Points. Not many of either of your Monsters can beat that without help.

"So just try it. I'll end my turn."

Sebastian drew a card.

"I play the Vase of Unholy Blight…" he muttered, playing a card.

The evil version of the Pot of Greed appeared in front of him, with its wicked scowl.

Sebastian took a card from his deck (it was another Mystic Tomato) and placed it inside his jacket. Then he reshuffled, and drew three cards.

"Well…" he said. "Maybe after the Reckoning is over, I might go to Vegas! I have a feeling I could clean up!

"I play Mustering of the Dark Scorpions."

He played a Spell Card.

"Since Don is on the field," he continued, "I can summon all members of the team that are in my hand…

He turned four cards towards his opponents.

"And Lady Luck is truly smiling on me today…"

"You cheated!" shouted Trisha.

"No, he didn't…" interrupted Jason. "I was watching closely for cheating… And I hate to say this, but he drew them on his own."

"Thank you!" said Sebastian, placing the four cards on his Disk. "I'm glad someone here realizes that we're aren't cheating…"

"That's right!" shouted Cleo. "We're gonna win this duel fair and square, even if we have to cheat to do it!"

Sebastian moaned…

"Uhm… that didn't quite make sense, did it?" asked Cleo.

"No, it didn't," replied Sebastian.

Four forms appeared in front of him, two to either side of Don. First came Chick the Yellow (1,000/1,000), then Cliff the Trap Remover (1,200/1,000), then Gorg the Strong (1,800/1,500), and finally, Meanae the Thorn (1,000/1,800).

"All five of them, huh?" asked Russell. "Well sorry… Not even Gorg can beat Issac's Defense."

"Oh, but he isn't the target, Russell…" said Sebastian.

His other facedown card lifted.

"…you are, due to my Trap Card, Dark Scorpion Combination."

"You didn't use that against me!" shouted Trisha.

"True, because I didn't draw it in time," answered Sebastian. "Here's how it works. When all five Scorpions are on the field at once, this Trap lets them all attack an opponent directly, doing 400 points of damage per strike.

"Get him boys! And girl…"

The four Scorpions leapt at Russell…

Meanae slashed with her whip, Chick swung with his mallet, Gorg smashed with his mace, Cliff stabbed with his dagger, and Don made a swipe with his rapier.

Russell fell to his knees and clutched his stomach and chest.

He looked up. The five thieves looked at him with wicked grins.

**(R and T: 4,500) -------------------- (C and S: 13,000)**

"Don't forget," said Sebastian, with an even more wicked grin. "Now I get to enact five effects. First, Gorg's effect returns one card on your side of the field to the top of your deck."

Saint Knight Issac vanished.

"Next, Cliff forces you to discard the top two cards from your deck."

Russell growled. He took the two cards and discarded them.

"Third, thanks to Don, you lose one card in your hand."

The Warrior Dai Grepher card in Russell's hand glowed. He discarded it.

"Fourth, thanks to Chick, I get to see the top card on your deck, and decide whether to keep it on top, or put it at the bottom."

A card appeared in front of him. Freed the Matchless General.

"I choose the bottom."

Russell growled again, and placed it at the bottom of his deck.

_Lovely,_ thought Trisha, _that was probably a good one._

"Finally," he continued, "thanks to Meanae, I get to take any Dark Scorpion-related card from my deck or Graveyard and add to my hand…"

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"…even this one."

It was Dark Scorpion Combination.

"Think I'll place it facedown. And you're next, Trisha!"

The facedown card materialized.

_This is madness!_ thought Jason. _He'll trigger it again as soon as Trisha draws!_

"To end my turn," said Sebastian, "I play this, the Spell Card, Spell Economics. It will be useful later."

He played the last card in his hand, and it appeared on the field.

"Your move, sugar."

Trisha hesitated.

She looked at her deck.

"Come on, draw…" he said. "It's not like you can stop me…"

_Okay, the moment of truth…_ thought Trisha. _If the card I draw right NOW is the right kind of card, I can stop his Trap. If not… Russell and I are in deep, deep trouble…_

She drew a card.

"I activate Dark Scorpion Combination!" shouted Sebastian.

His Trap Card lifted again.

"Get her!" shouted Sebastian.

The Scorpions leapt at Trisha…

…and then, a void of pure darkness rose in front of them, and they were thrown backwards! They fell, sprawled on the ground!

"What?" shouted Sebastian. "What happened? Why didn't it work?"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Trisha. "Seemed luck was with me too."

Her Trap Card had lifted – Elemental Absorber.

"The card I drew at that very moment was Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive," she said, "a Dark Monster, just like your Scorpions. By removing it from play, I was able to activate this Trap, and now, I can negate the attacks, directly or otherwise, of all Dark Monsters. Your Combination is worthless, as are all your Scorpions."

Sebastian was speechless.

"Not much to say, huh?" said Trisha.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the dark place, Cassius found it hard to watch. After all, a demoness was hugging him tightly in a grim parody of affection, and he didn't dare tell her to let go. He'd have thrown up if he was still in his body…

"Fear not, Cassius…" she said, stroking his cheek. "They are far in the lead, and Trisha's Trap cannot hold them back forever…

"Soon this will all be but a memory…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Continuing my turn," said Trisha, "since that Contingency Fee card gave me a lot to work with, I'll summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and the fiendish freight car appeared. (500/500)

"Ha!" laughed Sebastian. "That guy has 500 measly Attack Points. What were you thinking putting him in Attack Mode?"

"I was _thinking_ of playing Machine Duplication," said Trisha, "which I can do _because_ he has only 500 Attack Points…"

She played the card, and two more Freightening Cars appeared.

"Three times nothing is still nothing," said Sebastian.

Trisha lifted a Spell Card.

"I Equip my central Car with Jumper Cables," she said.

She played the card, and two cables sprouted out of the Bokoichi and clamped to the other two.

"Since I have three of the same Monster on the field," she continued, "this raises their Attack Points by 1,000 apiece. They'd all be destroyed if the Equipped one were destroyed, but it's worth the risk for now."

(1,500/500)

"Bokoichis, take out Meanae, Chick, and Don with…"

She paused.

"Gee, I've never had these guys attack before… I don't know what to… Oh, just attack!"

The three Bokoichis shot beams of energy from their eyes, which stabbed into Don Zaloog, Meanae the Thorn, and Chick the Yellow. They fell to their knees, and burst into pixels.

**(R and T: 4,500) -------------------- (C and S: 11,900)**

"Ooh, you'll pay for that…" muttered Sebastian.

Trisha smirked.

"Do you take cash, check, or credit?" she replied. "I don't use American Express."

Cleo drew a card, frowning at the mention of that silly joke.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

She stared at Russell, not saying a word, and motioned for him to move.

Russell drew a card.

_Well…_ he thought. _Now I can finally try out this new trick…_

"I play… Monster Reborn!" he shouted. "Return my Marauding Captain!"

He played the card, and the glowing ankh appeared. Marauding Captain reappeared on the field. (1,200/400)

"Talk about dumb," said Cleo. "If you had any sense, you would have brought back Issac."

"Don't need to," said Russell. "I'm going to give Marauding Captain a new weapon. I Equip him with this card, called the Grade Sword."

He played the card, and Captain's blades vanished, and were replaced by a fancier longsword with a golden hilt and a silver blade.

(1,500/400)

"Big deal," said Cleo. "You raised his Attack Score by 300 lousy points."

"Well, maybe I should bring out someone with more Attack Points then," said Russell. "I sacrifice Marauding Captain…"

The Warrior vanished…

Darkness fell upon the room…

"…to summon my royal terror! Come forth… Crescent Moon Queen!"

From out of the darkness, the ebon-skinned lady Warrior appeared, dressed in her armor, cape, and crown, holding her twin crescent scimitars. Her eyes glowed with pinpoints of light! (2,600/1,700)

"Hold on!" shouted Sebastian. "She needed two sacrifices!"

"Most of the time, yes," replied Russell. "But my Captain was Equipped with a Grade Sword, meaning he counted as two Monsters when I sacrificed him.

"Now, your royal majesty, attack Gorg and Cliff! Double crescent swipe!"

Crescent Moon Queen charged with her two blades outstretched. The two Dark Scorpions screamed as they were cut down.

**(R and T: 4,500) -------------------- (C and S: 9,700)**

"Of course, now she _has_ to move into Defense Mode," added Russell, as the Queen crouched in Defense. "But her Defense Score is only slightly weaker than Issac's was. I'll end my turn on that note."

_Seems Russell is still full of surprises,_ thought Jason. _I had no idea he had put Crescent Moon Queen back in his deck, much less added that Equip. _

_I wonder what else Trisha has in store for them?_

Sebastian angrily drew a card.

"See this?" he said, showing them the card. "It's called Pot of Avarice, and I'm playing it now."

He played the card, and five cards came out of his discard slot.

"Now I can return the Fab Five to my deck, reshuffle, and draw twice…"

He placed the cards in his deck, and quickly shuffled.

Then he made two draws.

"And I'll play one of them. It's a Dark Scorpion accessory called The Perfect Crime."

He played the card. It showed the picture of the five Scorpions around a table in a dark room, with Don looking over a map.

"Uh, Russell…" muttered Trisha. "He never used this against me either…"

"Let me explain, because it's complicated," said Sebastian. "This card has to remain on the field for three of my Standby Phases for its effect to activate. If it is destroyed or removed from the field before then, my partner and I lose 3,000 Life Points.

"However, if it survives that long, I can remove it from play and then move all five of the Dark Scorpions from my deck to my hand."

"This had better work, Sebastian…" muttered Cleo out of the corner of her mouth.

"I know what I'm doing…" said Sebastian, looking at the other card in his hand. "I'll end my turn there."

_All right…_ thought Trisha, drawing. _Come on, Heavy Storm…_

She drew a card. It wasn't Heavy Storm, but it was her favorite Monster.

"I summon Nanobreaker in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and Nanobreaker rose up, holding her blade.

"And since she only has 100 more Attack Points than Amazoness Swords Woman…" she continued. "She's taking her down!"

Nanobreaker leapt forward, and slashed at Swords Woman. The Amazon held her gut, and then shattered into shards.

**(R and T: 4,400) -------------------- (C and S: 9,700)**

"And now for your facedown Monster," continued Trisha. "Bokoichi, attack!"

The central Bokoichi blasted its eye beams at the facedown card…

A small tiger cub appeared on the card, and was blown to bits.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Cleo. "You just flipped my Amazoness Cub. That means I can search my deck for one Amazon who's four stars or less, and add her to my hand…"

She looked through her deck.

"And Amazoness Paladin should do…"

Trisha sighed.

She fit one of her cards into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Then move," she said. "I'm sorry, Russell…"

Cleo drew a card.

"Well…" she said with a grin, "now that I have Amazoness Paladin, I'd be a fool not to summon her…"

She played the card, and the regally decked Amazon appeared, holding her slim sword aloft. (1,700/300)

"And don't forget her ability," said Cleo. "With two Amazons on the field, she's got more than enough to break your Queen's Defense."

(1,900/300)

"Go!" she shouted. "Attack Crescent Moon Queen!"

Crescent Moon Queen just stared as Paladin leapt at her…

And then she vanished into sparkles of light. Paladin stopped, and looked around in confusion.

"What?" asked Cleo. "Where did she go?"

"Ahem…" said Trisha.

Cleo looked.

Trisha had activated her facedown card – Mystik Wok.

"I knew we were gonna lose Crescent Moon Queen regardless," said Trisha, "but it wouldn't have to be in vain. I triggered this to sacrifice her before your Paladin reached her… So now we gain 2,600 Life Points."

She turned to Russell.

"Sorry, I should have asked…"

"No…" said Russell, "you did great!"

"Fine!" shouted Cleo. "Since Paladin's target was removed from the field, now she can choose another! Paladin, attack the Equipped Bokoichi!"

Paladin charged, and slashed at the Machine, and all three Freightening Cars exploded into scrap metal.

**(R and T: 6,600) -------------------- (C and S: 9,700)**

"And I'm not done…" she continued. "Say goodbye to that Trap Card, Trisha!"

She played a card, and Mystical Space Typhoon blew across the field. Elemental Absorber was blown to bits.

"Your move, Russell…"

Russell drew a card.

He looked at it and the other card in his hand.

Queen's Knight and Hero Kid.

All either would be good for right now was a shield.

"I summon…"

"_Wait,"_ said a voice.

Russell paused.

"Issac?" he whispered.

"_Mmm,"_ replied the Knight. _"I can still view what's happening from the Graveyard. _

"_Listen… Summoning her in Defense Mode is a bad idea. You must ready Queen's Knight to face her foes head-on."_

"You mean in Attack Mode?" answered Russell. "But there's nothing to protect her… she'll be destroyed… We'll lose more Life Points…"

"_You have an ally in this battle, Russell. Don't underestimate her. Queen's Knight will succeed."_

There was a pause.

"_Russell, trust me…"_

Russell put the card on his Disk.

"Queen's Knight in Attack Mode," he said.

Queen's Knight appeared, readying her blade. (1,500/1,600)

"And that will be all."

Both Sebastian and Cleo gave her strange looks as Sebastian drew.

Sebastian played his card, and Pot of Greed appeared. He drew twice more.

He looked at them.

"Can't do anything this turn," he muttered. "Go ahead, Trisha."

Trisha drew a card.

_Huh?_ she thought, looking at it.

It was the card Jason had just given her.

She looked at Queen's Knight.

She smirked, and then placed it in her Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"I summon Red Gadget in Defense Mode…" she said.

She played the card, and Red Gadget appeared, shielding itself. (1,300/1,500)

She looked through her deck until she found Yellow Gadget, and then reshuffled.

"Nanobreaker, attack Amazoness Fighter!" she shouted.

Nanobreaker leapt up, and slashed her sword across Fighter's torso. She groaned, and shattered.

"That's my turn, Cleo…" she said.

_I know what card you put facedown, Trisha,_ thought Jason_. I can feel it. Let's hope Cleo takes the bait…_

Cleo angrily drew a card.

"Heh, heh…" she chuckled. "I summon Amazoness Tiger in Attack Mode," she exclaimed.

Tiger appeared, and roared!

"And as Jason no doubt remembers, this lovable kitty-cat gains 400 Attack Points for every Amazon on the field. She just _hates_ being alone."

(1,100/1,500) –) (1,900/1,500)

"But first thing's first," she said. "Paladin, take out that stupid Queen's Knight!"

Paladin raised her sword, and leapt at Queen's Knight…

…_Faith…_

"I can't believe you fell for it!" shouted Trisha. "I activate… Against All Odds!"

Her Trap Card lifted. It was beautiful artwork, showing the image of Sir Issac slamming his sword into the demon Malastus.

Amazoness Paladin simply vanished into haze.

"What happened?" asked Cleo, as Tiger fell to 1,500 Attack.

"Not only has your Amazoness been removed from play," said Trisha, "but her intended target now gains her Attack Score."

Queen's Knight rose to 3,200 Attack.

"No fair!" shouted Sebastian. "That Card of Virtue is more broken than any Card of Sin!"

"It only works when the target has 1,500 Attack Points or less," explained Trisha. "And even so, I had to pay 1,000 Life Points. Doesn't seem so broken now, does it?"

**(R and T: 5,600) -------------------- (C and S: 9,700)**

Cleo frowned.

"Make your move…" she said through gritted teeth.

Russell drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity," he said, playing the card.

He drew three cards, and then looked them over.

He discarded two of them.

"And now I'll play one of them… Pot of Greed."

"Lucky…" said Sebastian.

Russell played the card and drew twice.

None of them were any good.

"Queen's Knight, attack Amazoness Tiger!"

Queen's Knight leapt up, and slammed her Sword into the Tiger, smashing her to pieces. Cleo recoiled.

**(R and T: 5,600) -------------------- (C and S: 8,000)**

"Your move, Sebastian," he said. "And you two have no Monsters left…"

Sebastian drew a card.

"I have one now," he said, "and I'll place it in Defense Mode…"

He played the card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"I'll also place two cards facedown," he continued.

He played two of his three cards, and two facedown cards appeared.

"That will do for now…"

Trisha drew.

Her eyes perked up.

"I'll also place a card facedown…" she said.

She played the card she had just drawn, and it appeared.

"Then I'll switch Red Gadget to Attack Mode…"

Red Gadget stood up…

"…AND, summon Yellow Gadget in Attack Mode!"

She played the card, and Yellow Gadget appeared next to Red Gadget. (1,200/1,200)

She went to her deck, and found Green Gadget, and then reshuffled.

"Nanobreaker, take out his facedown Monster!"

Nanobreaker made a slash with her sword. Magician of Faith appeared on the card, and cringed before shattering.

"Uh oh…" muttered Trisha.

"Uh oh is right," said Sebastian, taking a card from his discard slot. "Think I'll use it to get back Mustering of the Dark Scorpions."

"I'm not through with you two!" shouted Trisha. "Red Gadget, attack Cleo directly!"

Red Gadget leapt up, and socked Cleo in the gut with its fist.

"And just to show you I don't show favorites…" continued Trisha, "Yellow Gadget, attack Sebastian directly!"

Yellow Gadget leapt up and punched Sebastian in the face.

**(R and T: 5,600) -------------------- (C and S: 5,500)**

_Amazing…_ thought Jason. _Cleo and Sebastian are fighting tooth and nail… For a while, they had the advantage, and they aren't even using the Orichalcos… I don't sense any trace of it in their decks. But now, Trisha and Russell have managed to even the score. For the first time, it seems we have an even fight…_

_It could go either way… And frankly, I'm worried for Russell and Trisha. _

_I almost pity Cleo and Sebastian. Their motives aren't wicked or selfish this time. I can sense it…_

_There's a spark of light in them, where there was once only darkness…_

"Ergh…" muttered Cleo, drawing a card. "Your little tinkertoys are going down…"

She smirked as she looked at the card.

"I place one card facedown, and summon Amazoness Blowpiper in Defense Mode…"

A facedown card appeared, and Blowpiper appeared, kneeling in Defense. (800/1,500)

"Your move, Russell…"

Russell drew a card.

"I activate my Trap Card!" shouted Cleo. "Compulsory Evacuation Device!"

The Trap lifted, and a large machine appeared in front of Queen's Knight. She gave a confused look…

Then four chains grabbed her, and drew her into it…

BOOM! She was shot out of the machine like a cannon, and her card appeared in Russell's hand.

Russell stared at her.

"What?" asked Cleo. "Just because I use Amazons, I can't use an incredibly useful Trap? And if you summon her again, she'll be back to her original Attack Score."

"Maybe…" said Russell, playing a card, "but I have someone with a better Attack Score. Gearfried the Iron Knight."

Gearfried appeared, holding aloft his blades. (1,800/1,600)

"Attack!" shouted Russell.

Gearfried made one swipe with his blades, and Blowpiper was eradicated.

"I end my turn there."

Sebastian made an evil grin as he drew.

"Then the time has arrived…" he said.

"No… he's right…" said Trisha. "This is his third Standby Phase since he played The Perfect Crime…"

The Spell Card glowed with dark energy, and then vanished.

"You got it…" said Sebastian, as five cards appeared in his hand. "And that means all five of the Dark Scorpions go from my deck to my hand."

He showed them the five cards.

"Now my ultimate strategy can unfold. I play Card of Sanctity."

He played the card.

"What?" asked Trisha. "WHY? You have _seven_ cards in your hand! You won't benefit from it at all!"

"Yes I will," he replied. "Now all three of you, start drawing…"

Russell drew three cards, Trisha drew four, and Cleo drew six.

"Next, I play this…" he said, showing them a Spell Card. "Look familiar? Both of us had a Card Destruction."

He played it.

"WHAT?" asked Russell. "You went through all that trouble of getting the Dark Scorpions to your hand only to discard them?"

"And what if I did?" asked Sebastian, discarding his cards.

All of them discarded, and drew six new cards.

"Next…" continued Sebastian, "I activate a Trap Card…"

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"Disgraceful Charity."

Trisha almost considered activating her Trap Card. If she did, Sebastian would lose his Dark Scorpions… But then, she'd also lose The Fang of Critias, and she had no idea what Russell would lose…

She decided against it…

A winged form flew out of the card. It was Marie the Fallen One. She cast a spell, and all four Disks glowed.

"Now all players get back the cards we just discarded," explained Sebastian.

Six cards came out of each discard slot.

"But if you think I'm letting you two have twelve cards to use," said Sebastian, "forget it. I did this for me and my partner alone."

His other Trap Card lifted.

"I activate Purse With A Hole."

The card showed the goofy image of a purse with a cartoony face.

Trisha almost considered activating her own Trap _again_, but then she realized, if she did, she and Russell would lose.

"Here's how it works," said Sebastian. "When my opponents have seven cards or more in their hands, this Trap forces them to discard at random until they only have five."

Seven cards in both Trisha's and Russell's ample hands glowed. Grudgingly, they discarded them.

"Well, I have twelve cards here…" said Sebastian. "Let's play some of them, shall we? I summon Don Zaloog in Attack Mode…"

He played the card, and Don appeared on the field again. (1,400/1,500)

"And now…" he continued, I play the card that Magician of Faith gave me, Mustering of the Dark Scorpions."

He played the card, and Cliff, Chick, Meanae, and Gorg appeared on the field. (1,200/1,000), (1,000/1,000), (1,000/1,800), (1,800/1,500)

"Now, I play Sneak Attack of the Dark Scorpions," he said, as he played a Spell Card, "cutting Chick's Attack in half so he can attack directly.

"Attack Russell!"

Chick drew a dagger and vanished…

Russell screamed as the knife was driven between his ribs!

Gearfried vanished, and appeared back in Russell's hand.

"Gorg, attack Yellow Gadget," ordered Sebastian. "Whammer hammer!"

Gorg flew forward and clobbered the small robot, blowing it to scrap.

Nanobreaker vanished, reappearing on top of Trisha's deck.

"Don, destroy Red Gadget. Double slash!"

Don slashed at the red robot, cutting it in twain. The pieces exploded.

A card in Trisha's hand glowed. She winced as she discarded it – that was her Mirror Force.

"Cliff, attack Trisha directly. Trap knife!""

Cliff ran up and stabbed Trisha in the belly with his knife. She groaned.

"Now I'll use the effect to make you discard the top two cards from your deck," said Sebastian.

Trisha sadly discarded Nanobreaker and another card.

"Now, Meanae, attack her directly too. Thorn whip!"

Meanae leapt up, and vanished… Trisha looked around…

Trisha yelped as she felt the lash of a whip across her buttocks.

**(R and T: 2,100) -------------------- (C and S: 5,500)**

"And I'll use Meanae's effect to recover this…" he said, getting a card from his discard slot. You remember my Dark Scorpion Combination, don't you? Think I'll set it facedown…"

_No!_ thought Jason. _That will bring their Life Points down to 100!_

"Well, make your move…" said Sebastian.

Trisha drew a card.

"I activate Dark Scorpion Combination!" shouted Sebastian, as his Trap lifted.

_Now's the time…_ thought Trisha.

"Don't count on it, freak!" shouted Trisha. "I activate a Trap of my own. Go, Seven Tools of the Bandit!"

Her own Trap lifted, and the Combination Trap shattered.

"Ironic that I should use such a Trap against the Dark Scorpions…" said Trisha, with a chuckle.

"Big deal," said Sebastian. "You still had to pay 1,000 Life Points to use that Trap, and you're running low as it is."

Trisha ignored him.

"I'll summon Cyber Phoenix in Defense Mode," she said, "and play Swords of Revealing Light."

Cyber Phoenix appeared (1,200/1,800), and the shimmering swords fell down upon the two Swordsmen.

"That will hold you," said Trisha. "That will end my turn."

**(R and T: 1,100) -------------------- (C and S: 5,500)**

Cleo drew, and then looked over the thirteen cards in her hand.

"I'll place two of my cards facedown…" she said.

She played two cards, and they appeared.

"Now I'll summon a second Amazoness Paladin…"

She played the card, and Paladin appeared. (1,700/300)

"Next, I'll remove her from play, to summon Amazoness Princess…"

Paladin vanished, and Princess appeared. (2,100/1,800)

"And now I'll remove _her_ from play, to summon Amazoness Queen!"

Princess vanished, and the most regal of the Amazons appeared. (3,000/3,000)

"Next, I play The A. Forces. I'm sure you know how this works, Russell. For each Warrior on our side of the field, each Warrior gains 200 Attack Points. And we have six of them."

As she played the card, Russell and Trisha gasped. Amazoness Queen grew to an Attack of 4,200, Chick and Meanae grew to 2,200, Cliff grew to 2,400, Gorg to 3,000, and Don to 2,600.

"Now I'll discard this, and end my turn.

She discarded a card.

Russell drew. He looked at his hand.

"I activate Dust Tornado!" shouted Cleo, as one of her Traps lifted.

The tornado blew across the field, and the Swords shattered.

Russell paused. He had to hope that the card he needed was in his next four cards…

"I play Double Spell," he said. "And I'll discard Fusion Sword Murasame Blade to duplicate… Card Destruction."

"What?" shouted Sebastian. "But you have only… nine cards left in your deck as is!"

"My decision…" said Russell.

They all discarded their hands. Trisha sighed. So much for using The Fang of Critias…

Russell drew four cards, Cleo drew six, Sebastian drew five, and Trisha drew four.

Then, as Trisha looked at her new hand, her eyes widened as she saw two of the cards that were there…

Russell smirked as well.

"I play Premature Burial," he said, "and I'll use it to bring back Warrior Dai Grepher."

Grepher appeared. (1,700/1,600)

"And now I play… Blessing of Balance!"

…_Prudence…_

Thunder flashed as the Spell Card appeared, showing the image of the blindfolded form of Justice, holding her scales forward.

"This card can only be used when my Life Points are below 1,000 and I have at least thirty cards in my Graveyard," he continued, "so thanks to all your discarding effects, the conditions are exactly right. First, I can destroy your Monsters until you have the same number that we have – two."

Don Zaloog, Meanae the Thorn, Chick the Yellow, and Cliff the Trap Remover burst into shards.

"Then, you two discard cards until you have the same amount that I have. So you each now only have two apiece."

Cleo and Sebastian looked in horror as their cards were yanked from them.

"Next," said Sebastian, "you lose Life Points until our scores become equal."

"WHAT?" shouted Cleo.

**(R and T: 300) -------------------- (C and S: 300)**

"And finally," he continued, "since it destroyed at least three Dark Monsters, I get to Special Summon a Light one from my Graveyard. So I summon Freed the Brave Wanderer."

In a flash of Light, the Brave Wanderer appeared. (1,700/1,200)

"Now then…" continued Russell. "I'll remove King's Knight and Jack's Knight from play, and since his effect won't work on Amazoness Queen, I'll use it on Gorg the Strong!"

He took the cards out of his discard slot, and Freed's blade glowed.

Gorg hollered, and he shattered.

Amazoness Queen fell to an Attack of 3,200.

"Okay," said Russell, looking at his last two cards. "Guess I'll end by…"

Then he noticed Trisha giving him an odd look…

"Actually, I think I'll just end there," he muttered.

_That was a powerful card,_ he thought. _But I have to hope Trisha can somehow summon something stronger than Amazoness Queen… Because if she can't, we're finished…_

"Right!" said Sebastian, drawing. "And I'm actually glad Gorg was destroyed. Know why? Because now I can play Revival of the Dark Scorpions, which I can do because Spell Economics never left the field. Come on back everyone!"

He played the card. In five shadowy auras, Don, Chick, Meanae, Gorg, and Cliff returned, and their Attack Points all went up by 1,200.

"No…" muttered Russell.

"Don't worry…" said Trisha. "I remember this. They can't attack on this round."

"That's right," said Sebastian. "So I end my turn… Just try to beat them. It's all over… You'll never summon anything strong enough."

Trisha drew. Her own deck now had only five cards left in it, but her current hand had just the right cards in it now.

"Want a bet?" she asked. "I first summon my Proto-Cyber Dragon."

A large Machine that looked like a prototype version of a Cyber Dragon appeared on her side of the field. But it looked pathetic compared to a real one. (1,100/600)

_What?_ thought Jason.

"What?" said Cleo. "What good will that do you?"

"You'll see…" replied Trisha. "You two have forced me to bring out the card I've been saving for a special occasion.

"You see, Proto-Cyber Dragon may look weak, but while it's on the field, it is considered a Cyber Dragon for all intents and purposes.

"And that leads to me playing this Spell Card… Overload Fusion!

"Let me explain… Overload Fusion lets me fuse together Monsters on my side of the field and my Graveyard by removing them from play, so long as the Fusion Monster I'm summoning is Dark Attribute and Machine Type.

"Now, for the Monster I'm thinking of, I technically only have to fuse a Cyber Dragon and one other Machine. On the other hand, I could fuse together every Machine I have access to, and that's seventeen total.

"But since I believe in moderation in all things, I'm just gonna do what I must…

"I remove from play Proto-Cyber Dragon, Cyber Phoenix, my three Gadgets, and one Bokoichi…"

She played the card, and a dark vortex opened. Proto-Cyber Dragon and Cyber Phoenix were drawn through first, and then the four other Machines were sucked through.

"Now it's time to meet the mightiest Machine in the Duel Monsters universe," said Trisha, as a hulking form started to crawl out of the portal. "Let's all welcome… the **_Chimeratech Overdragon_**!"

The gigantic creature that stepped out the portal was unreal. It looked like a giant Cyber Dragon with six heads and serpentine necks. Its twelve optic sensors glowed with fiery light!

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Master let go of Cassius and stood up in surprise.

"Chimeratech Overdragon?" she shouted. "Where in all of creation did she ever get a card that rare? At last count, there were only eight confirmed copies!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Cleo and Sebastian drew back in horror at the mechanical beast in front of them.

"This creature is so powerful," said Trisha, "that when it's summoned, I have to destroy all other cards on my side of the field. So guys, I'm sorry…"

Freed the Brave Wanderer and Warrior Dai Grepher shattered.

"But it's a sacrifice that's worth it," she continued, "because for every Machine I fused to summon it, its Attack and Defense is 800!"

(4,800/4,800)

"Four-thousand, eight hundred?" shouted Sebastian.

"Calm down!" shouted Cleo, as one of her Traps lifted. "I activate Desert Sunlight! Now all our Monsters move into Defense Mode!"

Amazoness Queen and the five Scorpions knelt in Defense.

"So you survive one last turn," said Trisha. "But your Monsters won't. Because Chimeratech can attack one Monster for every Monster I fused to summon it. That means it can attack six Monsters!"

"Chimeratech Overdragon, wipe out their Warriors with Evolution Resort Blast!"

Chimeratech glowed, and fired a blast of burning energy from each mouth, incinerating all six Monsters and knocking both Cleo and Sebastian off their feet!

"Give up?" asked Trisha.

"No…" said Cleo, crawling to her feet.

She drew a card.

"Do something…" muttered Sebastian.

Cleo put a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That's all I can do…" she muttered.

Russell drew a card.

"Ah, Command Knight!" he said, playing the card. "Let's take them down."

Command Knight appeared in front of him. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900)

"Attack Cleo's Monster!" he shouted.

Command Knight flew forward. Amazoness Chain Master appeared on the card, and was cut down.

"I place two cards facedown," he said, "and end my turn…"

He fit his last two cards into his Disk, and they appeared.

"Sebastian, think of something!" shouted Cleo. "We don't have much left!"

Sebastian drew a card.

He made a sinister smirk.

"It's over…" he said. "You two have lost…"

He played a card.

"I play Monster Reborn!" he shouted. "And I'll bring back a Monster from my partner's Graveyard!"

Amazoness Swords Woman appeared on the ankh. (1,500/1,600)

"NO!" screamed Trisha.

"Yes!" shouted Sebastian. "She may lose the battle, but your Life Points will take the hit! You've lost!

"Amazoness Swords Woman, attack the Chimeratech Overdragon!"

Amazoness Swords Woman bravely charged at the huge Machine.

"I activate both my facedown cards!" shouted Russell. "First, Call of the Haunted! Return, Queen's Knight!"

Queen's Knight reappeared in a flash of light. (1,500/1,600)

"And next, a gift from the Sage of Duelists… Order to Charge!"

A Quickplay Spell lifted up, showing the image of Freed the Matchless General leading troops on a battlefield.

"Now, by sacrificing one Normal Monster, such as Queen's Knight, I can destroy one Monster. Take her down, Queen's Knight!"

Queen's Knight dropped her sword and made a flying tackle, catching Swords Woman in mid-air! In a great explosion, both of them were wiped out!

There was dead pause for a few seconds…

Cleo and Sebastian bowed their heads.

"Right…" muttered Trisha.

She paused.

"I'll show mercy this time and give you two a chance to avoid the worst pain you'll likely ever experience," she said. "Surrender now, and you'll be spared a direct attack. From my Chimeratech. If you don't, I'm just going to toss a coin to decide which one of you gets hammered for a 4,800-point direct attack."

Sebastian and Cleo looked at each other. Tears formed in their eyes.

Slowly, they raised their right hands and placed them over what was left of their decks.

It was over.

**(R and T: 300) -------------------- (C and S: 0)**

As Trisha caught her breath, a round of applause came up from the alcove with the Transporters. They suddenly realized that an audience had formed. Their small army had come down earlier than they were told to, and had been watching for some time.

"Uh, thank you…" said Trisha. "You guys are too kind."

Cleo and Sebastian were standing in a daze.

"We're still here?" asked Cleo. "We expected to be swallowed again…"

Jason came up to them.

"Your employer doesn't want you anymore," he said. "I see things in you that would pain him now… Loyalty, dedication, compassion. You weren't fighting this duel for you, were you? You were doing it for Cassius.

"The darkness inside you… The stuff that let you play the Orichalcos in the first place… It's weakening, and while it isn't gone yet, in time, it might die completely, given time. It all depends on where you go from here."

They bowed their heads.

"And I'd wager she doesn't want Cassius anymore either," continued Jason. "I feel him as well, his soul fleeing from wherever it was he was locked up. You three will be safe as long the Reckoning is won by our side."

They looked at him.

"What can we do?" asked Sebastian.

"Pray…" said Jason. "Pray that the night ends with victory for the Divine."

There was a pause.

Cleo handed him the Blade Skater card.

"A bargain's a bargain…" she muttered. "We owe you this. And we promise, you and the other students will never be bothered by us again."

Jason sighed as she took it. He turned to Old Ben.

"Look, Ben," he said. "I need you take these students somewhere safe. How about… uh…

"Go to Times Square, to where the big screen is. No one would attack you in a place so public.

"The three of us will take it from here."

"You got it," said Ben. "Everyone follow me. Walk… Don't run…"

Jason walked up to Trisha as they started to file out.

"Uh, Trisha…" he muttered. "Where did you get that card?"

"This?" muttered Trisha, holding up the Chimeratech. "Uhm… You ever hear of Zane Truesdale?"

Jason nodded.

"One of the first members of my family ever to duel," said Trisha, "the great Marcus Moise, met him in a nightclub in Chicago once. I was told the story so many times. Zane was lonely that night, nursing a dry sherry and buffalo wings, and he was willing to talk to anyone. When he found out that Marcus played Machines, they compared decks.

"Then Zane showed him this card. He told Marcus that it was extremely rare, and worth thousands of dollars… But if he wanted, he was willing to sell it for only a small fraction of the price.

"Marcus asked why, and Zane basically said that the card had turned him into a savage beast at one time, and he had nearly lost his soul to anger. He wanted no part of it anymore.

"He sold Marcus the card, but warned him never to summon it out of anger, because Chimeratech was a dark creature that fed on emotions. As you might expect, it's rarely seen much use over all these decades."

"You were saving it for a special occasion…" said Jason. "What?"

Trisha blushed.

"For our bargain…" she said. "You remember… You said that when we graduated, you'd marry me if I could beat you…"

Jason stepped back. He remembered that…

Trisha looked at the card.

"If Zane had played it out of anger, I'd do so out of love," she said. "I'd surprise you with it, I'd win, and I'd be able to love you forever…

"It didn't seem to make a difference any more. Because even if we win tonight, once you lose the power…"

Jason hugged her.

"It's okay…" he whispered. "We'll think of something.

"Right now… We've got a date with Fortunado…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado bit his nails nervously.

"Chimeratech Overdragon…" he muttered. "Wonder how much that would be worth on auction?"

"_Did you hear that?"_ said the Master's voice.

"Uh, yeah…" muttered Fortunado. "Touching…"

"_Yeah, yeah, touching,"_ said the Master. _"I trust that the occupant of the Shrine hasn't gotten out."_

"If he did, you'd know before I did," said Fortunado.

"_Very well,"_ said the Master. _"We'll soon see just how powerful the Dark Messiah truly is…_

"_He and his two disciples approach even now… Round one is over. The main event begins…"_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Master slumped in her chair.

Cassius had already been giving her a stomach ache, and taking Sebastian and Cleo again would have made it worse. She would let Cassius go for now, but once she defeated Jason, she'd reclaim them.

"So, it used to be Zane's Chimeratech Overdragon…" she said. "How ironic…"

She remembered the event where Zane had first surrendered to anger. How could she forget it?

She was the one responsible.

Sure, Mr. Shroud had arranged for him to fight in that savage underground dueling arena that night…

But while Shroud waited safely outside the cage, feeding Zane lies, she was much closer, right beside him in fact. All through the painful match, she had whispered into his ear, persuading him to give in to Wrath, telling further lies about how it was the only thing that could save him…

…and eventually, when Chimeratech was summoned, she knew it had worked. A new recruit had entered the darkness.

The Master sighed. Now it was the Reckoning, and the very same Monster that she had used to bring out the anger in Zane Truesdale was being used by the forces of the Divine…

It was too ironic for words.

_Tuesday, November 10th, 10:00 PM_

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**AMAZONESS CUB (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **2  
**ATK: **600  
**DEF: **700

**Card Description:** Flip: Search your deck for one Monster with the word "Amazoness" in its name, or one that is named "Amazon Archer" that has four stars or less, and add it to your hand.

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**DARK SCORPION TRIP-UP (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Meanae the Thorn tripping Getsu Fuhma with her whip.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when a Monster with the words "Dark Scorpion" in its name, or one that is named "Don Zaloog" or "Cliff the Trap Remover", is the target of an attack. Shift the attacking Monster to Defense Position. The shifted Monster cannot change Battle Position until your opponent's next turn.

_Note: "Amazoness Cub" and "Dark Scorpion Trip-Up" were created by Shuppet Master for winning a contest. Creative credit goes to him._

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**CONTIGENCY FEE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A man in a wielder's mask hotwiring a machine.

**Card Description:** Your opponent draws cards from his deck until his hand consists of six cards. For each card that was drawn, increase your Life Points by 1,000.

_Note: "Contingency Fee" was first used by Mad Dog in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "No Pain, No Game". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**THE PERFECT CRIME (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The five Dark Scorpions gathered around a table in a dark room, as Don Zaloog looks over a map.

**Card Description:** After this card has remained on the field for three of your Standby Phases after it was played, remove it from play and search your deck for one each of the following cards and add them to your hand: "Don Zaloog", "Cliff the Trap Remover", "Dark Scorpion: Chick the Yellow", "Dark Scorpion: Meanae the Thorn", and "Dark Scorpion: Gorg the Strong". If this card leaves the field by any means except its own effect, inflict 3,000 points of damage to your Life Points.

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**PURSE WITH A HOLE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A cartoonish purse with a goofy face.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when your opponent has six cards or more in his hand. Your opponent discards cards from his hand at random until his hand consists of five cards.

_Note: "Purse With A Hole" was first used by X in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Not Playing With a Full Deck". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**GRADE SWORD (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A fancy sword surrounded by eldritch blue energy.

**Card Description:** This card can be Equipped to a WARRIOR-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. If a Monster Equipped with this card is offered as a Tribute for a Tribute Summons, it can count as two Monsters for the conditions of the Tribute.

_Note: "Grade Sword" was first used by Reggie in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Champion of Chazz-Been". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**AGAINST ALL ODDS (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Virtue:** Faith

**Image:** Saint Knight Issac slamming his sword into the demon Malastus.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when one of your face-up Monsters with an ATK of 1,500 or lower is the target of an attack. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Remove the attacking Monster from play, and add the attacking Monster's ATK to the target's ATK.

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**BLESSING OF BALANCE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Virtue:** Prudence

**Image:** The female figure of Justice, blindfolded and wearing a robe, holding a sword and a scales.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when you have less than 1,000 Life Points and at least thirty cards in your Graveyard. Destroy Monsters on your opponent's side of the field until he or she has as many as you have. Your opponent then discards cards from his hand until his hand size is the same as yours. Then, his or her Life Point score becomes the same as yours. If three or more Dark Attribute Monsters are destroyed by this effect, you may Special Summon one Light Attribute Monster from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Against All Odds" and "Blessings of Balance" were created by Starjake for winning a contest. All creative credit goes to him._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**If this fanfic were a video game, it would have four end bosses. Next chapter, the first one shows up.**_

_**Remember when the Puppeteer bargained for his life and claimed he could summon a much stronger specter? Well guess what? He succeeded. But why hasn't this dark villain from the past challenged our heroes yet? **_

_**The answer comes next chapter, as Jason faces his first challenge as the Dark Messiah, in something I'm calling "Dark Room of Nightmare". **_

**_Hang on… The clock is ticking down…_**


	62. Dark Room of Nightmare

_**What is the definition of Evil?**_

_**Think about it for a minute. It may not be as easy a question as you believe.**_

_**You might think that Evil is doing whatever you want without concern for others. But is being selfish truly evil? Is looking out for yourself and doing all you can to further your own goals evil? It isn't good, that's for sure, but it might not be truly wicked.**_

_**Maybe Evil is trying to dominate others, and force them to follow your beliefs. But then, that is just what many supposedly lawful governments, including ours, have done throughout history. Maybe no-one has the right to force his will on others, but is it truly evil?**_

_**Some say that a force that engages in wanton acts of destruction is evil. Maybe that's true. But then, a hurricane destroys everything in its path, and it isn't evil. It's a mindless force of nature. **_

_**What is the true definition of Evil? More likely than not, it's a combination of all of these things. The answers are not all too cut and dry, not all too black and white, and when dealing with most people, you don't have the right to judge them as evil.**_

_**The creature I'm facing is a different story. **_

_**I see his soul quite clearly…**_

…_**and evil is all I see…**_

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**CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE**

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**Dark Room of Nightmare**

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_Tuesday, November 10th, 10:05 PM_

In the Master's inner sanctum, the Puppeteer of Death was kneeling before the Master.

Words couldn't describe how scared he was. She was more than a little mad at him.

"Puppeteer…" she said. "I seem to remember saying I would spare you if you managed to summon that specter…"

"Well, uhm…" he muttered. "Technically, I did… But unfortunately…"

"Unfortunately," interrupted the Master, "there _technically_ was a problem with that plan that we did not foresee – he would not cooperate…"

"Well, yes…" muttered the Puppeteer. "He always was a bit of an… egotist…"

She got off her throne, and the Puppeteer shivered.

"However, I know the value of keeping my word…"

The Puppeteer felt relieved. It seemed he was going to survive this audience after all.

"I've manipulated the Transporters so that Jason and his two henchmen will arrive at the Shrine," said the Master. "With any luck, that rogue will give them a run for their proverbial money anyway. He still has that Duel Disk you had brought for him, right?"

"Uhm, yes," said the Puppeteer. "Unless he got mad, and broke it…"

"Hopefully not," replied the Master. "Once he is done…"

She grinned.

"…would you like a chance to gain revenge against Russell?"

The Puppeteer's eyes opened wide.

"Why yes!" he said, anxiously. "Yes, yes I would! Let me at him!"

"So be it…" said the Master. "Of course, your old deck was too inclined towards Raviel."

She handed him a deck.

"This one will be better. Look at the top card, and you'll see what I mean."

The Puppeteer's eyes bugged out when he saw what it was.

"Do not ask how I got it," said the Master. "The important part is, I got it. And it should be perfect as your ultimate weapon.

"I've also placed two copies each of some special cards in there. Fiends who held a special place to a favored servant of long ago."

The Puppeteer skimmed through the deck.

"Yes… They are sufficient."

"Go…" said the Master. "Watch from the shadows, and when Jason is through, you will pay Russell back for humiliating you."

"It will be my pleasure…" said the Puppeteer, bowing.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On the thirty-third floor, a Transporter hummed to life, and Jason stepped out, followed by Russell and Trisha.

Then the Transporter itself vanished, as they expected it to.

"No turning back," said Jason, as they looked down the dark hallway in front of them. "We'd best be prepared."

They walked down the dark hallway a few feet, and it ended in a set of large, wooden doors, carved with strange runes.

Russell tried the handle.

"Locked…" he said.

Jason frowned. His hands started to glow.

He shot a blast of pure light from them, and they shattered into splinters under the force.

"Unlocked," he said.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," said Russell, as they walked in.

"I'm through fooling around…" said Jason. "If we have to tear this place apart to get to Fortunado, we will."

The large room was set up like a temple of sorts, with sinister-looking décor. Candles made of black wax provided illumination, and ghastly pictures adorned the walls.

"Look…" said Jason, pointing to the wall.

A picture on the wall depicted three huge Monsters. They looked like the Egyptian God Monsters at first glance, but closer inspection revealed what they truly were – the three Sacred Beasts. Uria, Lord of Searing Flames… Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder… and Raviel, Lord of Phantasms.

"I can feel it," said Jason. "Many unholy rituals were done in this room… Evil lingers in the air like a stale smell. This is likely the place where that counterfeit Raviel card was created."

"It's also a useful place for magical wards," said a sinister voice. "A place for keeping creatures inside that you don't want getting out."

They turned, and saw a pair of evil eyes glaring at them from the shadows.

"All right…" demanded Jason, "come out…"

A figure walked out into the light, and their blood ran cold.

He was instantly recognizable. They had seen him in old DVDs of the finals of the original Battle City. His spiky, long, platinum blonde hair was a dead giveaway, as was the leering expression.

His clothes were still casual – a black overcoat worn over a t-shirt and jeans, but it was a poor cover for the aura he seemed to emit. The only thing missing was the golden necklace he had always worn.

"Bakura…" said Trisha, with a gulp.

"Bakura?" asked the figure. "Well, if you want to call me that, I guess that's fine. After all, of all the hosts I've had over the millennia, he was always my favorite. Maybe it was because of his purity and childlike innocence… I always loved controlling such folk…"

"Maybe that's because they had weak willpower," said Jason, "and couldn't put up much resistance. How can you be here? I heard that Yugi pulled the plug on you."

The Evil Spirit shrugged.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure," he said. "One minute I was nothing, the next minute I was in this shrine, facing some loser calling himself the Puppeteer of Death. I suppose he fancied himself a conjurer or summoner. An inept practitioner of dark magic."

The Puppeteer himself was listening from just outside the door.

_Inept?_ he thought. _Why, I oughta…_

"The fool wanted me to serve some Master whom he wouldn't even give the name of…" said Bakura. "But he didn't know one thing…"

A glimmer appeared in his eyes.

"I am _nobody's_ servant!"

"Looks like the Puppeteer summoned someone he couldn't control," muttered Russell. "That's what always happens to folks like him. So I guess you killed him, huh? Or banished him to the Shadow Realm or something?"

"No," said Bakura, with a frown. "He fled, and when I tried to leave, I found a ward cast on the door of this shine, preventing me from leaving. I've been cooped up here ever since… Alone and crushingly bored…

"Although I do find my host's taste in artwork rather nice… When did they decide to make evil versions of the God Cards anyway?"

"Long story…" muttered Trisha.

"Anyway…" said Bakura with a grin. "I can't thank you three enough for breaking the ward for me by breaking down the door."

"Uh oh…" muttered Russell.

"So if you don't mind – or even if you do – I'll be bidding you fools adieu…" he said.

"Wait…" said Jason. "What will you do once you leave?"

Bakura shrugged again.

"Not sure…" he replied. "The Pharaoh is gone… The Millennium Items are gone. I don't even know how I can exist without the Millennium Ring. Maybe I can start from scratch, and find another way to achieve my goals. The world is a big place, and it's likely changed. But I have all the time in the world. I'm truly immortal."

"No way!" shouted Jason. "As the Dark Messiah, I won't subject the world to your evil again!"

"I don't recall asking permission," scowled Bakura, as his eyes glowed with evil light.

"I'll make you a deal…" said Jason. "You're obviously starved for power after being denied it for so long…"

Bakura frowned.

"Maybe…" he said.

Actually, Jason had hit the nail right on the head. Almost all of his dark power had been drained since his final duel with Yugi and Zork's defeat.

"Well then," said Jason, "a deal… I'll duel you, as my first duty as the Dark Messiah. If you win, you're free to do with me as you please.

"But if I win… I banish you to Hell – forever. A punishment for all you've done."

There was dead silence in the room after that statement.

"You can do that, Jason?" gulped Trisha.

"Only to someone who actually deserves it," said Jason, "and he certainly does. I can tell just by looking at him… His crimes are many and unforgivable, dating back thousands of years, and his victims number in the hundreds. He's practically a demon in human shape. Only his spiritual form has kept him from true judgment so far.

"I'm changing that."

The Evil Spirit scratched his chin as he thought it over.

_You know, this may well be worth it,_ he thought. _I sense great power in this… Dark Messiah… His personal might may actually rival that of a Millennium Item! If I could claim it for myself and his soul to boot…_

_And as powerful as he may be, I truly doubt he actually has the ability to damn souls… He's obviously bluffing._

"Very well, Jason was it?" he said. "I accept that deal…"

He reached behind him, and picked up a Duel Disk.

"Fortunately, the Puppeteer supplied me with one of these," he said, slipping it on his wrist, "although I must say, it's been a long time since I've used one of these contraptions…"

"Be careful, Jason…" warned Trisha. "This guy is dangerous…"

"Don't worry…" replied Jason. "I saw this guy duel in Battle City. He can't surprise me."

Bakura's hand glowed with black fire, and a deck appeared in it.

_If that's the case,_ he thought, _he's expecting me to use my Dark Necrofear and Destiny Board combo. Won't he be surprised when he discovers my new strategy…_

…_not my Zombie Lock Deck… but the _new, improved_ Zombie Lock Deck._

An eerie howl filled the room, and a swarm of ghostly spirits flew into the cards he was holding. Russell and Trisha shivered…

Jason frowned as he shuffled it his deck.

"I'm not impressed…" he said.

"Are we ready yet?" asked Bakura. "It's a mystery to me how you could even see that…"

"Yes," said Jason. "And as for my eyes, I don't need them."

Both Disks activated.

"All right!" shouted Jason, as he drew five cards. "Once more… Get your game on!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado nervously watched.

"Master…" he said. "I have a question…"

There was no objection, so he ventured to ask.

"What happens if Bakura wins?"

There was a pause.

"_Good question," _said the Master's voice. _"In truth, I do not know. Never before in history has the champion of Good failed to make it to the Reckoning._

"_There have been theories on what would happen if he fell. The most widely believed one states that one of his allies would inherit the title and fight on."_

"I'm guessing that's why you tried so hard to take out Trisha and Russell…" muttered Fortunado. "It was a mistake choosing those three buffoons as our Swordsmen…"

"_Everyone makes mistakes, Fortunado," _said the Master. _"I thought they would do the job. But we will try our hardest to weaken the Dark Messiah before he gets to us._

"_And perhaps we will find out what happens… If he can't make it…"_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(Jason: 8,000) -------------------- (Bakura: 8,000)**

"I must say, this should be invigorating…" said Bakura, drawing his first card. "Dueling in a foreboding shrine for the most unimaginable stakes… It would get my heart pumping if I had one…"

He looked over his cards.

"So then…" he said. "If you win, you condemn me to Hell… But if I win, I consume you!"

"That's what I said," replied Jason, "now make your move."

"I will," said Bakura, playing a card. "I summon Headless Knight in Attack Mode!"

With a spooky moan, a figure in bronze armor holding a shield and a sword burst out of the ground. Like its name suggested, it had no head. (1,450/1,700)

"Give… me… a break…" said Russell. "That guy is all bark and no bite."

"I'll bite soon enough," said Bakura, placing two cards in his Disk. "Two cards facedown, and my turn is complete."

Two facedown cards appeared.

Jason drew a card and considered.

_In his duel with Yugi, he played a bunch of weak Fiends so he could have them in his Graveyard to summon Dark Necrofear, _he thought. _But if he tries to use Dark Sanctuary and Destiny Board, I have Heavy Storm right here. I'll just save it until he uses it._

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon one of my favorites…" he said. "Vorse Raider, in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and Vorse Raider appeared, lifting his axe.

He let out a low growl when he saw who Jason's opponent was. It was as if he had met Bakura… in some other place and time… (1,900/1,200)

"Attack his Headless Knight!" he shouted.

Vorse Raider didn't need any prompting. He flew forward and slashed with his axe. Headless Knight gave a chilling moan, and shattered.

**(J: 8,000) -------------------- (B: 7,550)**

"Well…" said Jason. "So much for him…"

"Or so you believe…" said Bakura, drawing a card.

"I will play Pot of Greed, to draw two cards."

He played the card, and the jar appeared, only this time, its eyes burned with red embers. It shattered as the Spirit drew twice.

"Next," he said, "I activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted."

The Trap lifted, and a coffin appeared in front of him. It opened, and Headless Knight stepped out. It laughed a chilling laugh. (1,450/1,700)

"To continue," said Bakura, "I will play a Spell Card… Card Destruction."

Jason gasped as he played it.

"We must now fold the cards in our hands and draw an equal number," said Bakura, with a grin.

"I know how it works," muttered Jason, discarding his hand.

He drew five cards, and Bakura drew four.

"Now," said Bakura, "I activate my other facedown card… Spiritualistic Medium."

The Spell Card lifted, showing the image of a cemetery swarming with ghosts.

"What does that do?" asked Jason, nervously.

"For this round," answered Bakura, "my Monster gains 500 Attack Points for each of my cards that was destroyed, and I destroyed four of them by playing Card Destruction.

"Go, my Spirits!"

Four howling ghosts flew out the Spell Card, and flew into Headless Knight! Its Attack rose to 3,450!

"Good grief!" shouted Trisha. "He's turned that weakling into a powerhouse!"

"Headless Knight, attack his Vorse Raider!" shouted Bakura.

Headless Knight flew forward, and slammed his sword into Vorse Raider, practically cutting him in half! Jason cringed.

**(J: 6,450) -------------------- (B: 7,550)**

_Well that was a new trick…_ muttered Jason. _I'd better be more careful… This guy is clearly not a one-shot wonder…_

Bakura placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"It won't be long…" he said. "Soon, the shadows will savor you… Make your move."

"We'll see about that…" said Jason, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"Your Spell Card has worn off, so now I summon Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and Cyber Dragon appeared in a flash. (2,100/1,600)

"And by the way, that was a Special Summon," he continued, "so I'll Normal Summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp, also in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and La Jinn appeared in a puff of green smoke. (1,800/1,000)

"Clever…" said Bakura. "I activate my Trap… It's both Trap and Monster… Zoma the Spirit."

The Trap Card lifted, and a creature that looked like a rotting, decayed dragon lumbered out. It curled up, apparently in Defense Mode. (1,800/500)

"Wait a second…" said Trisha. "It has 1,800 Attack Points, and only 500 Defense Points. Why Defense Mode?"

"I guess he didn't have a choice," answered Russell with a shrug.

Jason paused.

"Cyber Dragon, attack Headless Knight!" he ordered. "Strident blast!"

Cyber Dragon breathed a stream of flames, and Headless Knight was reduced to ashes.

"Your turn, La Jinn," he said, "take out that… thing."

La Jinn shot a volley of lightning bolts, eradicating Zoma.

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Bakura.

His eyes glowed for a second.

"Fool, you fell right into my Trap," he said. "You may have destroyed Zoma…"

A huge, spectral version of Zoma loomed over him….

"…but when that happens, it gets a parting shot at you, and does damage equal to twice the Attack Score of the Monster that destroyed it… Tell me, how fast can you multiply?"

Jason stepped back…

Zoma the Spirit opened its jaws, and shot out a blast of vile filth and decay, striking Jason! It was all he could do to keep from screaming…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fortunado heard the Master laughing.

"_I do hope you are filming this,"_ she said. _"I would love to see that again."_

"Of course I am," replied Fortunado. "You do remember your side of the bargain."

"_Ah, yes…"_ replied the Master._ "Your desire to make a documentary of the Reckoning. Don't worry, Fortunado, I assure you that it will be a success. _

"_After all, once I am in control, folks will want to see what led to my rise to power. I'll make certain of it."_

Fortunado sighed.

He couldn't help but think how the desire to be recognized made people do strange things…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**(J: 2,850) -------------------- (B: 6,900)**

Jason gasped for breath. Vile-smelling vapor rose from him…

"Lord… Jason just got nailed!" shouted Trisha. "Talk about a nasty Trap!"

"That was why it was summoned in Defense Mode…" muttered Russell. "He wanted it to be destroyed."

_I can't let it end here…_ thought Jason, looking at his hand and sweating. _If I let this demon beat me, I was never worthy of being the Dark Messiah…_

"Make your move…" he growled.

"Gladly…" said Bakura, drawing a card.

"First, I play Silent Doom to bring back you-know-who once again…"

He played the card, and Headless Knight appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,450/1,700)

"But like you, he won't be staying around for long this time," continued the Spirit. "I play Polymerization, to fuse him with The Earl of Demise, to summon an even greater Fiend…"

The ghoulish nobleman appeared on the field, and the two Fiends turned into orbs of darkness and swirled together…

The creature that emerged was something that no KaibaCorp hologram could ever have created. The ghostly form was dressed in a nobleman's clothes that were rotting and decayed, and its graying flesh was also decayed, and swarming with maggots and worms. I held a rusted and pitted sword. It glared at Jason with eye sockets that held no eyes. This Monster suggested one thing – Death.

(2,000/1,700)

"Meet The Duke of Demise," said Bakura.

"Don't let it get me!" shouted Trisha, hiding behind Russell.

"Right, what am I gonna hide behind?" asked Russell, nervously.

"Calm down you two!" shouted Jason.

He turned to Bakura.

"Your worm feast is one-hundred Attack Points less than my Cyber Dragon, you do realize."

"Maybe so," said Bakura, "but it beats your Genie. Destroy him, my Duke of Demise."

With a bone-chilling cackle, the living corpse flew forward and made a slash with its sword, obliterating La Jinn.

**(J: 2,650) -------------------- (B: 6,900)**

"All right, my move…" said Jason.

He drew a card.

_Got to be careful…_ he thought. _This Duke of Demise has exactly the same Attack Points as one of the Monsters he fused to summon it. That means it has to be an Effect Monster. But what can it do?_

He switched cards on his Disk.

"I sacrifice Cyber Dragon to summon Luster Dragon!" he shouted.

Cyber Dragon shattered, and the huge, emerald Dragon appeared. (2,400/1,400)

"Attack the Duke of Demise!" he shouted. "Emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon fired a blast of flames, and the Fiend exploded into misty ectoplasm…

But then, it reformed until it was whole again.

**(J: 2,650) -------------------- (B: 6,500)**

"What?" asked Jason.

Bakura grinned.

"Did you actually think that you can destroy ghosts so easily?" he asked. "The Duke of Demise cannot be destroyed in battle."

"That's… not good…" muttered Jason.

"Unless you can do anything else…" said Bakura. "I'll move…"

He met no objections, so he drew a card.

"I'll pay 500 Life Points to keep The Duke of Demise," he said. "Then I'll switch it into Defense Mode…"

The Fiend crouched in Defense.

"…and that will be all for my turn."

**(J: 2,650) -------------------- (B: 6,000)**

_He's stalling for some reason…_ thought Jason, drawing a card. _Note to self… Next time you invade an evil stronghold, pack a few copies of Exile of the Wicked._

"I'll throw down one facedown, and end my turn," he said.

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

Bakura drew.

The Duke of Demise collapsed on the floor in a heap, and the maggots quickly devoured the rest of it.

"What happened?" asked Russell.

"Uh, I think he decided not to pay the cost any more," said Trisha. "So it was destroyed. And that might be bad, because that means he might have something worse…"

Bakura played a Spell Card.

"I play Spirit Sword of Sealing," he said.

"What?" asked Jason.

Before he could determine what this meant, a sword flew at Luster Dragon, and struck him! He roared, and then simply vanished.

"What happened?" demanded Jason.

"Look behind you," said Bakura.

Jason did. A stone tablet with Luster Dragon's image carved into it had risen behind him.

"Your Dragon is imprisoned in that tablet," said Bakura, "and will remain so while my Spell Card remains. While he is, he can't attack me nor defend you, and you also can't sacrifice him.

"And by the way, this Spell Card can't be destroyed by card effects – it _can_ be destroyed, however, if you manage to send a Monster to your Graveyard…

"But until you manage to do so…

"I summon Disgraced Mage in Attack Mode."

With another chilling moan, another ghastly specter appeared in front of him. It was a phantom mage with a disfigured face, dressed in a tattered white robe and hood, carrying a staff. (1,700/1,200)

"What is that?" asked Jason, in shock.

"They say that Disgraced Mage is the restless ghost of a monk who killed himself," said Bakura, "and as a result, was buried on unhallowed ground. He despises the living, and anyone who has the right to decent burials.

"I'll show you… Disgraced Mage, attack directly with cursed cudgel!"

The specter moaned, and aimed his staff, firing a blast of unholy energy…

"Activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Jason.

His Trap Card lifted, and the blast hit an invisible barrier. Energy flowed into him.

"Sorry pal," he said. "Your Mage missed."

Bakura growled…

**(J: 4,350) -------------------- (B: 6,000)**

"Your move…" muttered the Evil Spirit.

Jason drew.

_Darn…_ he thought. _Nothing I've got right now can defeat his Disgraced Mage. I'm going to have to use a Monster as a sacrificial lamb in order to free my Dragon._

"I summon Blade Knight in Defense Mode," he said.

Blade Knight appeared, crouching in defense. (1,600/1,000)

"That will be all," he said.

"I see what you're trying to do," said Bakura, drawing a card. "And it won't work. I first place one card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"Then I'll summon Necro Soldier in Defense Mode."

A spooky mist appeared on the field, and a Zombie dressed like a toy nutcracker appeared. (0/0)

"What?" said Trisha. "It has no points…"

"I wouldn't underestimate any of this guy's cards," said Russell. "I have a feeling that almost all of them are reflections of Evil…"

"Disgraced Mage, attack his Blade Knight," ordered Bakura.

Disgraced Mage cast his powerful hex, and Blade Knight was blown away.

"Ha, ha!" laughed Trisha. "You just sent a Monster to his Graveyard, dummy!"

"No I didn't," said Bakura, with a grin. "I'm not that stupid. As you can clearly see, his Dragon is still trapped.

"When Disgraced Mage destroys a Monster, the destroyed Monster goes to the top of the owner's deck, not the Graveyard. Didn't I tell you that he despises anyone who has the right to a proper burial? He'd never willing give anyone that right…"

There was a long pause.

"Jason…" muttered Trisha. "Please tell me that one of the cards in your hand is stronger than Blade Knight…"

Jason looked at his hand…

Peten the Dark Clown, Saggi the Dark Clown, Double Spell and Photon Generator Unit.

He shook his head.

Bakura smiled evilly.

"Seems I have you in a lock!" he said with a laugh. "That is, unless you're willing to take a direct attack… But just how many can you take before you perish? My turn now ends."

"It isn't over yet…" said Jason.

He drew a card, and it was, indeed, Blade Knight.

"I activate the effect of Necro Soldier," said Bakura. "During your Standby Phase, it can summon another one to the field…"

A second Necro Soldier appeared next to the first.

"And now I can use _that_ one's effect, to summon a third!" he said with a laugh.

A third of the demented toys appeared.

Jason nervously looked at his hand.

_This Double Spell may be my only chance…_ he thought. _Let's see… What Spell Cards has he used?_

_Wait… _

_Of course!_

"I play Double Spell!" He shouted playing the card.

He discarded Photon Generator Unit.

"And the card in your Graveyard that I'll duplicate… is Polymerization!"

Polymerization appeared on the field.

"Now, I'll fuse Saggi the Dark Clown, and Peten the Dark Clown…"

The two clowns ran onto the field, and merged together…

"Forming Dark Harlequin!"

The tall jester dressed all in black appeared, and made a cackling laugh. (2,000/1,500)

"And since I just sent not one, but _two_ Monsters to my Graveyard, my Dragon is freed!"

The Spirit Sword of Sealing card shattered, and Luster Dragon burst free from the tablet! It roared in rage!

"Not only that, Bakura, but Dark Harlequin gains 600 extra Attack Points for each Dark Monster on the field other than himself. And I see you have four of them!"

Dark Harlequin glowed and flexed his muscles. (4,400/1,500)

"And I'm not done!" he continued. "Since a Fusion is Special Summon, I'll Normal Summon Blade Knight, this time in Attack Mode."

Blade Knight appeared, ready to attack.

"And guess what? When Blade Knight is on the field when I have no cards in my hand, like right now, he gains a few more Attack Points."

(1,600/1,000) –) (2,000/1,000)

"Ergh…" said Bakura. "I activate a Trap Card… Narrow Corridor!"

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of a warrior crawling through a narrow shaft.

"Confused?" asked Bakura. "While this Continuous Trap is in place, both players are only allowed to attack with two Monsters per turn."

Jason paused.

"Fine…" he said. "Dark Harlequin, attack the Disgraced Mage! Acrobatic flip attack!"

Dark Harlequin did a somersault, and brought his foot down on the ghost. It moaned, and then shattered into particles.

But when Jason looked at Bakura, he was holding his deck, and smiling…

**(J: 4,350) -------------------- (B: 6,000)**

"What…" muttered Jason. "You didn't lose any Life Points… You should have lost 2,700…"

Bakura started to shuffle.

"Disgraced Mage has another effect," he replied. "If he's destroyed in battle, I can shuffle him and my whole hand into my deck, and in return, take no damage at all. I had no cards in my hand, so it was no great loss…"

Jason frowned.

"Luster Dragon, destroy the Necro Soldier on the far right!" he ordered.

Luster Dragon blasted his breath, and the twisted toy exploded.

"Your move…" he said.

"I draw one card…" said Bakura.

He drew.

"I play Vase of Unholy Blight," he said. "Now I must remove one Dark Monster in my deck from play, and since Disgraced Mage has outlived his usefulness – not to mention the fact that I hate him…"

The evil black vase appeared in front of him. Then Disgraced Mage appeared and was sucked into it. It shattered.

"You hate one of your Monsters?" asked Trisha, frowning.

"I hate all of them," said Bakura. "But that doesn't mean they aren't useful. Anyway, now I get to draw three times."

He drew three times and looked at the cards.

He frowned.

"Aw, disappointed because you got bad draws?" asked Russell.

"No…" said Bakura. "I'm disappointed because I drew a key part of my strategy, and I so wanted to prolong this a bit more…

"But trust me… The terror has just begun. I play the Spell Card, Cursed Twin Dolls."

He played the card, and two evil-looking female dolls appeared in the middle of the arena. One held a red box, and one held a black box.

"Eek…" muttered Trisha. "This is why I never played with dolls when I was a kid… I was more into toy cars and planes…"

"Quiet!" ordered Bakura. "Let me explain, Jason… See those boxes the Dolls are carrying? There's one for each of us…

"I should warn you about the contents, however… One will bless you… The other will curse you…

"I'll be nice and let you have first choice. After all, I already know which is which…"

The two Dolls walked up to Jason and offered their boxes. Jason did _not_ like the looks on their faces.

_Okay…_ he thought. _This could turn the tide of the whole duel…_

_Only an idiot would take a gift wrapped in black… But what if Bakura wants me to take the red one?_

_Wait…_

He could easily perceive the two Cursed Twin Dolls, and he sensed that they were both evil… But somehow, he sensed a much greater evil coming from the one holding the black box…

He reached out and touched the red box.

"You chose wisely…" said Bakura.

The Doll opened her box, and a golden light flowed out of it.

"The blessing it bestows will grant you 200 Life Points every time a card goes to your Graveyard," said Bakura.

"Well…" said Jason, with a grin, "I guess the curse is yours…"

"Indeed…" said Bakura.

The other Doll opened the black box, and foul mist flowed out of it…

Bakura's discard slot started to glow, and then all of a sudden, a mob of ghosts flew out of it!

Trisha screamed and Russell backed up in fear, as over a dozen spooky phantoms rose behind Bakura.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled the Evil Spirit. "The curse removes the cards in my Graveyard from play, turning them into phantoms. But fear not… They can't hurt you…

"…not yet anyway!"

Jason looked up, and saw the ghosts of every card Bakura had used during the duel so far. He guessed he could assume now that he was not planning to summon Dark Necrofear…

That assumption turned into a certainty when he saw Dark Necrofear itself among the phantoms. He must have discarded it with Card Destruction.

"All right, I'm officially creeped out," said Jason. "But is there a point to it?"

"You'll see…" said Bakura. "For now, I'll place one card facedown…"

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

"…and then I'll summon Necro Mannequin in Defense Mode."

A weird looking thing resembling a mannequin made of bones appeared next to the two Necro Soldiers. (500/500)

"It's your move…" he said.

Jason drew a card.

_Hey…_ he thought. _It's that card that Athena gave me! Let's take him for a test run…_

"I activate a Trap Card…" said Bakura.

The facedown card he had set the last round lifted. It showed the image of four multicolored Necro Mannequins.

"Necro Cycle," he said.

"And what does that do?" asked Jason.

"You'll find out soon enough," said Bakura.

"Fine," said Jason. "I summon someone who was given to me by the Goddess of Wisdom. Meet Double Pinaska!"

He played the card, and a figure leapt onto the field with a flip. He looked like a Spanish bandito dressed in a leather jerkin and trousers. He had an elegant moustache and long, black hair. He held two sharp machetes, which he twirled dramatically. (1,500/1,500)

"Interesting…" said Russell.

"Double Pinaska, destroy one of those Necro Soldiers!" ordered Jason. "Double slash!"

Double Pinaska made two swipes with his machetes, and the Necro Soldier shattered.

"Luster Dragon, take out the last one!"

Luster Dragon blasted his breath weapon, and the last Necro Soldier was burned up.

Two more phantoms appeared behind Bakura, as he smirked.

"That's all I can do…" said Jason.

"I draw…" said Bakura, drawing a card, "and thanks to my Necro Cycle card, I can summon another Necro Mannequin from my deck, since I have one on the field…"

A second Necro Mannequin appeared (500/500)

"Now I summon… Necro Wall in Defense Mode."

He played the card, and a creepy looking barrier made from bones, skulls, and tombstones appeared on the field. (0/0)

"I'm ending my turn, and that means Necro Wall can create one Necro Wall Token for each Zombie I have on the field. But I only have room for two of them…"

Two more Necro Walls appeared. (0/0 x2)

Jason drew a card.

Polymerization. It was worthless now.

_Decision time…_ he thought. _I can only attack twice. If I don't get rid of both those Mannequins, he'll summon his third on his next turn. But if I don't get rid of Necro Wall, he'll summon more tokens on his next turn. _

_What to do…_

He paused.

"Double Pinaska, destroy the real Necro Wall!" he shouted.

Pinaska leapt forward, and shattered the Necro Wall.

"Luster Dragon, take out one of the Necro Mannequins!"

Luster Dragon breathed fire, and one of the Mannequins was blown apart.

Two more specters appeared behind Bakura.

"Your move…" said Jason.

Bakura drew.

He looked at the Trap Card he had drawn.

"I get another Necro Mannequin…" he said.

Another Necro Mannequin appeared. (500/500)

"But I believe I'll pass for this turn…"

Jason drew a card.

_Yes!_ he thought.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he shouted.

He played the card.

"Go! Destroy his Narrow Corridor!"

Bakura gasped, as his Trap Card was blown to pieces.

"Now…" said Jason, "Double Pinaska, Blade Knight, Luster Dragon, Dark Harlequin, wipe out his Zombies!"

Russell and Trisha cheered as the two Mannequins and the two tokens were blasted out of existence under the onslaught of Jason's small army.

Bakura's eyes narrowed, and three more phantoms, two Monsters and one Trap, materialized behind him.

"Very good…" he said. "But this duel is not over yet…"

"Please…" said Jason. "With Double Pinaska on the field, Dark Harlequin has 2,600 Attack Points, and any Monster you summon is bound to be Dark too. Can you really summon one with no sacrifice that can beat 3,200 Attack Points?"

Bakura drew a card.

He grinned a grin that made all of their blood run cold.

"Perhaps…" he said. "But first, let me tell you about my final duel with Yugi… The one that the public wasn't privy to.

"Not with the Pharaoh… He wasn't with Yugi at the time…

"See, I had used a deck like this, and like this time, I used Cursed Twin Dolls to transform all my cards into phantoms.

"At a crucial point in the duel, I played a Spell Card called Counterbalance. This card required both players to discard cards from their decks equal to the number of Monsters on the field during their End Phases.

"Since my phantoms counted as being on the field, that was a lot of Monsters. And I was unaffected, since the curse prevented me from discarding. My goal was to win by decking him out."

Jason gulped. Was that card in his hand right now?

Then he calmed down. Even if it was, he would finish Bakura off before its effect forced him to discard anything.

"And I would have won…" continued Bakura.

He bowed his head and clenched his fist.

"But…?" replied Jason.

"But I got cocky and overconfident," grumbled the Evil Spirit. "I wanted to see Yugi squirm. So I attacked with a Monster called Necro Jar, purposely destroying it, and due to its effect, its death forced Yugi to discard four extra cards from his deck, leaving him with only one left…

"…and the card at the very bottom of his deck turned out to be his most powerful card. He used it to defeat me… soundly…

"Well I won't make that mistake again, you hear! I got rid of that stupid Counterbalance card, and adapted a totally new strategy!

"It isn't quite as subtle or… clean, but it's _incredibly_ deadly…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon The Darkchild in Attack Mode!"

A dark shadow appeared on his side of the field…

And in front of him, what looked like a little girl, with black hair, dressed in a black dress appeared.

She stared at Jason, and then her eyes glowed red!

"Look out!" shouted Trisha. "I've seen something like this in _Children of the Corn_!"

"Good analogy…" said Bakura, with a chuckle. "Although the Darkchild may seem like a harmless little girl, she's actually a demon who has taken a deceiving form. And in case you were wondering what she can do…

"For every card, Monster, Spell, AND Trap, that has been affected by the curse of my Cursed Twin Dolls, regardless of which player was cursed, her Attack Score is 500."

"Wait a second…" said Russell, looking at the phantoms. "One, two, three…"

"Twenty-three…" muttered Trisha. "That means her Attack is… Let's see…"

She gasped.

"Eleven-thousand, five-hundred!"

(11,500/0)

"And she didn't even need a calculator!" laughed Bakura. "Well, 'Dark Messiah'… This has indeed been an invigorating duel… But I'm afraid it's all over now!"

_Good lord…_ thought the Puppeteer, from his hiding spot. _Whatever was I thinking summoning someone this dangerous? What was I on?_

"Darkchild," ordered Bakura, "attack Double Pinaska with unholy surge!"

The evil child laughed, and her hands became enveloped in orbs of pure, black energy. She blasted a ray of pure, evil magic at Double Pinaska… The whole shrine was engulfed in a bone-numbing chill…

"NO!" screamed Trisha.

"Jason!" shouted Russell.

"Double Pinaska!" screamed Jason. "I'm activating your effect NOW!"

The Warrior nodded to him, and raised his machetes… The blast struck him…

There was a huge explosion…

"Hmm…" said Bakura, as he looked at the smoke the impact had caused. "Something… isn't right…"

The smoke cleared…

**(J: 4,350) -------------------- (B: 6,000)**

"What?" said Bakura, shocked. "Your Life Points should be nothing!"

He paused.

"Wait… Your Warrior survived too…"

Double Pinaska was gasping for breath. His blades slumped down.

"You didn't take into account Double Pinaska's effect," replied Jason. "He has an ability that I can use only once per duel. Just once…

"An any time, he can negate one attack, towards him, towards another of my Monsters, or even towards me, no matter how powerful it is."

Double Pinaska wiped his brow.

"Thanks," said Jason.

The Spaniard gave him a thumbs up.

"Very well…" said Bakura. "I'll finish my turn by placing this card facedown…"

He played his last card. He smirked as the facedown card appeared.

_He's only survived one last turn,_ thought the Spirit. _He'll logically move all four of his Monsters to Defense Mode. But when he does so with the last one, my facedown card will activate, the Trap Card, Tragedy. It will destroy all his Monsters in Defense Mode when one of them switches to Defense._

_He can't win… This duel, and his power… will be mine…_

Jason drew a card…

It shone in the dim light…

"I place this card facedown…" he said, fitting his Polymerization card into his Disk.

The facedown card appeared.

"And then…" he said, taking the card he had just drawn, "come on out, Timaeus!"

With a fierce roar, and a flash of lightning, Timaeus appeared, this time materializing in the shrine like some sort of radiant phantasm. The Evil Spirit backed up at the sight of him.

_Such… power!_ he thought.

"Timaeus…" shouted Jason. "Merge with Blade Knight to form Shining Dragon Knight!"

The Dragon and the Warrior merged together in a bright flash…

Flying out of the light, was a form that looked like Blade Knight, but he was not alone. He was mounted on a large dragon with brilliant, silver armor and shining wings. Pure light radiated from the mount and its rider. (2,000/2,000)

"Sorry, Jason," laughed Bakura, "but that isn't nearly strong enough!"

"Oh, is it?" replied Jason. "Maybe I should explain its ability. See, if I have no cards in my hand, I can forfeit its attack in order to destroy one Monster on the field.

"And guess what, Bakura?"

He waved his hands, revealing that he was holding no cards.

"Shining Dragon Knight, wipe out the Darkchild!"

Shining Dragon Knight blasted a beam of pure light, and the Darkchild shattered into dark pixels.

"Now, Luster Dragon would like a word with you…" said Jason. "Especially after you used that Spirit Sword of Sealing on him."

Luster Dragon roared, and breathed a blast of fire! Bakura screamed as he was covered in it.

"Dark Harlequin, your turn! Direct attack!"

Dark Harlequin leapt up, did a flip, a kicked Bakura in the chest.

"Double Pinaska, finish him off! Double Slash!"

Double Pinaska leapt up, and made two slashes across Bakura's torso…

The Evil Spirit of the Ring fell to his knees…

**(J: 2,350) -------------------- (B: 0)**

"Well, Bakura…" said Jason. "That's game."

The Spirit looked at him with an expression that could only be construed as hate…

"And all kidding aside…" said Jason, walking up to him, "we had a deal…"

His eyes glowed with a golden light.

"So begone from this world, and never trouble mortals again…"

Jason glowed with a golden aura. A look of sheer terror appeared on the Spirit's face…

Then a flaming crack opened at his feet, and he screamed as he was swallowed by it, plunging into the fiery depths!

Jason fell on one knee as the pit vanished, and gasped to catch his breath. Sweat was pouring down his face.

Russell and Trisha were too scared to move for a minute. Finally, Trisha came up to him slowly.

"You actually did it…" muttered Trisha. "I… I thought you were bluffing. But you actually…"

"Sent him to Hell?" replied Jason.

He nodded.

"Oh yeah… I guess I did. Like I said, I can do it to someone who's truly deserving… Demons like him…

"It isn't something I'd do on a whim. I don't have a right to judge most people. But with some people, I don't have a problem with it. He was pure Evil.

"He said he hated his Monsters… A guy like him, that didn't surprise me. Now fiends like the ones he hated can show him how much they like abuse.

"But it took a lot of energy… I hope I don't have to duel again for…"

He paused.

"…oh, a half hour or so…"

Watching from the splintered remains of the door was the Puppeteer of Death.

_Fear not, Jason,_ he said, _I have no intention of targeting you… Especially since I don't want you to do to me what you did to him…_

_I should really thank you for disposing of that specter. I really didn't know how I was going to get rid of him. I certainly couldn't have dueled him myself. Even the strongest Monster in my new deck would have been defeated by that Darkchild. I only agreed to try to summon him because it was the only way I knew how to placate the Master._

_Now to business…_

_Russell… You will soon regret what you did to me… I don't need Raviel to take you down this time…_

_I'll face you with the Ultimate Fiend Deck…_

_Tuesday, November 10th, 10:45 PM_

**0**

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**SPIRITUALISTIC MEDIUM (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A derelict cemetery swarming with ghosts.

**Card Description:** Choose one FIEND or ZOMBIE-Type Monster on your side of the field. For every one of your cards that has been destroyed this turn, increase the ATK of the chosen Monster by 500 until the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Spiritualistic Medium" was used by Bakura in the anime episode "Shadow of a Duel". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**THE DUKE OF DEMISE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **1,700

**Card Description: **_Headless Knight plus The Earl of Demise_

Pay 500 Life Points during every Standby Phase that you have this card face-up on the field. If you do not, this card is destroyed. This card is not destroyed as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies).

_Note: "The Duke of Demise" was used by Bakura in the anime episode "Spiritual Awakening". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**0**

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**ZOMA THE SPIRIT (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A rotting and decayed dragon.

**Card Description:** This Trap can only be activated during a Main Phase. When activated, this card becomes a Monster Card and is placed in your Monster Zone in Defense Position (Zombie/Dark/4 stars/1,800 ATK/500 DEF). It is also considered a Trap. When this card is destroyed as a Monster as a result of battle, inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to twice that of the Monster that destroyed this card.

_Note: "Zoma the Spirit" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States. It was used by Bakura in the multi-part anime episode "The Dark One Cometh"._

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**DISGRACED MAGE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,700  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description: **When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, return the destroyed Monster to the top of your opponent's deck instead of the Graveyard. Also, if this card is destroyed as a result of battle, you can reduce the damage you take from the battle to zero by returning this card and all the cards in your hand to your deck. If you do so, reshuffle your deck.

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**SPIRIT SWORD OF SEALING (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A thin sword flying forward in a blur.

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed by Spell Cards, Trap Cards, or Monster effects. Upon activation, choose one Monster on the field and place one "Seal Counter" on it. The Monster with the "Seal Counter" cannot attack or use its effect, cannot be offered as a Tribute, cannot be targeted for an attack, and cannot be destroyed by a card effect. If the Monster with the "Seal Counter" is the only Monster on a player's side of the field, his opponent may attack directly. If a Monster is sent to the Graveyard belonging to the player who owns the Monster with the "Seal Counter", this card is destroyed and the "Seal Counter" is removed.

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**NECRO CYCLE (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Four multicolored Necro Mannequins.

**Card Description:** If you have at least one "Necro Mannequin" face up on your side of the field when this card is active, you can Special Summon one "Necro Mannequin" from your hand or deck during your Main Phase.

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**NECRO MANNEQUIN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Zombie  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **500  
**DEF: **500

**Flavor Text: **_A weird construct made of pieced-together bones._

**0**

**0**

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**NECRO WALL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description: **During your End Phase that this card is on the field, you can Special Summon one "Necro Wall Token" (Zombie/Dark/1 star/0ATK/0DEF) in Defense Position for every ZOMBIE-Type Monster on your side of the field.

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**NECRO SOLDIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description: **If this card is face-up on your side of the field, you can Special Summon one "Necro Soldier" from your hand or deck during your opponent's Standby Phase. The "Necro Soldier" that is Special Summoned by this effect can use its effect during the turn that it is Special Summoned.

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**NARROW CORRIDOR (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: A warrior crawling through a narrow shaft.

**Card Description:** When this card is active, both players cannot attack with more than two Monsters during each of their turns.

**0**

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**CURSED TWIN DOLLS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image**: Two evil-looking female dolls, one dressed in blue and the other in dressed in red.

**Card Description:** Give your opponent the option of flipping a coin, or letting you flip a coin. The player who flips a coin calls heads or tails. If the player wins the toss, he is considered "not cursed" and his opponent is considered "cursed," or the opposite if he loses the toss, for as long as this card remains in effect. The "not cursed" player gains 200 Life Points whenever a card goes to his Graveyard. All cards in the "cursed" player's Graveyard are removed from play, and his cards are taken out of play when they would be sent to the Graveyard for as long as this card remains in play. Cards removed from play by this effect are placed on the "cursed" player's side of the field, but do not occupy any zones, cannot attack, cannot defend from an attack, and cannot use their effects. The "cursed" played cannot discard cards from his hand and is unaffected by card effects that require him to do so.

_Note: The proceeding eight cards were used by Bakura in the multi-part anime episode "The Dark One Cometh". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**THE DARKCHILD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **?  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description: **This card is destroyed if "Cursed Twin Dolls" is not active on your side of the field. This card's base ATK is 500 for every card that has been removed from play by the effect of "Cursed Twin Dolls".

**0**

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**DOUBLE PINASKA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,500  
**DEF: **1,500

**Card Description: **If this card is face-up on your side of the field, and your opponent declares an attack, you may negate that attack. You may only use this effect once while this card remains face-up on the field.

_Note: "Double Pinaska" first appeared in "Legacy of the Duelist"._

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**SHINING DRAGON KNIGHT (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description: **This card is descended by activating "The Eye of Timaeus" and offering one "Blade Knight" as a Tribute. You can activate the effect of this card when you have no cards in your hand. When you activate this effect, destroy one face-up opposing Monster. This card may not attack during the round you use this effect. After you use this effect three times, destroy this card.

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**The Puppeteer returns with a vengeance, and Russell might face his toughest challenge ever, because he's back with a Monster that would put even Raviel to shame. What dark entity awaits? **_

**_Find out, in a chapter called "Return of the Doomed", coming soon…_**


	63. Return of the Doomed

_**My history with the duelist I'm facing consists of two duels. **_

_**In the first duel, I was beaten, but it wasn't exactly fair. His deck contained a card that I was completely unprepared for, and he also cheated by trick-shuffling.**_

_**In the second duel, I won, but to be fair, maybe the odds were too stacked in my own favor that time. I was using a deck specially designed to counter his. **_

_**Anyway, I'm facing him a third time, so I guess this is the tie-breaker. **_

_**I know he's hiding something this time, but maybe I have a plan of my own.**_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPER SIXTY-TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Return of the Doomed**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Tuesday, November 10th, 10:50 PM_

In the evil Shrine, Jason sat against the wall and took deep breaths.

As hard it was to believe, he had faced one of Yugi's deadliest foes, and won. The Evil Spirit of the Ring was burning in Perdition. He would never trouble the world again.

Somehow, this gave him a boost of confidence. Maybe after winning such a battle, Fortunado wouldn't be so hard.

And now all he had to do was find a way to get to him. He wanted to get out of this shrine. The evil stink was still in the air… And he didn't like it.

He started to prepare his deck. He knew just what cards he wanted in it.

"Taking it easy, Mr. Dark Messiah?" said a voice.

They all sat up.

"I know that voice…" said Russell.

Their eyes turned to the door, as the Puppeteer of Death entered.

"We thought you were dead," said Jason, with a snarl.

"I was already was dead, in case you forgot," said the Puppeteer. "Keeping track of the time, people? Almost midnight, you know, and you need to find a way to the top floor of this tower…

"Well I can send you there…"

"There's a condition, I'll bet…" answered Jason.

The Puppeteer stared at Russell.

"Russell…" he said. "Our record stands tied, one victory apiece. I want a decisive duel from you…

"…winner take all."

Russell looked at him.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" he asked. "Well fine. After all, Raviel is gone now, so all you are is some second-rate Fiend duelist."

Under his mask, the Puppeteer grinned.

_If only you knew, Russell,_ he thought_. If only you knew that in my new deck, I have something that would put even Raviel to shame…_

He started to shuffle his deck.

"Ah…" said Russell, walking up to him, "just to be safe, this time, I'm gonna do that for you. "

"Be my guest," said the Puppeteer, handing it to him. "I don't need to cheat to defeat you. This time, I'm going to beat you fair and square. I can be a gentleman when I want to be."

"Bull," said Russell.

He took the deck and gave it a thorough shuffle and a cut.

"There," he said, giving it back. "No trickery this time."

"Be careful Russell," said Trisha. "This is one guy I don't trust."

"Me neither," said Jason. "Just looking at him, I sense he's hiding something."

_And it isn't just him…_ he thought. _Raviel may be gone, but a definite sense of malice is lurking in his deck. Several of the Monsters don't seem like garden variety… Great evil emits from those cards…_

"We all have things to hide…" muttered the Puppeteer. "I ask you folks… Do you even have any idea what the motivations are behind this whole scheme? What the true thing is that empowers it?

"I'll tell you… It's frustration."

"Frustration?" asked Jason.

"Let me just tell you one thing, Jason…" said the Puppeteer. "The Reckoning may happen every thousand years until the end of time… I don't know, it isn't up to me…"

He paused.

"But tonight, if my side loses, next time there will be changes… Because the one who has run things up to now has truly burned every bridge."

"What are you talking about?" demanded Jason.

"I'm not here to explain," said the Puppeteer. "I'm here to duel."

Russell placed a toothpick in his mouth, as his Disk activated. The Puppeteer activated his.

"Fine with me!" shouted Russell. "Ready… battle!"

They drew five cards…

**(Russell: 8,000) -------------------- (Puppeteer of Death: 8,000)**

"Prepare to meet your worst nightmares," said the Puppeteer, making his first draw, "as I summon one of the darkest Fiends from the underworld you'll ever meet. I summon the Darksphinx in Attack Mode."

In a dark shadow, a bestial form appeared. It resembled the Grecian sphinx in general outline, having the head and upper torso of a woman and the hindquarters of a lion. But her head had two sets of horns, her fur was black, and she had black, feathered wings. She clutched two double-bladed, curved daggers. (1,400/1,000)

Russell knew that Industrial Illusions didn't make this card – they'd never approve a female Monster with exposed breasts…

He frowned.

"I don't know what your game is," he said, "but that doesn't look too formidable. Only 1,400 Attack Points?"

"Maybe," replied the Puppeteer. "But be wary…You'll have to be careful to solve the riddle of this sphinx. I end my turn."

"Be careful, Russell!" shouted Trisha. "Low Attack Points usually means tricky effects!"

Russell drew a card, and then carefully considered…

He played a card.

"I summon Command Knight in Attack Mode," he said.

In a burst of flame, Command Knight appeared, holding aloft her sword. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900)

Russell paused for a minute as Command Knight and Darksphinx stared each other down.

"Command Knight…" he ordered. "Attack the Darksphinx!"

Darksphinx grinned an evil smile as Command Knight lifted her sword…

"Hold on, Russell," said the Puppeteer. "It isn't that easy. Since you declared an attack against Darksphinx, you activated her special ability…"

He held his hand of cards forward.

"You see, she's like a Monster version of Ordeal of a Traveler. You have to choose a card in my hand and guess if it's a Monster, Spell, or Trap. Guess right, and Command Knight can attack. Guess wrong, and she goes back to your hand."

Russell drew back, rather startled.

"Uh… yeah…" he said. "Okay…"

He considered for a minute.

"I believe…" he said, "That the card on your far left is… A Monster…"

The Puppeteer glared at him.

He flipped the card around.

Darksphinx started to laugh cruelly when they saw what it was. It was a Trap called Pact of Greed.

"Better luck next time…" said the Puppeteer with a smirk, as Command Knight vanished.

"Ooh," cursed Russell, looking at his hand. "Fine, that's all I can do for now…"

"Oh no…" muttered Trisha.

The Puppeteer made a draw.

"First I'll place this facedown…" he said, placing a card in his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

"Then a Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And now… Darksphinx, attack him directly!"

Darksphinx flew forward, and made two downward slashes, stabbing into Russell with her daggers.

Russell fell to his knees. This was even worse than usual. He actually felt like he had been stabbed by knives.

He saw the Darksphinx looking down at him, with a cruel smile on her face.

Then he heard the Monster's voice!

"_Perhaps I won't toy with you…"_ she said. _"Perhaps I'll just EAT you!"_

"Get back here!" commanded the Puppeteer. "You made your attack…"

The Darksphinx frowned, and walked back to the Puppeteer's side.

"Sorry about that…" said the Puppeteer. "In these games, some beasts can be hard to control until you show them who's boss…

"But… when you are beaten, I won't hold her back."

Russell got up, shivering…

He had known all along that this would be a Shadow Game, but he realized now, this Darksphinx was not a creature of the Shadows…

She was a demon straight from the depths of Hell.

**(R: 6,600) -------------------- (P: 8,000)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Master smiled.

"Yes…" she said. "The first one has been released…

"Skorne was one of the most powerful evil forces ever to represent Evil in the Reckoning on this world. He may be dead, but with care and precision, his four guardians have been reborn in the form of Duel Monsters cards.

"And even if they should fail…

"The true master of that deck will finish Russell off but good…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Russell sweat as he got up. He tried to collect himself.

_Okay…_ he thought. _Sure, she's a demon, sure, she has a powerful effect, but this is still a duel, and she's still a Monster. And like all Monsters, she can be defeated._

_And since the size of his hand has just gotten smaller, I have a better chance now._

He drew a card.

"I activate a Trap Card," said the Puppeteer.

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of Kozaky in front of several computer screens.

"It's called Success Probability 0."

"I know that card!" shouted Trisha. "It's in my side deck!"

"Then you know what it does," said the Puppeteer. "It forces Russell to take two Monsters from his Fusion Deck at random and discard them."

Russell gave him an angry look. His Fusion Deck _only_ had two cards!

"After all…" said the Puppeteer, "it was your Arcana Knight Joker who defeated me the last time, and I want no part of him this time."

Russell frowned as he discarded that card along with Flame Swordsman.

_I'll get your revenge, guys,_ he thought.

"Continuing my turn…" he said, "I summon my Marauding Captain…"

He played the card, and Captain appeared, brandishing his blades. (1,200/400)

"And I'll use his effect to summon Command Knight yet again…" he continued.

Marauding Captain whistled, and Command Knight stepped out onto the field. (1,200/1,900)

Both of their Attack Scores rose to 1,600.

"Get the picture, Puppeteer?" asked Russell. "Now I get two chances to solve your sphinx's riddle, since I have two Monsters.

"Marauding Captain, attack!"

Captain raised his blades.

"Be my guest…" dared the Puppeteer, raising his hand.

"Card on the far right… Monster," said Russell.

Darksphinx grinned, showing her fangs as the Puppeteer turned the card around, showing it to be The Puppet Magic of Dark Ruler.

Marauding Captain vanished.

"Be careful, Russell!" shouted Trisha.

The Puppeteer put his cards together, and then spread them out again.

Russell grit his teeth. If she attacked him again…

"Command Knight, attack!" he shouted.

Command Knight raised her own sword.

"Card in the middle left… Monster," said Russell.

Both the Puppeteer and Darksphinx looked surprised this time…

"Well what do you know…" muttered the Puppeteer, turning the card around. "You actually got it…"

It was a Monster called Silver Chimera.

"And I'm not the only one who's gonna get it," said Russell.

Command Knight made a slash with her sword, and Darksphinx howled. She burst into globules of darkness.

**(R: 6,600) -------------------- (P: 7,800)**

_So much for that creepy thing,_ thought Russell. _But I have a feeling this is just starting._

"So you destroyed Darksphinx…" said the Puppeteer, drawing a card. "So what? She was only the first of many…"

He played two cards.

"I place one card facedown, and I summon Silver Chimera in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and a new Monster appeared. It again resembled a mythical creature, this time the Chimera. But its lion and goat heads were both demonic and had eyes that glowed with evil light. Its body was covered with silvery scales rather than fur. (1,600/1,200)

"Why play that Monster?" asked Russell. "It has exactly the same Attack Score as Command Knight."

"She isn't the target," answered the Puppeteer. "When your Monsters are all in Attack Mode and all have equal or more Attack Points than Silver Chimera, it can attack you directly."

Russell stepped back.

"Attack!" commanded the Puppeteer. "Black flame scourge!"

Silver Chimera's three heads shot blasts of black energy, flying past Command Knight. Russell felt pain unlike any that should have come from a Monster with only 1,600 Attack Points…

Clearly, this thing was the same variety of Fiend as Darksphinx…

**(R: 5,000) -------------------- (P: 7,800)**

"I'll end my turn there…" said the Puppeteer.

Russell glared at him in hate as he drew a card.

"How's your hand?" asked the Puppeteer. "Maybe not so good? Well, maybe I can help…"

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate the Trap Card, Pact of Greed."

The Pot of Greed appeared in the center of the field, and started spinning around as it made a low chuckle.

"Now we both get to make one draw," said the Puppeteer.

Russell shrugged as they both drew a card.

"All right then…" he said. "I Equip Command Knight with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade."

He played the card, and the large, sharp sword appeared in Command Knight's hand. Her attack rose to 2,400.

"Now I'll summon Marauding Captain again…"

Marauding Captain appeared again. (1,200/400) –) (1,600/400)

"And I'll use his effect to summon Warrior Dai Grepher!"

Grepher appeared, holding his broadsword. (1,700/1,600) –) (2,100/1,600)

centerIMG attack the Silver Chimera!"

Grepher slashed with his sword, cutting the Fiend down the middle. The two pieces shattered like crystal.

"Marauding Captain, take out his facedown Monster!"

Marauding Captain flew at the facedown Monster. Sangan appeared on the card, and was sliced in half.

"Don't celebrate yet," said the Puppeteer, taking his deck. "I'll use his effect to search for a new Monster…"

He got what he wanted.

"One like The Queen of Spiders!"

"Fine!" shouted Russell. "Command Knight, attack him directly!"

Command Knight angrily charged the Puppeteer, and slashed at him with her blade. He grunted and fell backwards.

**(R: 5,000) -------------------- (P: 4,900)**

"All right!" shouted Trisha. "Russell is in the lead!"

"I know…" muttered Jason. "But I don't like it. I have a feeling that the Puppeteer is keeping his best Monsters in reserve."

The Puppeteer glared at Russell. His eyes glowed red.

He drew a card.

"Well Russell…" he said, playing a card, "since your Command Knight had the gall to attack me, I'm going to bury her. I play Tribute to the Doomed."

He played the card, and discarded The Puppet Magic of Dark Ruler.

Command Knight screamed as a swarm of linens erupted around her and wrapped her up. A huge hand grabbed her, dragging her into the grave.

Russell stared at his foe, now more than angry.

The Puppeteer placed a card on his Disk.

"I summon The Queen of Spiders in Defense Mode," he said.

Another creepy form rose up in the shadows. This one looked like a huge black widow spider, but where the head would be was the decrepit body of an ugly hag. (1,000/1,000)

"Go ahead," he said.

"You think that ugly thing scares me?" said Russell, drawing.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive to bring Command Knight back to my hand."

He played the card, and took the card from his discard slot.

"Now I'll summon her," he said, playing the card. "Welcome back…"

Command Knight appeared again, and shook her limbs, as if trying to get the stiffness out of them. (1,200/1,900) –) (1,600/1,900)

"Now swat that spider!"

Command Knight brought her sword down on spider demon, and it moaned before it shattered.

"Nice try…" said the Puppeteer, "but when that Monster is destroyed, she leaves behind a few friends. Four Spider Fiend Tokens in Defense Mode."

Four small spiders appeared on the Puppeteer's side of the field. (0/0 x4)

"Marauding Captain, Grepher!" shouted Russell. "Destroy two of them!"

With two slashes of swords, two of the tokens were stomped.

Jason held his chin in worry.

He just knew the Puppeteer was leading up to something…

"My move…" said the Puppeteer, drawing a card.

He looked over his hand.

"I'll play Pot of Greed…" he said, playing the card.

He drew two cards.

_Where the Hell is it?_ he thought. _Maybe playing fair was a bad idea…_

He played a card.

"I summon Brimstone Golem in Attack Mode."

A fire erupted on his side of the field, and a hulking, muscular figure, apparently made out of flaming charcoal, rose up. (2,200/300)

"Okay…" muttered Russell, "what's the catch?"

"I can't fool you can I?" asked the Puppeteer. "Actually, it has two catches, but I'll only tell you one of them now. Similar to Panther Warrior, I have to sacrifice a Monster in order for it to Attack.

"So I sacrifice one Spider Fiend Token…"

One of the tokens vanished.

"Attack Marauding Captain! Ember punch!"

Brimstone Golem socked the Captain with its fiery fist, and the Warrior shattered.

(R: 4,400) -------------------- (P: 4,900)

"So what are you going to do now?" asked the Puppeteer.

Russell drew a card.

"I sacrifice both my Monsters…" he declared.

The room darkened, and Command Knight and Grepher vanished.

"Arise, Crescent Moon Queen!"

The ebony-skinned warrior queen in silvery armor appeared, holding her blades threateningly. (2,600/1,700)

The Puppeteer stepped back in surprise.

"Destroy his Golem!" shouted Russell.

Crescent Moon Queen made a slash with her sword, and to everyone's surprise, the Golem exploded, throwing the Puppeteer backwards.

**(R: 4,400) -------------------- (P: 3,500)**

"So that's it…" said Russell. "That's the other catch. If it's destroyed, you lose 1,000 more Life Points."

"Well what do you know," said the Puppeteer, sarcastically, "he figured it out all by himself."

"Make jokes while you can, pal," said Russell. "Queen, destroy his last token!"

Crescent Moon Queen cleaved the last spider in half.

Then she backed up and crouched in Defense Mode.

"Your move…" said Russell. "So now what? I can hardly wait to see what comes next…"

The Puppeteer drew a card.

"I play Graceful Charity…" he said, drawing a card.

He made three draws.

_There it is…_ he thought. _The true lord of this deck. Of course, drawing it and summoning it are two different things…_

He discarded Gil Garth and a second Silver Chimera.

"I place two cards facedown…" he said.

Two facedown Monsters appeared.

"Then I summon Opticlops in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and the more familiar Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,700)

"No…" moaned Trisha. "It can beat Queenie's Defense…"

"I think that's the least of Russell's worries," said Jason.

He paused.

"Ever since he played Graceful Charity, the evil smell in this room has increased…

"Before it was just the smell of a dung heap…

"Now, I'd liken it more to the smell of an arson attack at a condemned slaughterhouse."

"Attack!" shouted the Puppeteer.

Opticlops charged, and rammed the Queen with its horn, blasting her to pixels.

Russell closed his eyes. A tear fell down his face.

"My… move…" he said.

He drew.

He played a card, and Pot of Greed appeared on the field. He drew two cards.

He looked them over.

He didn't say a word as he made his next move. He played three cards, and three facedown cards appeared.

Then he played another, and Queen's Knight appeared in front of them. (1,500/1,600)

Then he played yet another, and Rush Recklessly appeared.

"Kill…" said Russell.

Queen's Knight was more than happy to comply, and swung her sword, decapitating the Fiend. Its remains shattered.

"Move…" said Russell.

**(R: 4,400) -------------------- (P: 3,100)**

"Run out of clever banter?" asked the Puppeteer, drawing.

"I'm not in the mood anymore," said Russell. "Maybe I'm just getting tired of nuts like you. This has been happening for over two months now, and so help me, it's gonna stop tonight."

"I agree…" said the Puppeteer.

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Call of the Haunted."

The Brimstone Golem reappeared.

"Now, I sacrifice it… To summon a Monster who I can't help but love… You'll see why in a minute.

"I summon the dreaded… Puppet Master."

The Golem vanished, and a frightening-looking Fiend appeared. It was a gaunt creature, dressed in a jester's outfit, floating over the ground. (0/0)

"That thing has no points!" shouted Trisha.

"Don't underestimate it…" warned Jason. "I not only know about this Monster, I faced it once before."

"Then you know what I'm about to do," continued the Puppeteer. "I may have to pay the heavy price of 2,000 Life Points, but I can summon two Fiends from my Graveyard."

Puppet Master cackled, and cast an evil spell. Opticlops and Gil Garth appeared in Attack Mode. (1,800/1,000), (1,800/1,700)

"You forgot one thing," said Russell. "They can't attack on this round."

"Then I guess I'll end my turn…" said the Puppeteer.

**(R: 4,400) -------------------- (P: 1,100)**

Russell drew a card.

"I don't know what you're planning…" he said, "but I'm going to end this now…

"I Equip Queen's Knight with Grade Sword…"

Queen's Knight's sword vanished, and the fancier one appeared in her hand. (1,800/1,600)

"And now that that's done…" he said, "I sacrifice her, to summon Gilford the Legend!"

Queen's Knight vanished, and the mighty Gilford arose, his cape fluttering in unseen wind. (2,600/2,000)

"Whoa!" shouted Trisha. "He hasn't used _him_ in a while!"

"And as an interesting side note," continued Russell, "due to his effect, I can Equip him with both the Grade Sword and Fusion Sword Murasame Blade in my Graveyard."

The two Equips appeared, and were absorbed into Gilford's blade. (3,700/2,000)

"Attack his Puppet Master!" shouted Russell.

"Forget that I had one more Trap left?" asked the Puppeteer, as his facedown card lifted. "This was no bluff… It was Curse of Anubis."

The jackal-headed god appeared, and howled. Both Gilford and Puppet Master moved into Defense Mode.

"This Trap moves all Effect Monsters into Defense Mode, and reduces their Defense Scores to zero for the rest of the round. Of course, it doesn't affect Opticlops and Gil Garth, because they're Normal Monsters."

"Too bad you can't attack on my turn," said Russell. "On your turn, he'll be back to 2,000 Defense."

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" chuckled the Puppeteer.

He drew a card.

_Perfect…_ he thought. _This Spell was just what I needed…_

"I sacrifice Gil Garth…" he said.

Gil Garth burst into flame…

"AND Opticlops…"

Opticlops caught fire too.

"AND Puppet Master…"

Puppet Master caught fire.

"_Three_ sacrifices?" shouted Trisha. "What the Hell…"

"Exactly…" said the Puppeteer.

They all watched in horror as the floor of the room turned to a pool of molten lava and the three fiends were consumed…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The Sage of Duelists got up with a start.

"No!" he shouted. "The fools! They've unleashed the forbidden evil that was never to resurface!

"How… Strict orders were given… It should have remained imprisoned for all eternity…"

He paused.

"Russell…

"May the forces of pure Good come to your aid, for this is your darkest hour…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Russell could only watch, as the whole arena seemed to be transported to the fiery depths of Hell itself.

And behind the Puppeteer was a hulking creature standing thirty-feet tall! It would have been much taller, but it rose out of the lava, and only the parts of it body from the waist up were visible.

The Fiend – there was no doubt – had a bony exoskeleton, huge claws, and a horned carapace covering its head like a helmet. Its eyes glowed fiery red, and flames danced from every pore.

"Meet the last Monster you'll ever see…" said the Puppeteer. **_"Wicked God Dreadroot!"_**

(4,000/4,000)

Russell took a step back…

"How can you have that?" he asked in fear. "That card was locked up in some Swiss vault!"

"My employer could steal from Fort Knox, given time," said the Puppeteer. "I know you were taught about this creature… How Pegasus created the prototype, but how even he was afraid of it, and ordered it sealed away…

"But there's something you didn't know. You don't know the true reason why Pegasus created it.

"He never intended to mass-produce this card. It was for his own personal use."

"Balony!" shouted Jason. "Why would someone who played a Toon Deck want such an abomination?"

"Because of a more well-known mistake he had had made," replied the Puppeteer. "He was afraid of the Egyptian God Cards. He needed a weapon in case anyone used them against him, and this beast could do it.

"Want to know why? Because of his great effect. He's so terrifying, that while he's on the field, an aura of supernatural fear cloaks the whole arena, making it difficult for anyone to attack or defend because they're paralyzed with fright. In other words, all Monsters except this one lose half of their Attack and Defense Points."

Russell looked at Gilford.

It was true. His stats were now at (1,850/1,000).

Russell stared in fear… This thing could even beat Slifer if the duelist using him had a full hand of six cards!

"Now where were we?" continued the Puppeteer. "Oh yes… I play the Spell Card, Smite of Dark Ruler. It works just like Meteorain in Spell form, except that only Fiends gain the benefit."

He played the card. Trisha gasped as Dreadroot glowed.

"ATTACK!" screamed the Puppeteer. "Armageddon explosion!"

Wicked God Dreadroot raised his arm, and a ball of molten fire appeared in his hand…

He hurled it, and Russell braced himself as an explosion tore through his side of the field!

He panted and caught his breath…

**(R: 4,400) -------------------- (P: 1,100)**

"WHAT?" said the Puppeteer. "You didn't lose a thing!"

Russell took some deep breaths.

"I had facedown cards too, buster," he said. "I chained Emergency Provisions, sending my Reinforcements, Grade Sword, and Fusion Sword Murasame Blade to the Graveyard, and gaining 3,000 Life Points before your attack hit."

"Fine…" said the Puppeteer. "As if it will make a difference. Unless you can somehow summon something with 8,000 Attack Points, you'll never defeat Dreadroot! It's your move…"

"I'm not through yet, Puppeteer…" said Russell.

Russell paused. Actually, maybe he was. He had no cards in his hand, and his last facedown card wouldn't make much of a difference.

_This next card had better be a Monster…_ he thought.

He drew.

"I place this in Defense Mode," he said, setting the card.

Trisha cheered as the facedown Monster appeared.

"Very well…" said the Puppeteer. "I draw…"

He drew a card.

Metamorphosis.

_Darn…_ he thought.

"Attack!" he shouted.

Dreadroot hurled its fireball. Warrior Lady of the Wasteland appeared on the card, and was incinerated.

"I activate her effect…" said Russell. "Come forth… Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

The elven Warrior appeared, holding his sword. (1,400/1,200) –) (700/600)

"Clever…" said the Puppeteer. "I suppose you'll shift him into Defense Mode… Well all I have to do is draw a Monster with less than 1,800 Attack Points, and you're finished, and since Dreadroot affects my Monsters too, that won't be much of a problem!"

"My move…" said Russell.

"Does Russell have _anything_ that can beat that thing?" asked Trisha.

"Well…" muttered Jason. "Exiled Force could, if he even has that in his deck any more. That Order to Charge card could too… But he'd need a Normal Monster on the field, and the Puppeteer certainly isn't going to let one last long enough for him to use it…"

Russell drew a card. He looked at it.

"I will move him into Defense Mode, and end my turn."

The Guardian crouched in Defense.

The Puppeteer drew a card.

Dreadroot growled, impatiently. It strummed its clawed fingers on the surface of the arena…

The Puppeteer grinned.

"Well, no Monster…" he said. "But something almost as good…

"I Equip Dreadroot with Fairy Meteor Crush. I know it sounds contradictory to use a Spell with the word 'Fairy' on him, but…"

Dreadroot glowed again as he played the card.

"Anyway, your elf may survive this attack, but your Life Points will still take a hit!

"Dreadroot, attack!"

Trisha and Jason watched in fear, as Dreadroot hurled his fireball, and both Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and Russell screamed.

**(R: 1,000) -------------------- (P: 1,100)**

"Your move…" said the Puppeteer.

Russell was down on one knee. His Monster was intact, but wasn't in the best shape either. He slowly got up…

_This may be my last chance… _he thought, drawing a card.

He looked at it. His eyes narrowed.

"First, I move Obnoxious Celtic Guardian into Attack Mode…" he said.

The elven Warrior stood up.

"What?" said the Puppeteer.

"Is he crazy?" shouted Trisha.

"Now I activate Call of the Haunted!" shouted Russell.

His facedown card lifted, and Marauding Captain reappeared. (1,200/400) –) (600/200)

"And now I sacrifice him… To summon Saint Knight Issac!"

Captain glowed with blinding light, and vanished. The imposing form of Sir Issac stepped out of the light. (2,300/1,800) –) (1,150/900)

"You're a fool," said the Puppeteer. "He can't help you now. Dreadroot's power even weakens him."

"We'll see about that," said Russell.

He took the card he had just drawn.

"I play The Claw of Hermos!"

He threw the card on his Disk, and in a burst of light, Hermos appeared beside him!

"And I merge Hermos… With Issac!"

Jason and Trisha gasped…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Russell has done the unthinkable…" said the Sage. "He has combined one of the Dragons with a Card of Virtue…

"But what has he created?

"Can he even control it?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Outside the building, the dark fog burned away, and a beam of light shot down from the Heavens!

Saint Knight Issac transformed into a huge, glowing weapon resembling a cross between a sword and a large cleaver covered with ancient runes, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian took hold of it. It shone with blinding light!

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian," said Russell, "take the Awesome Blade, and bring down that abomination!"

"Awesome Blade?" shouted the Puppeteer.

"Let me explain," said Russell. "This is the exact weapon that Issac used in the last Reckoning, to slay the demon Malastus. He had his own name for it that only he knew, but folks who told of his story called it the Awesome Blade.

"Here's what it does in game terms. I can use the effect of this Equip only when my opponent's Monster has at least twice the Attack Points of mine, and yours has over five times as much. Then, for the cost of half my Life Points, the opposing Monster is destroyed automatically, and battle damage is reduced to zero.

"And due to his own effect, my Guardian will be spared.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian… Attack with Awesome Blow!"

The elven Warrior leapt up and hollered a war cry, and slammed his sword into Wicked God Dreadroot! The massive Fiend deity groaned an unholy groan, and then toppled back into the lava, falling with a mighty splash.

He never surfaced.

The lava cooled, and then vanished. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian returned to his regular stats of (1,400/1,200)

**(R: 500) -------------------- (P: 1,100)**

"Your move…" said Russell.

The Puppeteer nervously drew.

He grinned.

"I summon my second Darksphinx in Attack Mode!" he shouted. "She's back…"

Russell drew back, as the sinister Monster appeared again. (1,400/1,000)

"That will do," he said.

Russell drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn," he said, "to bring back an old friend."

He played the card, and Crescent Moon Queen reappeared.

"Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack the Darksphinx!"

Guardian raised his blade.

"Not so fast…" said the Puppeteer.

"I know…" said Russell. "I believe that the one card in your hand is…"

He paused.

"…a Spell Card."

The Puppeteer gasped.

He slowly turned the card around, revealing it to be Metamorphosis.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian charged. He slashed the Darksphinx with the Awesome Blade, she slashed at him with her daggers, and both Monsters exploded.

"Crescent Moon Queen, attack him directly!"

The Queen slammed her sword into the Puppeteer, and he was thrown backwards.

He slumped to the ground.

"Cease fire…" said Russell.

**(R: 500) -------------------- (P: 0)**

When the Puppeteer looked up, Jason was standing over him.

"You lost," he said, "so I expect you to keep your word, and send us to meet the main man."

The Puppeteer didn't say a word. He gestured, and a Transporter appeared in the corner of the shrine.

"Let's go, people!" shouted Jason.

They walked up to the Transporter.

"Jason?" said Trisha. "Before we go up… Here…"

She handed him a card.

"Put this in your deck. That way, there'll be a little of me with you when you face him."

Jason looked at it.

"Jason…" said Russell.

He handed him one.

"Take this one too. I know you don't use many Warriors, but his main effect doesn't need them."

Jason looked over the two cards.

"Thank you, my friends," he said.

He started to consider what two cards to remove…

Then he figured that a deck of forty-two cards wasn't too oversized for him to handle. He shuffled his deck.

"Uh, Russell…" he said, "didn't Issac tell you what the Awesome Blade's true name was?"

Russell looked at the Puppeteer and then lowered his voice so he couldn't hear.

"I was bluffing," he whispered. "Issac had no name for it. The sword itself was indeed magical, but only with simple enchantments. It had no great power. Issac used the power within himself, channeled through the sword, in order to slay the beast.

"But you know how stories start. Folks started to believe his sword was a mighty holy artifact, and called it the Awesome Blade."

Jason shrugged. He touched the Transporter, and it activated, whisking them away to their next destination.

"Humph…" said the Puppeteer in a sulk. "Touching…"

He dropped his cards on the ground.

"Worthless. Good riddance to bad rubbish… Huh?"

He looked up…

Four Monsters were in front of him…

The Darksphinx, the Silver Chimera, the Brimstone Golem, and The Queen of Spiders.

"Patience, everyone," said the Darksphinx, evilly. "There's enough of him to share…"

A scream echoed through the building…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The three of them opened their eyes, and they were in a very lavish apartment. It seemed to be a penthouse suite of some sort.

They looked around. Everything was expensive. The furniture, the rugs, the artwork…

Clearly, they had reached the apex.

They heard music start to play. Someone was playing on a piano, but apparently, whoever was doing so was rushing though the work.

They walked into a large room, and saw the pianist seated at the instrument. He was hard to miss – a middle-aged man with a gentle face and shaggy white hair. His clothes seemed to be centuries out of style.

He ignored them for a few seconds, and then played the final stanza.

"That was Chopin's _Minute Waltz_," he said, "performed in fifty-one seconds. Not bad, don't you think?"

They stared at him.

He lifted a bottle of champagne and picked up a glass.

"The night of the Reckoning…" he said. "Quite an occasion… You three care for any?"

"You're gonna be in enough trouble if you survive this," said Jason. "Do you want add offering liquor to minors to the list?"

"I'm in too deep to turn back now, Mr. Conrad…" muttered Fortunado. "Frankly, it would be hard for me to get into any more trouble. I never really intended it to go this far, truthfully…"

He sipped the wine.

"But desperation makes one do strange things…

"Go into show business, my dad told me… That's where all the money is. When I was a kid, my original dream was to open my own seafood restaurant. But that never got off the ground.

"Thirty years ago, I was a very big name in Hollywood. I made smash hits like _The Black Rose_ and _Rise of the Martyr_…"

"I saw _The Black Rose_…" said Trisha. "It was pretty good…"

"But it seemed that ten years into my career I was putting out nothing but trash," continued Fortunado. "The worst one was _Barbarian Princess_. People group that one with other movies that are so bad, they're sort of entertaining – to a point.

"My contacts stopped calling me, and I was lucky to make a film with reasonable success. The critics looked at me as a joke.

"When I got the deck of cards that Sartorious made all those years ago, I didn't want to use it. But then… someone contacted me saying that the event it was made for was coming, and offered me the chance of a lifetime…

"A grand documentary of the Reckoning, with live footage!"

"More like a snuff film," said Jason. "Do you have any idea how many have died since…"

"They're not dead… yet…" interrupted Fortunado. "But anyway, my role was simple. Do a few favors, handle the important stuff, and be allowed to film the action. And I must admit, the fringe benefits were pretty good."

He placed a cigarette in his mouth and then held his hand in front of it. A ball of flame ignited in his palm, lighting the cancer stick.

"See what I mean?" he said. "By the way, the nicotine doesn't hurt me either."

Jason gestured, and the cigarette burst into fire and then crumbled into ash.

Fortunado coughed and looked at him.

"I'm guessing you don't like second-hand smoke…" he said, nervously.

"So that's why you're doing this…" said Jason. "All this time, you've been putting us through the ringer, sending souls to some cruel, dark fate… All in order to make box office profits…"

"You say that as if it were a bad thing…" replied Fortunado. "You know, Jason, one of the most important rules in show biz is, you have to step on people to get ahead."

Jason glared at him.

Fortunado took a small remote out of his pocket.

"Another rule is…" he said, "always give the public what they want. So I'm giving your troops a little preview before we take them down…"

"What do you mean?" asked Jason.

"I know your allies are all congregated in Times Square," said Fortunado. "Likely eating pizza and resting. Well, I've hijacked control of the big screen. They'll all be able to watch as the true Reckoning happens!"

He hit a button on the remote.

Then he tossed it aside, and from out of nowhere, an Orichalcos Disk appeared on his arm.

"I warn you, Dark Messiah…" he said, "I was the state champion of both California and Nevada years ago. And I've been preparing for this event longer than you have…

"So as they say in the movies, let's cut to the chase.

"Take a look outside…"

They looked out the window. The dark fog cleared up, revealing the full moon…

And then a dark shape moved across the sky, slowly covering the moon. Only the city lights now illuminated New York.

"Midnight…" said Fortunado. "The witching hour… The time has come… It truly begins…

"Ready for your close-up?"

Jason's Disk activated.

"Come and get me!" he shouted.

He saw in his mind the two Monsters Trisha and Russell had given him.

_We're all in this together guys…_

"Lights… camera… action!" shouted Fortunado. "And we're gonna get this all in one take, I assure you…"

Tuesday, November 10th, 11:59 PM

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**DARKSPHINX (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,400  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description: **If this card is attacked by an opposing Monster, the controller of the attacking Monster must choose one card in your hand and call the type of the card (Monster, Spell, or Trap). If your opponent calls it wrong, the attacking Monster is returned to its owner's hand.

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**SILVER CHIMERA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,600  
**DEF: **1,200

**Card Description: **If the only Monsters on your opponent's side of the field are in Attack Position and have ATK greater than or equal to this card, this card may attack your opponent directly.

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**BRIMSTONE GOLEM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **2,200  
**DEF: **300

**Card Description: **This card cannot attack unless you first offer a Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. If this Monster is destroyed, deduct 1,000 points from your Life Points.

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**THE QUEEN OF SPIDERS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,000  
**DEF: **1,000

**Card Description: **This card cannot be Special Summoned. If this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon four "Spider Fiend Tokens" (Fiend/Dark/1 star/0 ATK/0 DEF) in Defense Position. "Spider Fiend Tokens" cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon.

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**PACT OF GREED (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image: **The Pot of Greed behind two hands handing cards towards each other.

**Card Description:** Each player draws one card from his/her respective decks.

_Note: "Pact of Greed" was used by Aster in a second season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SMITE OF DARK RULER (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image: **Dark Ruler Ha Des looming out of the darkness, reaching forward with one claw.

**Card Description:** On the round this card is activated, when any of your FIEND-Type Monsters attack an opponent's Defense Position Monster with an Attack Score lower than the target's Defense Score, the difference is deducted as battle damage from your opponent's Life Points.

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**0**

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**PUPPET MASTER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description: **When this card is Tribute Summoned, you may pay 2,000 Life Points to Special Summon two FIEND-Type Monsters from your Graveyard. The Special Summoned Monsters cannot attack on the turn they are Special Summoned.

_Note: "Puppet Master" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

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**WICKED GOD DREADROOT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **10  
**ATK: **4,000  
**DEF: **4,000

**Card Description: **This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card can only be Normal Summoned by offering three Monsters on your side of the field as a Tribute. When this card is face-up on the field, the ATK and DEF of all face-up Monsters on the field except this one are halved.

_Note: "Wicked God Dreadroot" is a Japanese promotional card that has not yet been released in the United States._

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**0**

**0**

**AWESOME BLADE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Card Description: **This card is descended by activating "The Claw of Hermos" and offering one "Saint Knight Issac" as a Tribute. This card can be Equipped to a WARRIOR-Type Monster. You can activate the effect of this card when the Equipped Monster attacks an opposing Monster who has at least twice the Equipped Monster's ATK. Pay half your Life Points. Destroy the opposing Monster, and reduce battle damage to zero.

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_**Coming up next:**_

**_It's Jason versus Fortunado! What strategy does this fiendish filmmaker have up his sleeve? Not telling. Find out in "Thunder of Ruler", coming soon._**


	64. Thunder of Ruler

Well, here we are again. I'd like to say a few words.

A lot of people have been a little upset by the way I messed with the cannon. Boy did I hear it when I said that the villain claimed responsibility for turning Zane evil.

I've been suffering in silence, because the villain's identity was my greatest secret. I couldn't defend myself, because I couldn't give it away.

With this chapter, I hope that it becomes clear.

I realized a long time ago, that what Zane does in GX is via his own free will, he is NOT under any kind of control, and he has no-one to blame but himself. He turned evil because he wanted to, sad as it is to say.

So why did the villain make that claim?

Read on…

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_**The time has come. The Black Moon has risen.**_

_**After facing assassins, mad computers, and evil gods, we have fought our way to the top of this fortress, the apex of evil. We need go no further. **_

_**I now stand face-to-face with someone who seems to be in charge, at least for now. His motives are insane. He's serving someone who promised him the opportunity to turn this whole deal into a major motion picture. Has he no conscience? No concern over who he's hurt?**_

_**Dozens of our foes are lying comatose, their souls snatched from their bodies. They weren't nice people, for sure, but for all we knew, they had siblings, lovers, spouses…**_

…_**maybe even children…**_

…_**and all of these duelists… Their souls are languishing in some dark prison because this fiend wanted to make a box office draw.**_

_**No more hiding for him. It's him against me. **_

_**I almost want him to use the Orichalcos… I want him to know the terror that his henchmen must have known before it took them.**_

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**CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE**

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**Thunder of Ruler**

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_Wednesday, November 11th, 12:00 AM_

Across the city, folks were surprised. If a total lunar eclipse was to occur tonight, why didn't the news mention it?

Only a small group in Times Square were not surprised…

But Jason's small group definitely was surprised when the big screen started showing live footage of him.

"It's Jason…" said Randy. "What's he doing?"

"Looks like he's dueling," said Amanda. "And his opponent looks serious."

"What do we do?" asked Ansel.

"The only thing we can do…" muttered Old Ben. "Give him our support…

"Because the outcome of this is what decides whether or not the sun comes up in the morning…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason and Fortunado stared each other down.

"This is indeed a treat," said Fortunado. "Just like the good old days."

"You say you're good at this?" asked Jason.

**(Jason: 8,000) -------------------- (Fortunado: 8,000)**

"Well I'm no amateur myself. Just ask any of your goons who've dueled me.

"Oh right, they can't. I tell you pal, it must be a bummer having to put part of your salary into your company's retirement plan. None of your employees last until retirement."

"I'm the movie producer," said Fortunado, "I'll make the bad jokes around here if you don't mind…"

"Well what are you waiting for?" asked Jason, angrily. "An engraved invitation?"

"I take it that means you want me to go first…" said Fortunado, drawing a sixth card.

He looked over his hand.

"And from the look of my opening hand, that was a dire mistake."

"Oh no…" muttered Trisha. "He got the Seal."

"Heh, heh, no, not yet Ms. Moise…" he replied. "I don't like to rush with such matters anyway. A good film always starts slowly. It whets the viewer's appetite.

"I'll start by playing my Pot of Greed…"

He played the card, and the jar appeared. He frowned and pointed at it…

A blast of flame shot from his hand and blew it to pieces.

"Never liked that giggling goon," he said, drawing twice.

"Next, I'll place a card facedown, and summon my White Knight Swordsman in Attack Mode."

In a burst of light, an ominous-looking knight in white, ceremonial armor with a huge sword on his right arm appeared. He had a winged helmet with a visor covering his eyes. (1,200/0)

"Huh?" said Russell. "I've seen every Warrior in the book, but _that's_ a new one on me…"

"I'm full of surprises," said Fortunado. "And like I said, Mr. Conrad, since you let me go first, you left yourself vulnerable to an attack."

"Bull!" said Jason. "Everyone knows you can't attack on the first turn of the duel. That's the rule."

"I know the rules," said Fortunado, choosing a card. "You see Mr. Conrad, a common misconception folks have about people with money and power is that we study the rules just so we can learn how to break them.

"That isn't true. The fundamental rules of the universe are set in stone, and can't be broken.

"But when you know the rules as well as I do, you learn ways to manipulate them so that they serve you, not the other way around. You discover loopholes and technicalities that let you get around the rules without truly breaking them."

"How can he attack on the first turn?" asked Trisha.

"I play the Spell Card, Mischief of the Time Goddess!" shouted Fortunado, playing a card.

"THAT'S how…" moaned Russell.

In a shower of dust, a cute, young girl with blue pigtails in a green and golden robe appeared. She winked, and waved a magic staff.

"This gets a little complicated, so I'll explain," said Fortunado. "This powerful Spell lets me skip the rest of my turn, then skip _your_ turn, then skip my next Draw Phase, Standby Phase, and Main Phase One, going right to my next Battle Phase…

"So in effect, it's my second turn now, so I'm free to attack unopposed. White Knight Swordsman, attack! Blade of the forsaken!"

The Swordsman flew forward, and slashed his blade across Jason's chest. He shouted and fell over.

"Ouch…" he muttered.

"That will be enough for now…" said Fortunado.

**(J: 6,800) -------------------- (F: 8,000)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Deep inside the Monastery…

It was hard for any of the residents to relax. They knew well that the hour had finally come.

They were all doing their best to keep calm. Most were in meditation…

…among the ones who were was Chazz.

In his private quarters, he was deep in thought, engaged in a practice that he would have called idiotic decades ago. Nowadays, it was a part of life…

And then, his eyes opened…

…and he screamed…

He fell on the floor and screamed again. He might have a third time if someone hadn't heard him and rushed in.

"Chazz!" shouted Alexis. "What? What is it?"

Chazz sat up and took deep, gasping breaths. He was sweating…

"Alexis…" he whispered. "The cards… My cards… Jason is facing them…"

"What?" she asked. "Ojamas? Armed Dragons?"

He shook his head.

"The Knights…" he muttered.

She drew back.

"The White Knights?" she asked, surprised.

Chazz took some deep breaths again, and nodded.

"Yeah…" he said. "The ones I used when I was… blinded by the Light…

"Those evil cards… They once served the Light of Ruin… They serve the Orichalcos now… Jason was just struck by one…"

"Get ahold of yourself!" she shouted, shaking him.

"Those abominations were beaten once… Jason can certainly beat them again…"

"It's worse, Alexis…" he replied. "You know as well as I do… The special cards that Sartorious gave us… No Monster Spirits ever existed in them. Their only soul was the Light of Ruin. The Light of Ruin was destroyed when Sartorious was defeated the first time…

"So now…

"Jason is facing Monsters who are soulless shells. They're Light on the outside, but inside lies ultimate darkness…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason got up and drew a card.

_Okay…_ he thought. _So he has a few clever strategies…_

_But that Swordsman isn't exactly the King of Warriors…_

_He has a facedown card, but…_

_I think he's bluffing…_

"I summon my old friend…" he said. "Fortunado… Meet Vorse Raider!"

In a dark shadow, the fierce Beast-Warrior appeared, holding aloft his mighty axe! (1,900/1,200)

"Go!" he shouted. "Destroy his White Knight Swordsman!"

Vorse Raider ran forward, and made a savage slash! The Swordsman dropped his sword and gasped… And then exploded in a burst of light.

**(J: 6,800) -------------------- (F: 7,300)**

"Not bad…" said Fortunado. "Brought out your lead character for the opening scene, I see. That's rare."

"I'll throw down a facedown, and that will be my turn," said Jason, ignoring the dumb comment.

A facedown card appeared.

Fortunado drew.

"Time to reveal a surprise twist…" he said, playing a card. "I play Infernal White…"

A skull-like torch with bat-like wings on it appeared in the air.

"Now, you get to see the cards in my hand," he said, as four cards appeared above him. "Why am I doing this, you may ask?"

"I know why," interrupted Jason. "I was warned about that card, actually. It causes me 600 points of burn damage during each of my Standby Phases, right?"

"Humph…" said Fortunado. "Someone's been leaking info on the screenplays…"

Jason looked at the four cards. Two of them he recognized, the other two were a Monster and a Trap he had never even heard of.

"Continuing…" said Fortunado. "I activate Call of the Haunted, so it's encore time."

The Trap Card lifted, and a large, silver coffin rose out of the floor. The lid opened, and White Knight Swordsman rose up out of it, holding his sword aloft.

"Next," he said, choosing a card. "I play Inferno Reckless Summon."

He played the card, and two more Swordsmen appeared. (1,200/0 x3)

"Your Monsters have the same problems as your movies Fortunado," said Jason. "They're poor quality, without much diversity.

"Anyway, I don't have any other Vorse Raiders. Mine is one of a kind. So is that your turn?"

"Mmm…" said Fortunado.

"This is dumb," said Russell. "This is the type of movie I'd walk out on even if it were showing on an airplane."

Jason drew…

And then he felt a burning feeling, as the Infernal White glowed.

**(J: 6,200) -------------------- (F: 7,300)**

_This may be a problem…_ he thought.

"I summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and the fiendish gargoyle appeared. (1,600/1,200)

"Attack the Swordsman on the left!" he shouted.

The gargoyle made a swipe with its claws, and the knight exploded.

Then the other two glowed, and rose to an Attack of 1,500 apiece.

"What?" said Jason, surprised. "How did they get more points?"

"Oh…" said Fortunado, in a sinister voice. "Did I forget to mention its special ability? It may have an Attack of only 1,200 and a Defense of zero, but when it's in my Graveyard, the Attack of all other White Knights on my side of the field increase by 300."

Jason paused.

"My Vorse Raider can still handle them," he replied. "Vorse Raider, get 'em!"

Vorse Raider swung his axe, blowing another one to bits.

The Attack Score of the third rose to 1,800.

Jason frowned.

"That's all I can do…" he said.

**(J: 6,200) -------------------- (F: 6,500)**

"Then I draw…" said Fortunado, drawing.

A new card appeared above his head. It was Mystical Space Typhoon.

"Well…" he said, "since you know what card I just drew, there's no sense in me not using it, now is there?"

He played the card, and the cyclone ripped across the field, blasting Jason's Mirror Force apart.

"Swordsman, take care of that Ryu-Kishin Powered, would you?" he said. "I found his performance in that last scene rather crude anyway…"

White Knight Swordsman flew forward, and with a slash of his sword, smashed the gargoyle into pebbles.

"Now for a surprise guest," said Fortunado, playing a card. "I summon White Knight Gardna in Defense Mode."

A new White Knight appeared with a war cry. This one had a full-head helmet with a yellow plume, and had shields on both of its arms. It crouched down and put the two shields together, forming a shield in front of it just as big as the one used by Big Shield Gardna, surrounded by sharp blades. (800/2,000) –) (1,400/2,000)

"That will be my turn, Mr. Conrad," he said. "So who do you have lined up for us next? Let's not disappoint, now…"

Jason drew…

And he cringed as the Spell burned him again.

**(J: 5,400) -------------------- (F: 6,500)**

"I'm sensing a trend here…" he said. "And frankly, it's getting annoying…"

He played a card.

"I summon Blade Knight in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and the shining Warrior of Light appeared. (1,600/1,000)

"Vorse Raider, destroy the last Swordsman!" he shouted.

Vorse Raider swung his axe, blasting the Knight to pieces.

"Yes!" said Trisha. "No more Swordsmen."

Gardna rose to an Attack of 1,700.

"Your move…" said Jason.

Fortunado drew, and again it was a Monster that Jason had never seen.

"He's having rotten luck," said Trisha. "Most of these guys would have drawn the Seal by now."

"You'd think a guy like him would have put three copies of Terraforming in his deck," said Russell.

Fortunado paused.

He placed a card on his Disk.

"Time for Vorse Raider to attempt a feat that all actors find difficult, Mr. Conrad," he said. "A convincing death scene. But don't worry… White Knight Lancer is here to help him with it."

"Lancer?" said Russell.

A more powerful-looking knight appeared in a burst of light, this one in a more form-fitting suit of armor, with a helmet with a red plume, and a white mask over its eyes. It also had a short red beard on his chin. It was holding a double-edged lance in its right hand, and a small shield in its left. It hollered a battlecry. (1,500/0) –) (2,400/0)

"Your Monsters are just one bad sequel after the next," said Jason with a sneer.

"Tell me about it…" said Fortunado. "You can count on one hand the directors in history who could make sequels look good.

"Attack! Forsaken charge!"

Lancer charged, and speared Vorse Raider, blowing him to bits.

"Nuts…" muttered Fortunado. "Like I said, death scenes are always hard… That one… I wasn't convinced at all. Where was the feeling, I ask?"

**(J: 4,900) -------------------- (F: 6,500)**

"Oh, by the way…" he continued, "all kidding aside, shifting your Blade Knight to Defense Mode will only make it worse for you… Lancer has a trampling effect."

"Thanks for the info…" said Jason, drawing.

He cringed again.

"I sacrifice him, to summon Luster Dragon #2!"

Blade Knight vanished, and the huge, emerald Dragon appeared with a roar! (2,400/1,400)

"Nice try!" laughed Fortunado. "But if you attack with him, it will be a draw."

"No it won't," replied Jason, playing a card. "I play Rush Recklessly."

Luster Dragon's Attack rose to 3,100.

"Attack the Lancer!" he shouted. "Emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon breathed flames, and White Knight Lancer groaned before blowing to pieces.

**(J: 4,300) -------------------- (F: 5,900)**

"Your move…" said Jason.

Fortunado drew a card. Jason saw that it was Waboku.

"Lull in the action here…" he said. "I pass."

"WHAT?" shouted Jason. "You just drew Waboku and you didn't set it?"

Fortunado just looked at him.

"Well, fine by me…" said Jason, drawing.

He groaned again.

"I summon Luster Dragon #2's little brother, Luster Dragon #1."

He played the card, and the smaller, sapphire Dragon appeared. (1,900/1,600)

"Luster Dragon #2, wipe out his last Monster."

Luster Dragon breathed flames, and White Knight Gardna was blasted apart.

"Luster Dragon #1, attack him directly!"

The smaller Dragon breathed a stream of flames, and Fortunado groaned as he shielded himself.

**(J: 3,700) -------------------- (F: 4,000)**

"Yeah!" shouted Trisha. "Show him who's boss!"

"Make your move…" said Jason. "I must admit, I can hardly wait to see what comes next…"

Fortunado panted for breath.

_I just remembered…_ he thought. _The 'good old days' weren't really all that pleasant!_

He drew (the card was Shining Angel).

Without a word, he fit two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Your move, Mr. Conrad…" he said.

Jason was a little stunned.

"What?" asked Fortunado. "Did I confuse you?"

Jason paused…

The two cards in his foe's hand were Sangan, and Shining Angel… Why hadn't he set either of them?

The two cards he had set facedown were Trap Cards. One was Waboku, which was familiar enough…

The other… Well, he had never heard of it. Something called The Sealed Gates. He didn't like the look of it at all.

He drew a card, cringing again as Infernal White burned at him…

But he was relieved to see what he had drawn.

_He can certainly chain that Waboku,_ he thought, _but now his Infernal White and his weird Trap are history._

"Fortunado!" he shouted. "Time for a drastic change of scenes! I play Heavy Storm!"

Jason played the card, and Russell and Trisha cheered as the storm blew across the room. Infernal White shattered, followed by Waboku and The Sealed Gates.

"Heh, heh…" said Fortunado. "I couldn't have said it better myself, Mr. Conrad…"

A spooky mist formed around the whole arena…

And then, to everyone's horror, a hideous-looking iron gate flanked by torches and closed by chains rose behind Fortunado!

"What's happening?" asked Jason.

"Always be wary of strange Trap Cards, Mr. Conrad," said Fortunado. "By destroying The Sealed Gates, you've enabled me to free the prisoner that was locked inside them.

"Time to meet the true star of my production… But first, I must remove White Knight Gardna, White Knight Lancer, and one White Knight Swordsman from play…"

Three cards slipped out of his discard slot…

"And now…" said Fortunado, placing them inside his jacket, "making a return after a long hiatus, let's all welcome White Knight Lord!"

The chain on the gates snapped, and they blew open…

Walking out was a knight that was hulking, and who stood head and shoulders above the others. Its armor was much fancier, and it held a shield in one hand, and a nasty spiked mace in the other. It had no helmet, wearing its long blue hair loose, and it wore a white mask over its eyes.

It looked at Jason and roared...

(2,000/2,000)

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Watching with dismay was Jason's congregated group.

"White Knight Lancer, Gardna, and now Lord…" muttered Nadia. "These guys are… Bizarre…"

"In a hundred years, the Lark family traveled from one end of the world to next looking for duels," said Malvolio, "and they never saw anything like these."

"Where did Fortunado get these cards?" asked Nathan.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Where indeed?" asked Fortunado's benefactor, who had heard.

She paused.

"Chazz Princeton used these special Warriors while he was a member of Sartorious's Society of Light, when he was little more than a favored slave under Sartorious's control… They were Chazz's reward for his loyalty…

"The cards were symbolic of what he was… A warrior lord who had been overthrown by a rival and was struggling to gain his position back, no matter what the cost…

"But fortunately for him, Jaden defeated him, and he broke free, came to his senses…

"And these cards? What Chazz should have done was burned them, but at the time, no one ever accused him of being all that smart. He just tossed them in the nearest trash receptacle and didn't give them any more thought.

"He didn't know that a student who was still loyal to Sartorious was watching. The student fished out the cards and gave them back to him…

"And when Jaden was fighting the final battle with Sartorious a year later, no-one knew that the house was being ransacked, and not only was the deck he had been working on taken, but these cards as well…

"I don't even know who the student was who fished them out of that trash can…"

She chuckled.

"For all I know, it could have been Alexis. Wouldn't it be ironic if this was all her fault?"

She laughed out loud…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"What is THAT?" shouted Russell. "I mean, besides trouble?"

"For years," said Fortunado, "I couldn't get an A-list actor for my films if my life depended on it. Now I have one, and it's all I need to make this a smash!

"Remember, Mr. Conrad, my Knights gain 300 Attack Points for each Swordsman in my Graveyard, and even though I removed one, I still have two left, making my Lord quite worthy of the name."

(2,600/2,000)

"Okay, plan B," said Jason, looking at his hand. "I'll throw down a facedown, and move both my Dragons to Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared, and Luster Dragons #1 and #2 curled up in Defense.

**(J: 3,100) -------------------- (F: 4,000)**

"My move," said Fortunado, drawing a card. "Time to reach the crescendo…

"I place one Monster in Defense Mode…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"And I attack with White Knight Lord! Forsaken wrath!"

White Knight Lord slowly rose into the air, and started to spin around…

Then his mace head crashed to the ground, connected to a long chain. Luster Dragon #2 was smashed to bits. Jason shielded himself.

"There's a plot twist!" said Fortunado. "Whenever it crushes an opposing Monster, it deals an additional 300 points of damage to you."

The Lord's mace crashed down again, this time striking Jason in the stomach. He groaned.

**(J: 2,800) -------------------- (F: 4,000)**

Jason held his stomach. That _hurt_.

"I'll turn it over to you there…" said Fortunado.

Jason looked at the one card in his hand.

_Only thing I've got is my facedown card, and Attack Deflector Unit,_ he thought. _Better draw something good._

He drew, now grateful that Infernal White was gone.

"Okay, Fortunado," he said, playing the card, "I play Graceful Charity. I'm sure you know the drill… I draw three cards, and then discard two…"

He made three draws.

He looked over the cards.

The he discarded Attack Deflector Unit and Peten the Dark Clown.

"Now it's time for your Lord to retire…" he said. "I activate my facedown card, Call of the Haunted."

His facedown card lifted, and Luster Dragon #2 reappeared. (2,400/1,400)

"Now I'll move my other Dragon to Attack Mode…"

Luster Dragon #1 stood up.

"Now I'll play Monster Reborn…" he said, playing a card. "I'll bring back someone who I'm certain you'll recognize…"

The ankh appeared…

Everyone was stunned. It was White Knight Swordsman! (1,200/0)

"What?" asked Fortunado. "You summoned my Monster to your side of the field? Why?"

"Because…" said Jason, with a smirk, "doing so took it _out_ of your Graveyard, meaning that your Lord now has one less Swordsman powering it up. As you can see, its Attack has been reduced from 2,600, to 2,300."

They all looked. It was true.

"Good going, Jason!" shouted Trisha. "Great strategy!"

Fortunado smirked.

_Or so you think… _he thought.

"So much for your star," said Jason. "Well, I have one thing to say to it, in the style of Hollywood…

"Don't call us… We'll call you.

"Luster Dragon #2, attack the White Knight Lord!"

Luster Dragon roared, and blasted burning flame…

Then, White Knight Lord simply shielded itself with its arm. A glowing forcefield appeared around it, and the flames merely glanced off.

"What?" shouted Jason. "It's unharmed?"

White Knight Lord glared at him as smoke rose from the field.

"Did you really think my star would let you upstage it, Mr. Conrad?" asked Fortunado. "This is another one of its special abilities. When it's attacked, battle damage is reduced to zero."

"So it has a permanent Waboku field around it?" asked Jason.

"More or less," replied Fortunado. "In short, it cannot be defeated in battle by another Monster."

Fortunado chuckled.

"I know your dream, Mr. Conrad…" he said. "Your fantasy… You dream of owning Kaiba's three Dragons, don't you? Well, even if that dream came true at this very moment by some miracle, even they couldn't defeat my Lord… Not even the Ultimate Dragon could."

"That's crazy…" shouted Russell. "This thing has to have a drawback…"

"It has a few, yes," said Fortunado. "But don't think I'm going to tell you what they are."

Jason looked at the facedown Monster.

_I could attack that with my other Dragon,_ he thought, _but I remember that the two cards in his hand were Shining Angel and Sangan. Attacking might not be wise…_

"I'll throw down a facedown, and end my turn…" he said.

He played his last card, and a facedown card appeared.

"Then it's my move…" said Fortunado.

He drew a card.

"Now…" continued Fortunado, "I'll sacrifice my facedown Shining Angel, to summon my co-star… Jinzo!"

The face-down Monster vanished, and the grotesque android appeared. (2,400/1,500)

"Lovely…" muttered Trisha. "All your movie needs now is the sexy female lead…"

"Couldn't find one for this one," said Fortunado. "Jinzo, take care of that Swordsman. If there's one thing I don't need, it's a sell-out."

_Oh no…_ thought Jason, looking at his facedown card. _With Jinzo on the field, I can't use my Trap Card…_

Jinzo formed a ball of black energy in its hands, and fired its cyber energy shock, blasting White Knight Swordsman to particles.

"And with it back in my Graveyard," said Fortunado, "my Lord gains its strength back, to 2,600.

"White Knight Lord, attack Luster Dragon #1…"

White Knight Lord rose into the air again, and his mace crashed down again. The Dragon was smashed to pieces.

The mace fell another time, striking Jason yet again.

**(J: 600) -------------------- (F: 4,000)**

Jason gasped for breath…

"I'll end my turn there," said Fortunado. "It's almost over, Mr. Conrad. Next round the curtain is going down…"

"Stop with the movie analogies!" shouted Jason.

"But it's true…" said Fortunado. "You have no cards in your hand, and the only thing you have on the field is your Luster Dragon – he could destroy Jinzo, but he'd die with it. And even if you drew a Monster to defend yourself with it, my Knight would cost you 300 Life Points when he destroyed it."

_And he has Sangan in his hand!_ thought Jason.

He bowed his head.

_It can't end here…_ he thought. _I can't let him beat me…_

_I'm the only one who can prevent the terror that lies beyond… A thousand years of darkness…_

He looked at his deck.

_The fate of the world is resting on this draw…_ he thought, as he reached for the card. _Guide me…_

He drew…

"Time to get back into this, Fortunado…" he said. "I play… Pot of Greed!"

He played the card, and the sinister jar appeared.

"Humph…" muttered Fortunado. "Like I said, I always hated that giggling goon."

Jason drew twice.

"You're about to like it even less…" he said. "Because one of the cards I just drew was Card of Demise. By playing it, I get five more draws."

He drew five cards.

He looked at them.

"Well Fortunado, it seems your script is going to have a few last-minute changes. I'm going to play… _all six_ of these cards!

"First, I play Polymerization, to fuse together the two Cyber Dragons I just drew, into Cyber Twin Dragon."

Two Cyber Dragons appeared on the field, and swirled together, merging into the fierce, two-headed Machine. (2,800/2,100)

"So what?" said Fortunado. "It still can't hurt my Lord. Even if it can attack twice, the battle damage will be reduced to zero both times."

"I'm not done," said Jason. "I only summoned him so I could play… De-Fusion. I'll split him up into two Cyber Dragons."

Cyber Twin Dragon split into two orbs of light, and each formed into a Cyber Dragon. (2,100/1,600 x2)

"A useful trick when you want to get two Monsters on the field quickly," he continued. "Then, I'll play Photon Generator Unit."

He played the card.

"I'll trade in my two Cyber Dragons, for Cyber Laser Dragon."

The two Machines vanished, and the upgraded Cyber Dragon appeared. (2,400/1,800)

"And now…" he said, taking the last card from his hand. "I haven't Normal Summoned yet, so I'll summon Slate Warrior in Attack Mode."

He played the card, and the blank-faced, alien-looking Fiend appeared. (1,900/400)

"Impressive…" said Fortunado.

_It's over,_ thought Jason. _First I'll use Cyber Laser Dragon's effect to vaporize that Knight… Then I'll have it attack Jinzo… The attack will take out Cyber Laser Dragon too, but it will clear the way for Luster Dragon and Slate Warrior to attack directly, and bring his Life Points down to negative levels…_

He took a deep breath.

"Splendid, Mr. Conrad, splendid…" said Fortunado.

"Heh, heh…

"You've given what every smash movie needs… An explosive climax!

"I tell you… The lines are going to be around the block for this one… All I need now is a title… Strange… I haven't even thought of one yet…"

Jason looked at him with a strange look…

Then he slowly looked at White Knight Lord…

He lifted his hand…

"Cyber Laser Dragon…" he said.

He paused.

"Use your effect…"

He paused again.

"…on Jinzo! Blue lightning lash!"

Cyber Laser Dragon roared, and fired a beam of energy from its tail, blasting Jinzo to atoms.

"What?" shouted Fortunado. "That wasn't supposed to… Why did you…"

"Because you aren't only a bad director," answered Jason, "you're a bad actor. You overplayed your part, Fortunado.

"See, you think too much in movie terms. In the movies, everything is planned out. Everything goes according to what the script says. What the director wants happens, it happens.

"But this is not a movie. You can't control the actions of people who aren't actors, Fortunado. In the real world, things are much more unpredictable…

"…and people aren't so easily fooled.

"See, I was getting a nagging little feeling just then, that White Knight Lord might have more to it than I've seen so far. Maybe, just maybe… It has another secret hidden inside it…

"You see, I was about to win this duel, but you didn't seem the least bit worried. You had prepared for the Reckoning for years, and you were about to lose… Yet, you seemed almost happy…

"I wasn't about to win, was I? You were leading me into your deadliest trap yet…

"Not to mention the fact that I've been suspicious for several rounds now. You'd think a guy like you would have devoted a fourth of his deck towards searching for and using the Seal of Orichalcos. But if even one card that would help you look for it exists in your deck, you haven't drawn one yet. It can't simply be bad luck.

"The turn is yours. We'll see if I'm right soon…"

Fortunado looked angry. He drew a card.

"Well, Jason…" he muttered.

"Oh, we're suddenly on a first-name basis now, are we?" asked Jason.

"Big deal!" shouted Fortunado. "You forgot one thing… Your Slate Warrior is in Attack Mode, my Knight has 700 more Attack Points, and you have only 600 Life Points left!

"White Knight Lord, destroy his Slate Warrior!"

The Lord rose up, and its mace shot forward…

"They say that memory is the first thing to go when you get older," said Jason. "You obviously forgot that I had this, and Jinzo is gone. Activate… Draining Shield."

His Trap Card lifted, and the Lord's mace slammed into a force field. It struggled to pull its weapon free, and then was thrown backwards when it succeeded.

"Phew…" said Trisha. "Heart, resume beating…"

A look of fear came across Fortunado's face.

He paused.

"Very well…" he said. "Time for a true surprise ending…"

He played a card.

"First, I set this Monster in Defense Mode…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Now I Equip my Lord with White Doom!"

He played the card, and an iron belt with a diamond for a buckle formed around the Lord's waist.

"What does that do?" asked Jason.

"It's a bomb," replied Fortunado. "Is that enough of an explosive climax? At the End Phase of my next turn, all the Monsters on my side of the field will be blown to Kingdom Come, and we'll both take damage equal to their combined Attack Points.

"And if you think you can reduce the damage by destroying my facedown Monster, guess again… It's my Sangan, which will let me search for another Monster.

"So I end my turn…"

White Knight Lord glared at him, and its eyes glowed red. Fortunado cringed.

"That would be… one of the drawbacks I mentioned…" he muttered. "If it can't battle, I lose 800 Life Points…"

**(J: 3,200) -------------------- (F: 3,200)**

_What?_ thought Jason. _The scores… He's… He's trying to end this in a draw!_

_He couldn't do that… This battle is too important…_

_Unless…_

_Unless there's someone or something else hiding around here who we didn't consider…_

He paused.

Then he remembered his duel with Cleo.

_Fortunado isn't the boss…_ he thought. _He's as much a servant as the rest of the goons we've been facing…_

_But he's so nervous now, I think my Trap Card changed the situation a great deal…_

He drew a card.

"Time to end this!" he shouted. "I'm going to end this duel with a real showstopper… Meet Timaeus!"

He played the card, and in a flash of light, the mighty dragon loomed over him!

Fortunado drew back in fear…

"Now, Timaeus, merge with Cyber Laser Dragon to form Cyber Blast Dragon!"

The Dragon and the Machine melted into pools of light, and in a flash, a huge Dragon made of silvery metal with huge, metallic wings was in their place. It had three optic sensors. One was orange, one was green, and one was purple. (2,400/1,800)

Fortunado gulped.

"Now I can activate his effect a total of three times before he has to leave," said Jason. "Each round, I get to draw one card, on the condition that I then remove it from play. And I can then destroy a face-up card that's the same type as the card I draw.

"So here goes… You might want to get a close up…"

His hand reached for his deck.

Every eye on the room was watching him…

Every eye in Times Square was watching him…

He drew a card…

He turned it over…

It was Tyrant Dragon. Jason smirked.

"Monster," he said, pocketing it. "That means your Lord is toast."

Cyber Blast Dragon's orange optic sensor glowed, and then shot out a blast of burning energy. White Knight Lord hollered, and then exploded into a brilliant display of pyrotechnics.

Jason felt a pain in his chest…

**(J: 2,200) -------------------- (F: 3,200)**

"So that was the deal…" he muttered. "If I had destroyed it, I would have lost a thousand Life Points. A clever plan… too bad it failed.

"Cyber Blast Dragon, destroy that face-down Sangan! Blast attack!"

Cyber Blast Dragon shot a burning fireball from its jaws. Sangan appeared on the card and shattered.

"Well, Fortunado," said Jason, "unless you happen to have a Kuriboh in that deck…"

"I don't…" he muttered. "I never liked those guys either…"

"Luster Dragon, Slate Warrior," ordered Jason, "attack directly!"

Slate Warrior flew forward and walloped the madman on the chin. Then Luster Dragon breathed fire…

Fortunado slumped to his knees… His Duel Disk fell to the floor.

**(J: 2,200) -------------------- (F: 0)**

"That's game, Fortunado…" muttered Jason.

Thunder rumbled outside.

"And what a game…" said Russell. "Thank goodness he didn't draw the Orichalcos."

Trisha went up and picked up the Disk. Fortunado didn't move. He was stunned.

"He must have been having the worst luck…" she said, going through the rest of the cards. "It must have hit the bottom of the deck…"

She tossed the cards aside, one by one…

"Jason…" she said. "Uh… The Seal isn't even in this deck…"

"I figured so…" said Jason. "It's starting to make sense…"

He looked up…

"Enough hiding…" he said. "Would the one who's really in charge please show himself?"

Thunder rolled again, and then lightning flashed.

"You're too smart, Jason," said a female voice that sounded familiar. "He wasn't allowed to use the Seal. I didn't want your soul lost in that battle…"

A familiar woman in a familiar-looking dress walked into the room. Fortunado quivered in fear.

Russell and Trisha stepped back in shock.

"Mayor Barna?" shouted Trisha.

Jason looked at her.

"That isn't her…" he said.

"Of course it is," said the mayor, with an evil glint in her eyes. "In fact, I've never felt better…

"You have to admit, Jason… For the past two decades, this façade has been so much fun… Playing the city's politics became sort of a… hobby of mine."

Her eyes glowed red…

And then she glowed with a black aura, and her clothes burst off…

The female figure in front of them now stood seven feet tall, with curves covered by a metallic halter and mini-skirt. Her skin was black as midnight, and her hair reached down to the floor. Her fingernails were long and silvery. She had, huge wings, covered with black feathers.

"What did you do to Barna?" demanded Jason.

"So naïve," said the demoness. "You three are so innocent, it's disgusting! Mayor Barna never truly existed. She was only a fiction I used to hide among mortals."

"I knew it…" said Russell. "Like my dad said, ever since Teddy Roosevelt, there has _never_ been a good politician."

"And to think my parents voted for you twice," said Trisha with a scowl. "You do realize that the Democrats are going to have a field day with this."

"Political parties will be meaningless after tonight," replied the demoness.

"Who are you?" asked Jason.

The demoness smiled. Lightning flashed.

"In the Beginning…" she said. "Before the birth of mortals, a powerful seraphim whose name is lost to time had an impure thought. That thought was cast out… It grew, and took form. It became me. The angels spoke one word upon seeing me, and it became my name.

"That word… was Sin.

"Unwelcome in the heavenly realms, I could only find refuge in the nether regions, where the evil forces, both demonic and diabolic welcomed me. They were too busy fighting each other in eternal Blood Wars to worry about the young race of mortals yet, but mortals did interest them… So they made me an offer…

"The offer to spread vices and impulses, my seven gifts of Evil upon the young world of mankind.

"And so it began… But it went slowly. When the first Reckoning occurred, I took charge, trying to turn the whole world towards evil… But my champions failed…

"As they did a thousand years after that, and every millennia after.

"I tried on other worlds and other realities. My champions were the victors on occasion, but it was cold comfort when my reign was ended after ten centuries, when a new Reckoning was lost by my side…"

She paused.

"I've grown frustrated, Jason. At times, the champions of Good have perished in the struggles…"

She clenched her fists.

"But I know that in the loftiest heights of Heaven, where I can never go, they have been rewarded with the pleasures of several empires, while my champions burn in Perdition.

"Do you know what mistake I realize I've made every time? Do you? I've regulated myself to the sidelines, and not gotten involved myself. If you want something done right, do it yourself.

"I had expected to face you all along…"

"What?" said Jason. "You wanted me up here?"

"Yes…" said Sin. "I was preparing for it for a century.

"The whole business with Dartz was to strengthen my powers early. I whispered evil thoughts into his ears, I told him how to craft the first Orichalcos cards and use them to draw power from his precious Leviathan. If his plans had succeeded, I would have consumed Leviathan along with him and all the souls it had taken, gorging on power.

"But that plan failed…

"I had to resort to trickery for my next stage. Sartorious was an easy man to manipulate, and I used him to craft my ultimate weapon. And when I was done with him, my other servants stole it, and killed him."

"You bitch…" muttered Russell. "Sartorious was a patsy all along… You wanted him to fail, you must have chosen him because he had a history of failure.

"His evil side didn't kill his good side… You did!"

"No, I merely whispered things to him that made his evil side come to the surface and be strong enough to do so," she replied. "I can be very persuasive.

"Of course, I was working hard even earlier. Eight years sooner, I planted the seeds of tonight's confrontation. If you doubt how influential I can be, I was even able to tempt a few folks who resided in your precious Monastery, when they left the safety of its walls…"

Jason gasped in fright.

"The story you told me after I had dueled Sally…" he muttered. "Those three terrorists who dueled Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey… They were…"

"Dupes," said Sin. "Members of the Sage's group who were easily manipulated. Easy to convince that a little evil had to be done to achieve a greater good. I told them whenever I could that a passive role would never accomplish anything, and eventually they believed it. By the time the current Sage realized the seed of evil that had been planted, it was too late to stop them…"

Jason clenched his fists in anger.

"Over the decades," said Sin, "I watched as the deck switched hands. Finally, twenty years ago, I found another dupe who I could convince to work with me. A movie producer who was desperate for a money maker…"

Fortunado shook his head.

"In case you're wondering, Jason," she continued, "I'm not like Dartz… I never had to tell outright lies to get anyone to join my side.

"No duelist you and your friends have faced was brainwashed or under magical enslavement. They all came to me because they wanted too."

"Yeah…" said Jason. "After you made your side look more appealing, that is. After you made them think that the easy way was better than the right way. That's how it is with you isn't it?

"Temptation… It's the way Evil recruits more…"

"Indeed," she answered, "but it hasn't always worked… Take your brother, Trisha…"

"Patrick?" said Trisha, in surprise.

"Yes, he was a pretty good duelist…" said Sin. "If I hadn't convinced him that he could have made valedictorian by… bending the rules, he probably wouldn't have attempted to learn to trick shuffle…"

Trisha stared at her…

"You… you_ personally_ convinced him to cheat!" she shouted.

"Yes…" answered Sin. "Unfortunately, when he told his girlfriend about it, one of my… counterparts got to her before I did, and pushed her in the direction of morality."

She scowled.

"Once that had been done, she couldn't be convinced to my side. So the most I could do was continue to work on Patrick until he was utterly committed to my side."

Trisha looked at the demoness.

She bowed her head. It was a lot to take in. She would never had accepted "the Devil made me do it" if her brother had used that as an excuse…

…but now it seemed that the excuse was valid in this situation. She had been baiting him to take an easy way to the top…

For so long she had hated him for all he had done… But now she was face-to-face with the monster who was truly responsible…

And during that duel with him, she had practically kicked him when he was down…

"Patrick…" she whispered. "My brother… What have I done…"

A tear fell down her cheek.

Sin smirked at her. Then she continued.

"My original plan was to grow strong for this confrontation by consuming the Sacred Beasts. But as you saw, one of my servants ruined that plan. So I decided simply to gain power through duels, feasting on every fallen duelist…"

"You consumed them?" asked Jason. "Then they're… Gone?"

"No…" said Sin, holding her stomach. "They're still inside me. And once you are with them, I'll use your power to digest them, and grow powerful enough to cover the world with darkness unlike it has ever seen…"

"Bitch…" whispered Trisha.

"Quiet…" growled Sin. "Once I consume Jason, you two are going to be dessert."

She looked at Jason.

"You have to beat me first…" said Jason.

A deck appeared in Sin's hand.

"I intend to, Jason," she said. "This is the infamous Reckoning Deck you heard so much about. I tested it on Cleo, Sebastian, and Cassius, and none of them lasted more than ten rounds. More will fall to it… Starting with you.

"The night is not over, and the challenge has only begun."

"Count on it…" said Jason. "The Black Moon may have shrouded the city in darkness…

"But before this is over…

"I'm going to light the night!"

The two of them stared at each other. Both of their eyes glowed…

…and then an aura of thick darkness started to cover the room…

_Wednesday, November 11th, 12:45 AM_

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**MISCHIEF OF THE TIME GODDESS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image: **A woman in royal clothing with blue hair in a ponytail, winking and holding a scepter.

**Card Description:** Skip the rest of your turn, your opponent's next turn, and your next Draw Phase, Standby Phase, and Main Phase One.

_Note: "Mischief of the Time Goddess" was first used by Ziegfried in the anime episode "One Step Ahead (Part One)". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**WHITE KNIGHT SWORDSMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,200  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description: **When this card is in your Graveyard, increase the ATK of all Monsters on your side of the field with the words "White Knight" in them by 300.

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**WHITE KNIGHT LANCER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,500  
**DEF: **0

**Card Description: **When this card attacks with an ATK higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position Monster, inflict the difference to your opponent's Life Points as battle damage.

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**WHITE KNIGHT GARDNA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **800  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description: **When this card is in your Graveyard, you may remove it from play to reduce the battle damage towards a Monster with the words "White Knight" in its name to zero for the remainder of the round.

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**WHITE KNIGHT LORD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,000  
**DEF: **2,000

**Card Description: **At the End Phase of a turn in which this card does not engage in battle, inflict 800 points of damage to your Life Points. This card cannot be Tributed. All battle damage this card receives if it is attacked is reduced to zero. When this card destroys an opposing Monster, the owner of the destroyed Monster loses 300 Life Points after damage calculation. If this card is destroyed by your opponent's card effect, inflict 1,000 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points.

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**THE SEALED GATES (Trap Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image: **The image on this card was not clear.

**Card Description:** This card can only be activated if it is destroyed by a card effect while facedown on your side of the field. Remove one "White Knight Swordsman", one "White Knight Lancer", and one "White Knight Gardna" in your Graveyard from play to Special Summon one "White Knight Lord" from your hand or deck.

_Note: "White Knight Swordsman", "White Knight Gardna", "White Knight Lancer", "White Knight Lord", and "The Sealed Gates" were first used by Chazz in the two-part "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Blinded by the Light". All creative credit goes to the writers of the episodes._

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**INFERNAL WHITE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image: **A skull topped by a bat-like statue topped by a torch.

**Card Description:** While this card is in play, you must play with your hand revealed. During each of your opponent's Standby Phases, 600 points are deducted from his Life Points.

_Note: "Infernal White" was first used by Chazz in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Obelisk White?". All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**WHITE DOOM (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Equip  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image: **A sacred temple being struck by lightning.

**Card Description:** This card can only be equipped to one of your Monsters. On your second End Phase after activating this card, destroy all face-up Monsters on the side of the field as the Equipped Monster and inflict damage Equal to their combined ATK to both players' Life Points.

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**CYBER BLAST DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **2,400  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description: **This card is descended by activating "The Eye of Timaeus" and offering one "Cyber Laser Dragon" as a Tribute. Once per round, you can reveal the top card on your deck. Choose one face-up card on the field of the same Type (Monster, Spell, or Trap) as the revealed card and destroy it. Then remove the revealed card from play. After this effect is used three times, destroy this card.

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_**Coming up next: **_

_**It's Jason versus Sin. The duel he faces is with his deck containing the souls of his two friends. And this is gonna be a two parter, by the way.**_

**_Don't miss "Dark Designator", coming soon._**


	65. Dark Designator

_**I have lurked among mortals since the dawn of time… Immortal… ageless… anxious…**_

_**Countless times, I have stood invisible at the sides of tyrants and dictators, whispering into their ears, promoting the spread of the vices I had created. With all sins committed, the infernal and abyssal powers grew stronger…**_

…_**but not strong enough…**_

_**I needed to do more… I had to turn the whole world to ultimate darkness. And so, every thousand years, I appointed a champion of Evil to oppose the one chosen by Good…**_

_**But Good is tenacious. Its light pierces the darkest fog. No matter how intense the doom and despair, Sin is always overcome by Virtue…**_

_**I grow frustrated… I grow angry…**_

_**I have thrown caution to the wind at this point. Evil must reign!**_

_**For this Reckoning, I have decided… It's time I've intervened. This time, I will not appoint a champion. I will face Good's champion…**_

…_**personally…**_

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**CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR**

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**Dark Designator**

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_Wednesday, November 11th, 12:50 AM_

Russell and Trisha were looking out onto a nightmare…

A blood-red sky covered a city that had been reduced to a ruin. Only blasted, burned-out remains stood where the Freedom Tower and the Empire State Building had been. Spires of sharp rock jutted out of the broken streets. The East River ran with lava, and while the Statue of Liberty still stood, her face was marred and chipped.

Hideous creatures flew overhead and clung to the buildings. Cries and howls filled the air.

The two teens fell to their knees and sobbed…

…until finally, a voice called to them…

"Snap out of it!" shouted Jason.

They woke up…

It was night. The darkness of the Black Moon was still over the city, and they were outdoors, on some sort of courtyard. A chill filled the air.

"Jason?" said Trisha, with tears in her eyes.

"It's all right…" said Jason. "It's all right… That bitch is playing mind games with us…"

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed the voice of the demoness. "I thought I would give you three a vision of the future, since you won't be around to see it yourself. Sit tight… I'll be right out… I always powder my nose before I have to get dirty…"

Thunder rolled…

They looked around. In the center of the dark courtyard was a building of sorts; a hideous temple with demonic statues.

"Where on Earth are we?" asked Russell.

"The roof…" said a scared voice.

They turned, and saw that it was Fortunado.

"This is the top of the building…" he said. "That temple… It's her inner sanctum. All anyone's ever seen of it is her audience hall. No one knows what else is in there… Chances are there's a portal to Hell somewhere in it…"

More demonic laughter filled the air, and more thunder rolled.

"Okay…" said Fortunado. "I'm ready to leave now…"

"Quiet!" shouted Jason, shoving him down. "You do know we're turning you in once this is over, right?"

Lightning flashed.

"I can handle prison…" he said with a shudder. "What she has in mind for us is much worse…"

"It's a little late to come to your senses now!" shouted Russell. "Look, movie man, if you want to help, tell us what's in this infamous deck. You must have looked at it…"

"Well, for starters, there's…" he started.

He glowed with fiery energy, and collapsed, clutching his throat.

The door to the temple opened, and the demoness walked out.

"I'll deal with you later, Fortunado…" she said. "Winning that duel with you only encouraged Jason, and he wouldn't have won if you hadn't made such an obvious bluff.

"But what I have waiting for you is going to get _much_ more painful if you breathe a word about it to them."

Jason stared at her.

"So…" he said. "The creator of the Orichalcos was the actual embodiment of Sin… Tell me… Are you the one who tempts every human being to every evil act?"

"No…" she said. "I can't do everything. I can't start every single illegal and immoral action. I just get the ball rolling… I whisper a few words to the right people, and like a domino effect, it spreads…

"So many times in history I started small things that grew into big ones… The Spanish Inquisition… the Russian Revolution… the Holocaust…"

Jason drew back in pure disgust…

"Oh, yes…" said Sin with a smile. "In every conflict where man has opposed man, I sowed the seeds that started it. With every evil act, the forces of the infernal planes have grown strong…"

"And now you want the whole deal…" said Jason with a scowl. "You want to offer the whole planet to Hell…"

Sin nodded.

Jason shook his head.

"Attempting to reason with you would likely be as pointless as trying to hit the moon with a squirtgun," he said. "I didn't exactly sign up for this, but…"

"And I didn't expect you at first," said Sin. "I expected a world-class Pro-League duelist. But alas… Here I am, the night of the Reckoning, and I'm facing a seventeen-year-old dressed in jeans and a college blazer!"

Jason stared at her.

Then he started to glow with a golden light…

"Huh?" said Trisha.

The golden glow enveloped Jason, and when it died down, his clothes had vanished, replaced by golden armor that shone in the dim light. A helmet with a visor that covered the upper part of his head completely was over his head, and his Disk was now part of the gauntlet.

"That better?" he asked.

Sin smirked.

"Jason, have you been able to do that all along?" asked Russell. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"It just never came up…" he replied. "I have a lot of special powers, I'm just saving them for when I need them."

He turned to Sin.

"Okay Sin…" he said. "You want me and the rest of the world, you're gonna have to get it from me… But just so you know…

"If I win, you get just what I gave Bakura."

"Oh, you mean you're going to condemn me to Hell…" said Sin, casually. "Actually, Jason, if you win – as if – that won't be necessary."

"What do you mean?" asked Jason.

"Tell you later…" said Sin. "But first, let me explain just what we are fighting for… You deserve answers, after all… You've come so far.

"Four metaphysical forces exist that define the universe. They are, simply put, Light, Darkness, Dreams, and Shadow. Light opposes Darkness, and Shadow opposes Dreams. Light and Dreams are often allies, but not always… Darkness and Shadow simply avoid each other. All four of these forces must stay balanced, or the world will collapse.

"Several times over the eons, one of these forces has tried to gain dominance. In the first decade of the 21st Century, a force of Darkness tried to eclipse the Light. Ten years later, a source of evil Light tried to consume the Darkness. Some called it the Light of Ruin, for lack of a better term. These plots were foiled…

"But what will rule over all four of them? The Divine, or Chaos? Those are the true opposing forces in each Reckoning. In each of them, the four metaphysical forces are at stake, and the Reckoning decides how they will be run.

"You see, there exist supremely powerful forces who are trying to figure out whether Divine or Chaos is superior. They demand these contests in an attempt to decide…"

She frowned.

"My side is _not_ doing a good job of convincing them…"

"Good!" shouted Jason. "Maybe once I kick your sorry ass back to where you came from, they'll agree that the Divine is superior, and decide to end these stupid contests once and for all! Enough people have gotten hurt as it is!"

"Once you see the forces I will unleash…" replied Sin, "you won't be so confident…"

Lightning flashed, and a nasty-looking Disk made of green steel appeared on her arm.

"New York…" she said. "Like the song goes, it's a Hell of a town… From Hell's Heart, to Hell's Kitchen… And tonight, the forces of Hell itself will be unleashed!"

"Bring it…" said Jason.

"Just a reminder for when I cast you into the depths of Hades," said Sin. "It's BYOP."

"BYOP?" asked Jason. "What the heck is that?"

"Bring Your Own Pitchfork!" laughed Sin.

Thunder crashed…

**(Jason: 8,000) -------------------- (Sin: 8,000)**

Trisha shivered as the two drew their first hands.

"Be careful, Jason…" said Trisha with a gulp.

"Yeah…" said Russell. "Try not to think about the fact that the fate of the world rests upon you winning."

Trisha elbowed him in the ribs.

"Since it's only fair…" said Sin, "I'll let you go first…"

"Very well…" said Jason, as he made his first draw.

As he looked them over, Sin's eyes glowed bright green…

…and then he was startled as The Seal of Orichalcos appeared around them!

"Cheater!" shouted Jason. "You can't play a card during my turn!"

"Did I?" asked Sin.

She lifted her hand, and there were still five cards there.

"Remember when I dueled you while I was possessing Cleo, Jason?" asked Sin. "Such faulty memory. I don't need any card to create the Seal. I can create it from my own body.

"In a sense, Jason, I _am_ The Seal of Orichalcos. The Orichalcos is pure, concentrated Sin. Like me.

"Most of the rules remain. My Monsters all gain a bonus, and I can play more than five…

"Although, if you lose, you won't be trapped in any card…

"When that happens, I'll be able to skip a step, and consume you right away.

"I believe you were about to move…"

Jason looked over his hand.

_Better play it safe for now…_ he thought, taking two cards.

"I'll throw down a facedown, and then summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Defense Mode," he said.

A facedown card appeared, and the fiendish gargoyle appeared, crouching and shielding itself. (1,600/1,200)

"Using a Fiend against me?" asked Sin with a chuckle. "Ironic, wouldn't you say?"

"All right…" he replied. "Let's see what this Reckoning Deck of yours can do."

Sin gestured, and a card flew off her deck. She caught it between her index finger and middle finger.

"Show off…" said Trisha.

Sin added the card to her hand, and looked over them.

"You may think I'm pure evil, Jason," she said, "but I'm not without a little compassion. As an anesthesia for the pain you will experience, I play Upstart Goblin."

She played the Spell Card, and a fat goblin in royal robes appeared in front of Jason and let out a throaty chuckle. He waved his hand, and golden dust showered over him.

"Now you gain 1,000 Life Points," she said.

"And you get to draw one card," added Jason. "I'm not stupid, you know."

Sin made one draw.

"Moving right along…" she muttered, "I play the Spell Card, Magical Mallet. I'm sure you know the drill."

She played the card, and removed her deck.

"I think I'm going to reshuffle all five of my cards."

"Oh no…" muttered Trisha. "She's doing just what Amethyst did…"

Sin replaced her deck, and five new cards flew out of it.

"Much better…" said Sin. "You know, Jason… The major problem with the Orichalcos is, the user can't play any other Field Spells. That means it ruins a lot of strategies. But since I don't need it, I made a special Field Spell for my own use…

"It's the only Field Spell that's also a Card of Sin. Isn't that strange? No one but me can use this card, because it's a Field Spell that requires the Orichalcos to play."

Her Field Slot opened, and she placed a card inside.

"Take us to… _The Bronze Citadel_!"

A haze filled the air, and the roof started to fade away… With a rumbling, a building started to surround them…

Jason looked around. They were in the middle of a large parade ground inside some large fortress made of blackened iron (definitely not bronze, despite the name). On each wall were iron gates, and each one was guarded by two fiendish creatures; reptilian demons in armor with snaky, wiry beards, holding wicked-looking glaives.

"What are those?" asked Russell, nervously.

"Barbazu devils," said Sin. "The shock troops of Hell. But don't worry, these guys are just for show…

"Let me tell you about this place, Jason. On the first circle of Hell, the infernal armies gather under the command of the warlord Bel, for countless forays and assaults against their eternal enemies, the demons of the Abyss. And every military campaign begins at The Bronze Citadel. And since the first circle would be the beachhead of any invasion, this fortress is constantly being fortified with defenses. If it was ever made of actual bronze, that metal was covered by layers of hard steel centuries ago.

"And if you're wondering what this Field Spell does, from now on, any Monster that would normally go to my own Graveyard, with some exceptions, is instead drawn into the Citadel's inner sanctums."

"Huh?" asked Trisha. "Doesn't that mean they're removed from play?"

"Why would you banish your own Monsters?" asked Jason.

"You'll find out soon," said Sin. "Now then… I summon a gal you're sure to love… Glasya, the Duchess of Desire in Attack Mode."

In a flame, a tall figure appeared on the field. It was an absolutely gorgeous woman, dressed in a skimpy bikini made of black leather. Her beauty, however, was somewhat tarnished by her dark eyebrows, coppery skin, forked tail, small horns, and bat-like wings. (800/2,000) –) (1,300/2,000)

Jason drew back, a little nervous…

"Fear not…" said Sin. "This is just a Normal Monster…

"Or is she?"

Glasya grinned an evil grin at Jason.

"There's a story behind this card, Jason…" said Sin. "Pegasus designed it after he had a horrid nightmare in which the real Glasya was seducing him…"

"The real Glasya?" asked Jason.

"The daughter of Asmodeus…" said Sin, with an ominous voice. "He's the most powerful devil in existence, and the one who made the finer points of this deck possible. You'll see what I mean soon."

"Yeah, well, the apple must have fallen far from the tree," replied Jason. "Even with the Seal's bonus, she isn't much."

"Say what you will," said Sin. "I'll set a card facedown, and that will end my turn…"

Jason was more than a little surprised as the facedown card appeared.

_She isn't much…_ he thought. _But her 1,300 Attack Points could still have beaten my Monster's 1,200 Defense Points. Is she worried about my facedown card? And she has 2,000 Defense Points… Wouldn't it have made more sense to put her in Defense Mode?_

He drew a card.

_Her own facedown card is a concern, but if I summoned someone else, I could take out Glasya and move in for a direct attack… And take an early lead…_

"I move Ryu-Kishin Powered to Attack Mode…" he said.

The gargoyle leapt up, and bore his claws.

"And I summon Double Pinaska in Attack Mode."

The Spaniard leapt onto the field, bearing his machetes. (1,500/1,500)

"Not so fast," said Sin, "as you duelists often say. I was prepared for that…"

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device."

A weird machine appeared on the field, and then four chains shot out and grabbed Double Pinaska by the arms and legs!

"Sorry he has to leave so soon…" chuckled Sin. "Maybe we'll see him again later."

Double Pinaska struggled as he was dragged into the machine…

And then he was shot out of it like a cannon. He shattered, and his card reappeared in Jason's hand.

Glasya chuckled a little.

"Oh, you think that was funny?" said Jason, angrily. "Ryu-Kishin Powered…"

Glasya stopped laughing.

"…attack!"

The gargoyle swiped at the Duchess of Desire with his claws, and she shrieked. She was blasted into pixels.

The pixels formed into a globe of light, and the gate behind Sin opened. The globe flew through it, and the gate slammed shut.

**(J: 9,000) -------------------- (S: 7,700)**

"First blood to Jason…" muttered Trisha.

"Yeah…" said Russell. "But this has just started."

"I must say, you have guts…" muttered Sin, drawing a card. "No devil in Hell is mad enough to strike her… Especially not after what her father did to the cad who killed her mother. He isn't afraid to discipline those who rule under him…"

"And I suppose you're an expert in the politics of Hell?" asked Jason.

"You don't spread vices without knowing how devils function," said Sin. "So yes, I've learned a great deal from them.

"I'll freely admit that the whole concept of politics was invented in Hell. I'll even tell you where specifically – the city of Grenpoli on the Seventh Layer."

The three of them stared at her, not wanting to believe her, but knowing she had no reason to lie unless she was truly crazy…

"It was there that every aspect of politics has ever been thought up," she continued. "Centuries ago, they conceived the idea of the Divine Right of Kings, and when it no longer was feasible, they thought up the ideas surrounding the Magna Carta. In modern times, they helped design blueprints for every mortal system. Their ideas for state representation, the Electoral College, and my favorite, business lobbying. All political ideas start at Grenpoli."

"What do they hope to accomplish?" shouted Russell.

"What they do accomplish!" laughed Sin. "Politicians consumed by greed. Countries run by the influence of money. Politics are a power struggle to decide who gets power and who keeps it.

"And when a politician makes mistakes with his power, people curse his name and he's hated, he's a disgrace, and he's ripe for the picking…"

Thunder rolled.

"George Washington was opposed to the idea of political parties…" muttered Russell. "He thought they'd ruin the country. If only they'd have listened to him when he said that…"

Sin took a card from her hand.

"I summon Goblin of Greed in Attack Mode," she said.

She played the card, and a wealthy-looking Fiend in expensive clothing carrying a Pot of Greed under his arm appeared. He grinned as the Orichalcos bonded to him. (1,000/1,800) –) (1,500/1,800)

"That will be all for my turn," she said.

_Another weak Monster in Attack Mode,_ thought Jason. _And no Traps to protect it this time. What is she up to?_

_At least now I know she's using Fiends. No surprise there._

He drew a card.

_Hey…_ he thought. _It's Russell's card…_

"Okay, Sin…" he said, "It's time to bring someone new out, on loan from a friend of mine. Come on out… Marauding Captain!"

He played the card, and the aged veteran marched out, with a determined look on his face. (1,200/400)

"And now I'll use his effect," he continued, "to bring out someone you might remember…"

The Captain whistled, and Double Pinaska leapt forward again, brandishing his blades. (1,500/1,500)

"Oh, this is gonna be great!" said Trisha, anxiously.

"Ryu-Kishin Powered…" ordered Jason, "attack the Goblin of Greed!"

The Fiend made a swipe with his claws, and the Goblin clutched his fat stomach and his eyes bugged out. He shattered into pieces.

Again, the pieces formed into a ball of light, and flew through the gate.

"And now, Pinaska…" continued Jason, "attack Sin directly!"

Double Pinaska charged at the demoness…

"Hold it right there…" said Sin. "I'm bringing out someone _you_ might remember…"

The gate behind Sin glowed, and opened again, and a globe of light flew out…

It alighted in front of Sin, and transformed into Glasya, who crouched in Defense Mode. (800/2,000) –) (1,300/2,000)

"What?" asked Jason. "How? She was removed from play…"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Sin. "Did I say she was? Did I? I didn't tell you about the added effect of The Bronze Citadel. If I'm about to be attacked directly, one of the Monsters that occupies it will come back out to defend me.

"Of course, now she must remain in Defense Mode, but she'll make a decent shield.

"Try as hard as you like, Jason… Your Monsters will never be able to get to me."

Jason stared at her.

"And by the way, Jason," she continued, "if you think you can tear this Field down, think again. It can't be destroyed so long as the Seal of Orichalcos stands."

"I knew you'd cheat…" muttered Jason.

"Cheat?" asked Sin.

She smiled evilly.

"I'm the embodiment of human vice, Jason…" she said. "I'm Sin itself. Didn't you think I'd have access to the most powerful Cards of Sin?"

"Kind of makes sense…" muttered Russell. "In a sick way…"

"Think you can win?" asked Sin. "The only way to take out my Field is to destroy the Seal…

"You know, when I whispered to Dartz the forbidden magic on constructing his cards, even I thought that no force in the universe could shatter the Seal except for someone using my own magic.

"Well, Yugi may have proven me wrong…

"But Jason, no card you have could do it now. Know why? Because this time, The Seal of Orichalcos isn't even a card. You can't destroy something in this game if there's no card for you to destroy!"

"This was your plan all along…" muttered Jason. "You tipped the odds completely in your favor…"

"Well…" she replied. "I've had a whole century to prepare, haven't I?"

**(J: 9,000) -------------------- (S: 7,600)**

"And now…" she continued, "I believe it's my move…"

She drew a card.

"Now Jason…" she said, lifting a card. "Prepare to experience fear unlike you ever saw before…"

Lightning crashed in the sky, and horrid little phantom devils started flying around the arena.

"I just drew a key part of my strategy…" she said. "It's another Card of Sin… I pay 1,000 Life Points to play the Continuous Spell Card called Faustian Pact."

She fit the card into her Disk, and the Spell Card appeared on the field. It depicted an ominous contract, written in red ink.

Jason looked at the card, and saw that, on the contract, it was signed with Sin's name.

"Another Card of Sin?" moaned Trisha.

"I wouldn't be surprised if _all_ of the cards that were essential to her strategy were Cards of Sin," replied Russell. "After all, she IS sin."

"This card is just as durable as The Bronze Citadel," said Sin, "so don't bother trying to destroy it.

"Now, according to one of the terms of this Pact, the Lords of the Nine Circles Hell agree to give me aid in the form of their servants. We'll call these creatures Archdevils… Fiends who are one step below the Lords themselves.

"In game terms, this card must be on the field for me to summon the key players of my deck. However, the Archdevils, even ones who serve the same Lord, are all bitter rivals who would never share the spotlight. So, I can never have more than one of them on the field at one time."

"Good to know…" said Jason, nervously.

"Now, prepare to meet one of them!" laughed Sin. "Appear before me, Ipos, Lord of Masques!"

A bonfire of flame appeared on her side of the field, and an ominous form strode out. It was a Fiend who was bizarre to say the least. His head was that of a lion, and his legs resembled some sort of webbed bird – a goose or duck of some sort. He was dressed in the colorful clothing of a Renaissance nobleman, with a cavalier hat with a large plume. He carried a long, silver rapier. (1,200/1,200) –) (1,700/1,200)

Jason's three Monsters stepped back nervously…

"Weird…" muttered Russell.

"This guy is a sorry story these days…" said Sin. "Centuries ago, he used to be worshipped. He was the patron of actors, comedians, and entertainers… Back when such folk were regarded as unsophisticated jesters. In those days, actors were ridiculed and mocked by the wealthy and respected, and they needed a crutch. But times have changed. These days, entertainers _are_ wealthy and respected, and they rarely have any reason to join the cult of some devil. So these days, Ipos no longer has any followers… Poor guy."

The Fiend growled…

"Anyway…" said Sin. "I'm not ready to attack yet, so I'll just end my turn here."

**(J: 9,000) -------------------- (S: 6,600)**

_Now why did she do that?_ asked Jason, drawing a card. _She's going to have to deal with Double Pinaska eventually…_

He looked at his hand.

"Everyone, move to Defense Mode…" he stated.

Ryu-Kishin Powered, Marauding Captain, and Double Pinaska knelt and shielded themselves.

"Now I summon Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode," he said.

He played the card, and the little, furry Fairy appeared. (300/200)

Its eyebrows narrowed, and it growled a little at Sin…

She crossed her arms.

"How I hate that little rat…" she said. "Jaden Yuki's spirit guide…"

"So, the rumors were true," replied Jason.

"Yes…" answered Sin. "And Jaden was one who simply could not be tempted, no matter how much I tried. Every time I got near him, his purity and innocence sickened me. The closest he ever came to accepting one of my gifts was when he flew into rage after he defeated Sartorious the second time… But his allies quickly calmed him down, and the rage ended as soon as it began…"

"The whole reason he _had_ friends in the first place is because he was pure," replied Jason. "That's likely the reason a Fairy chose to guide him, too. There are a lot of benefits you get from following the moral path, most of which you simply wouldn't understand, so I won't waste my breath explaining them.

"Anyway, it's your move."

"Very well, Jason…" said Sin. "I draw…"

She drew a card.

"And since I didn't insult Ipos by making him fight last turn," she said, "he gives me a bonus… of 800 Life Points."

Ipos erupted in flames, and then pointed at Sin. She smiled, and absorbed the energy.

"A Fiend who doesn't like to fight?" asked Russell. "That's a new one on me."

"Don't get the situation wrong," said Sin. "Ipos is no pacifist. But as an exemplar of Pride, he considers fighting beneath him. He despises having uncultured grunts swing swords at him.

"Anyway, I just drew one of my favorites… Pot of Greed.

"As a side note, when Pegasus wanted to design a Spell Card that would let the user draw twice, I planted this card's image and name in his head… And lucky me, he liked it! Since the start of Duel Monsters, a card named after one of my seven vices has been used by almost every duelist! Even those who fought for the side of the Divine. Even you three.

"Ironic, don't you think?"

She frowned.

"But it was ruined when he approved of the Monster called Spirit of the Pot of Greed. That card mocked my gift by being a… Fairy…"

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry!" moaned Jason, sarcastically.

She played the card, and the sinister jar appeared. She drew twice…

…and then she smirked.

"Now, this round, anyway," she continued, "Ipos isn't going to have a choice. I know about the effect of you mustachioed friend there, so I'm going to force you to use it up.

"Ipos, attack Marauding Captain with blade of tragedy!"

Ipos growled a little. Then he raised his rapier, and it burned with fire. He made a dramatic pose, and then leapt at Marauding Captain.

"Double Pinaska!" shouted Jason. "Deflect the attack!"

The Spaniard leapt up, and blocked the sword with his machetes. He strained, until finally, he shoved the creature away.

He turned to Marauding Captain and nodded.

"My turn isn't over, Jason," said Sin. "I'd like to tell you a story…"

"I'm… not… in… the… mood…" growled Jason.

"Did you ever hear of the legend of Tharizdun?" asked Sin, ignoring the response.

Jason stared at her.

"Not many people have," said Sin. "Everyone keeps it a secret. In ancient times, when the Titans reigned, Tharizdun was the supreme force of Evil in the universe. He was a force of darkness, madness, and decay. Where his followers went, destruction followed.

"Eventually, his goals became clear. He sought to destroy the whole universe, no matter what the consequences.

"Everyone agreed that Tharizdun had to be stopped. For the first and only time, Light, Darkness, Dreams, and Shadow formed an alliance to bring him down. A temporary truce was called in the Blood Wars, Heaven and Hell joined forces, and the armies of the planes marched against Tharizdun.

"He was defeated, and locked away in a prison demi-plane for all eternity."

"I find that hard to believe," said Jason.

"Believe it," replied Sin. "I was in that army that opposed Tharizdun. I personally killed one of his high priests in a battle of spells.

"Anyway, over the years, he has reached out from his prison, forming evil doomsday cults with wicked plans. He has been known as the Dark One, the Lord of the End…

"And the Elder Elemental God…

"And now…"

She took a card from his hand.

"Chained primordial scion, Elder Elemental God, I channel your power! Hate me if you desire, but I hold the spell that can siphon your vile spirit! I play the Card of Sin known as… Tharizdun's Touch!"

She threw a card into her Disk. A Continuous Spell Card appeared, showing the image of an upside-down, black, two tiered ziggurat on a purple background.

Then the sky started to ripple, and a haunting laugh, like that of a madman cackling, filled the air. Two evil eyes appeared in the sky, and then two spectral arms appeared, hovering over the arena.

"Hold me…" said Trisha to Russell.

"Only if you hold me…" he replied.

"Calm down!" shouted Jason.

He turned to Sin.

"What does your card do?" he asked.

"Simply put, it activates any time I Normal Summon a Monster," said Sin. "If the Monster's original Attribute was Dark, nothing happens. If it was Light, it is destroyed. But if it was anything else, something will happen that you won't like.

"And now… I end my turn…"

**(J: 9,000) -------------------- (S: 7,400)**

"Finally," said Jason.

He drew a card.

_There we go…_ he thought.

"I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and in a puff of smoke, the impressive genie appeared. (1,800/1,000)

"Yes!" shouted Trisha. "La Jinn's Attack is greater than Ipos's! And Sin has no Traps on the field!"

"You got that right," said Jason. "La Jinn, show the Lord of Masques some tragedy of your own! Attack!"

La Jinn fumed in rage, and blew flames from his mouth. Ipos the Lord of Masques groaned, and then burst into an explosion of fire.

Trisha and Russell cheered.

"Heh, heh, heh…" laughed Sin. "Your pathetic excuse for a Fiend only helped me, Jason. That may have cost me 100 Life Points, but there's another term in the Faustian Pact that I didn't mention.

"Every time one of their servants goes to my Graveyard, the Lord he serves agrees to give me 1,000 Life Points."

"What?" said Jason in surprise. "Wait a second, your Field Spell prevents Monsters from going to your Graveyard."

"Perhaps you weren't listening the first time," said Sin. "I said that it claims any Monster, _with some exceptions._ Monsters that happen to be Cards of Sin are an exception, and that includes all of the Archdevils.

"And Ipos was among the weakest of the Archdevils. More are to come, and they'll just get stronger…"

"Please…" muttered Jason. "This card has to have some catch…"

Sin gave him an evil look. Thunder rolled…

"Oh course it has a catch, Jason," she replied. "A very, very, dangerous catch. One that has prevented all previous owners of this deck, from Sartorious to that loser over there…"

She pointed at Fortunado.

"…from daring to actually use it. Using this deck and demanding the services of the Lords is playing with eternal fire. That Monster you just destroyed was not a hologram. It was truly the servant of a Lord of Hell.

"Remember when you said you'd banish me to Hell if I lost, and I said that it wouldn't be necessary? Well, if you win, which you won't, you needn't dirty your hands…

"This is a _real_ Faustian Pact, not just a card. The terms I've agreed to are similar to those agreed to by Dr. Faustus when he made the deal with the Archduke Mephistopheles. If I should lose this duel after using it, the Lords supplying me with these creatures obtain all rights to my soul, forever."

Jason looked at her.

"You're crazy…" he said, pointing a finger.

"No, I'm just doing what I have to do to defeat you," she replied. "I'm sick of losing every thousand years, so this time, I'm burning every bridge, and going for broke. This time, I don't mind taking the greatest risk imaginable. I will defeat you…"

"Fine…" said Jason. "I end my turn…"

**(J: 9,000) -------------------- (S: 8,300)**

Sin drew a card.

"Case in point…" she said. "Time to meet another Archdevil… Come forward, patron of forbidden knowledge… I summon Haagenti the Ultimate Alchemist!"

She played the card, and in a flash of light, a new Fiend appeared. He was an eight-foot-tall, muscular figure resembling a humanoid bull made of amber, wearing an iron kilt and boots. He had large, feathered wings growing from his back. (1,400/1,400) –) (1,900/1,400)

The evil eyes in the sky glowed…

"And, since I just summoned an Earth Monster," continued Sin, "Tharizdun's Touch activates, and you lose one card at random from your hand."

A beam of energy shot from the eyes, and struck the Cyber Laser Dragon in Jason's hand.

"Hey!" he shouted, as it vanished.

"And since your Captain only protects Warriors…" said Sin, "Haagenti, attack that foolish genie with alchemic blast."

Haagenti breathed a cloud of noxious fumes from his jaws. La Jinn turned to stone, and then shattered into shards.

Jason stepped back in shock.

"He's able to turn lead into gold…" said Sin with a smile, "or flesh into just about anything."

"I activate… Flat LV 4!" shouted Jason, as his Trap Card lifted. "Now, both of us may Special Summon a four-star Monster from our decks."

"Very well…" said Sin, taking her deck. "I'll summon The Portrait's Secret."

She played the card, and an elaborate painting appeared next to Glasya. Then, two scaly green arms and a ghostly, hideous head emerged. (1,200/1,500) –) (1,700/1,500)

"And I'll summon my favorite," said Jason. "Go, Vorse Raider!"

In a flash, Vorse Raider appeared, and growled menacingly. (1,900/1,200)

Then Jason noticed his score…

**(J: 8,800) -------------------- (S: 8,300)**

"I lost 200 Life Points?" he said. "I should have only lost 100…"

"That's Haagenti's ability," said Sin. "Battle damage he inflicts is doubled."

"No way…" muttered Trisha. "If he managed to attack directly…"

"He can't," interrupted Sin. "Or more appropriately, he won't…

"Haagenti is a devil who has based his whole career around never taking risks. He seeks the formula for achieving godhood, and he couldn't do that if he were killed in battle. So while this Fiend will destroy your Monsters, it won't attack you. Haagenti would never engage with a foe so powerful.

"Now let's continue… Portrait's Secret, attack Ryu-Kishin Powered!"

The ghostly painting reached out with long arms and throttled the gargoyle. It gasped, and then shattered into bits.

"Your move…" she said.

**(J: 8,700) -------------------- (S: 8,300)**

Jason drew a card.

_Oh yeah…_ he thought.

"I sacrifice Winged Kuriboh and Marauding Captain…" he said.

The Warrior and the Fairy vanished.

"To summon Tyrant Dragon!"

In a burst of flames, the huge, mighty Dragon of Fire erupted onto the field! (2,900/2,500)

"Yeah!" shouted Trisha. "Way to get a great Monster out early!"

"Tyrant Dragon…" ordered Jason. "Attack Haagenti the Ultimate Alchemist! Imperial inferno!"

Tyrant Dragon roared, and breathed a blast of flames. Haagenti staggered, and then exploded in a burst of white shards.

"Now…" said Jason, "attack Glasya!"

Tyrant Dragon breathed flames again, and the Duchess of Desire screamed. She was burned up.

"Vorse Raider, dismantle that twisted mantelpiece!"

Vorse Raider charged forward, and slashed with his axe, splitting The Portrait's Secret in two.

Sin looked at Jason.

"Dramatic, yes…" she said, "but pointless. I may have lost 1,200 Life Points, but due to my Pact, I gain 1,000 right back."

"Need I remind you that my Tyrant Dragon is now on the field?" asked Jason. "Make your move… Let's see how you intend to defeat him without anything to sacrifice."

**(J: 8,700) -------------------- (S: 8,100)**

_At least it's possible to destroy these things,_ he thought. _According to Pegasus, that wasn't the case with Dartz's Monsters. They were invincible. _

_But I don't believe for a second she doesn't have more tricks she can use…_

Sin drew a card.

"Time to summon one of the most dreaded of the Archdevils," she said. "Appear before me, Queen of Lust… Namia the Erinyes Queen, arise in Attack Mode."

In a burst of flame, another female Fiend appeared. She looked similar to Glasya, but had blonde hair and no wings. Like Glasya, she was dressed indecently, in a brown, leather bikini, and an aura of flames was around her. Her ears were fiendishly pointed. (500/500) –) (1,000/500)

"Oh, please…" said Jason. "Your teenage prostitute is no match for my Dragon even with the Seal."

"Have you forgotten about my Tharizdun's Touch card?" asked Sin.

The evil eyes started to glow.

"Since I just summoned a Fire Monster," she continued, "I can destroy one of your Monsters. Guess which one…"

Flames fell from the sky, and Tyrant Dragon screamed as it was roasted alive. It collapsed, and burst into pieces.

"You'll pay for that…" muttered Jason.

"We'll see…" said Sin. "I end my turn…"

Jason drew a card.

_I don't trust this Namia…_ he thought. _She must have some dark secret…_

_Better not summon anyone new yet…_

"I move Double Pinaska to Attack Mode…" he said.

Double Pinaska stood up.

"And now I attack with Vorse Raider!"

Vorse Raider charged. Namia cringed as he slashed at her with his axe…

But the Fiend did not shatter. She quickly got up. Her eyes glowed evilly…

Then she grabbed Vorse Raider, and planted a deep kiss on his fanged mouth.

"What?" said Jason. "What's happening?"

"Namia can't be destroyed in battle if she's in Attack Mode," said Sin. "And as one of the greatest seducers in Hell, any Monster who battles her becomes her slave."

Vorse Raider's eyes glowed, and he walked over to the Fiend's side. He held his head, as the Seal appeared on his forehead… (2,400/1,200)

"Vorse Raider, snap out of it!" shouted Jason. "Can't you see she's using you?"

"Save your breath, Jason," laughed Sin. "You can't break Namia's spell for as long as she's on the field…"

Jason paused.

_If I attacked with Double Pinaska, he'd fall under her spell too… As would any Monster I summoned…_

"I summon Blade Knight in Defense Mode," he said.

Blade Knight appeared, and knelt in Defense. (1,600/1,000)

"I end my turn…" he angrily said.

**(J: 8,700) -------------------- (S: 7,200)**

Sin smiled, and drew a card.

"I summon The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams in Attack Mode," she said.

A spectral bed with a sleeper on it appeared. Then, a ghostly, skeletal phantom armed with a shield and sword floated out of the sleeper's body. (1,300/1,800) –) (1,800/1,800)

"Now…" ordered Sin, "attack his Blade Knight, my Ghost! Nightmare sword!"

The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams flew forward with a chilling moan, and struck Blade Knight. The Warrior shattered to bits.

"Vorse Raider… Attack your former ally now. Destroy Double Pinaska."

Namia pointed, and Vorse Raider flew forward, slashing at Double Pinaska with his axe. The Spaniard groaned, and shattered to bits.

"Namia, attack directly!" ordered Sin. "Show him what your kiss can do to humans!"

Namia's eyes glowed.

"Oh, I dare you…" said Jason.

Like some savage cat, Namia leapt, and locked her legs around Jason's waist. He tried to pull away, but she grabbed his head and kissed him deeply…

_Get off, get off, get off…_ thought Jason.

"GET OFF!" he screamed.

With a mighty shove, he pushed the Fiend off of him. She tumbled to the ground.

Namia looked up at him with a look of anger. Jason started spitting on the ground.

He stared at the Archdevil.

"Well, the Earth didn't exactly move for me either, that's for sure," he said with a snarl.

Sin chuckled.

"You only resisted her kiss once, Jason," she said, "obviously due the divine power you hold. Next round, she'll make another try, and you won't be so lucky…

"It's your move…"

**(J: 6,800) -------------------- (S: 7,200)**

_She has a point…_ thought Jason. _Even if I hadn't lost my Cyber Laser Dragon, its effect wouldn't work on her. I don't have many ways to kill a Monster without attacking… This deck wasn't designed for that…_

He drew a card.

"All right, demoness…" he said, "I'm playing Graceful Charity…"

He played the card, and drew three cards.

His eyes opened.

He discarded Photon Generator Unit and Double Spell.

Then he took one of the cards he had just drawn.

"I summon someone new…" he said. "A little gift from Trisha… I summon… Nanobreaker!"

In a flash of light, the attractive female android appeared on the field. (1,600/1,800)

"Oh, I get it…" said Sin with a laugh. "You think she can resist Namia's powers because she's a female Monster. Guess again. Namia has seduced and enslaved many women throughout the ages."

"I figured as much," replied Jason. "A devil devoted to Lust would certainly go both ways.

"But Nanobreaker won't give her a chance to use her kiss, due to Nanobreaker's effect. Namia is a three-star Monster. And when Nanobreaker attacks a Monster with three stars or less…"

"…the attacked Monster is automatically destroyed…" gasped Sin.

Namia gave a look of fear.

"You got it!" replied Jason. "Nanobreaker, attack Namia the Erinyes Queen with nano-blade!"

Nanobreaker leapt up, and slashed at the she-devil. Namia shrieked, and then burst into fiery shards.

"And now my Vorse Raider is free…" said Jason.

Vorse Raider stepped back to Jason's side… The Seal on his forehead vanished…

He hung his head, as if in shame.

Then Nanobreaker lifted his head with her hand, and looked at him with a compassionate glance. Vorse Raider looked at her, and then nodded.

Then they both turned to face Sin.

"My Battle Phase isn't over, I believe," said Jason. "Vorse Raider, destroy her Ghost!"

Vorse Raider roared, and slashed his axe at The Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams. The fiend moaned, and shattered to bits.

**(J: 6,800) -------------------- (S: 7,500)**

"Big deal," said Sin, laughing. "You aren't even close to beating me. With every Archdevil you strike down, I get stronger. With every other Monster you destroy, another minion is added to The Bronze Citadel, assuring you'll never be able to attack me. You can't win!

"And now… It's my move…"

She drew a card.

"Come forward, Exemplar of Gluttony," she said. "I summon you forth… Behemoth the Great Beast."

The ground shook, and an immense form burst out of the ground. In height, he was fifteen feet tall, and resembled nothing less than an obese, humanoid elephant, ten feet tall, with four tusks, powerful arms, and clawed feet. Hideous maggots crawled all over his flesh, and a fanged maw was at the tip of his trunk. (1,400/1,000) –) (1,900/1,000)

Everyone present except Sin clutched their noses. This guy was not only ugly, he had a terrible stench.

Then Jason noticed the terrible eyes of Tharizdun glowing again.

"I'm sure you remember what Tharizdun's Touch does when I summon an Earth Monster," said Sin, "right Jason?"

A beam shot down from the eyes, and struck a card in Jason's hand.

"No!" he shouted. "Not that one!"

His Luster Dragon #2 vanished.

"Oh, was it a good one?" asked Sin. "Well, losing it is nothing compared to what's about to happen. Behemoth, attack Nanobreaker…

"Oh, Trisha? Better brace yourself…"

Behemoth roared, and lunged forward, and slugged Nanobreaker with his mighty fist. She shrieked, and then exploded.

Then Trisha screamed. She fell to her knees…

"TRISHA!" shouted Jason.

He tried to run to her, but slammed into the wall of the Seal.

"Have you forgotten that you can't escape?" asked Sin.

Trisha bowed her head and started to sob…

"What did you do to her?" demanded Jason.

"Like I said, Jason," said Sin, "these creatures are truly the nobles of Hell. Their weapons and claws don't just attack the body, they strike the soul.

"A key link exists between Nanobreaker and Trisha, so in a sense, when Behemoth destroyed Nanobreaker, he was slamming his fist right into Trisha's soul, an attack which she could not defend herself from, since this is not her duel.

"You thought you could succeed by using your friends' cards. By sending them into battle against my forces, you have only put Trisha and Russell at risk."

Jason looked, and saw Russell trying to comfort Trisha, who was sobbing and crying.

"Bitch…" he muttered. "I'll show no more mercy…"

"Well, your Vorse Raider is next…" said Sin, "because as the Exemplar of Gluttony, Behemoth grows stronger with each foe he squashes. With every Monster he destroys, his Attack Points rise by 500."

Behemoth grew to (2,400/1,000).

"Your move…" said Sin.

**(J: 6,500) -------------------- (S: 7,500)**

"Oh, I'll move…" said Jason, drawing a card.

He added it to his hand.

"And your giant, smelly freak over there is going down…"

Behemoth growled.

"I sacrifice Vorse Raider, to summon Cyber Dragon."

Vorse Raider vanished, and the giant, mechanical serpent appeared. (2,100/1,600)

"Pathetic…" said Sin. "It can't beat the Great Beast."

"Want a bet?" asked Jason.

He showed her a Spell Card.

"That…" gasped Sin. "That's the card you used to defeat Eris!"

"Yes…" said Jason. "I told you I'd light the night. I play… Sol's Searing Orb!"

Behind him, the radiant disk of the sun rose, shedding light on the city below! Behemoth covered his eyes, and the dark form of Tharizdun scowled.

"You remember how it works…" continued Jason. "I have to choose one Light Monster, one like, oh, I dunno, my Cyber Dragon.

"Then, said Light Monster can't be destroyed in battle for this turn, and the Monster it attacks is automatically destroyed."

Sin growled.

"Cyber Dragon, go!" he shouted. "Wipe out Behemoth the Great Beast with solar strident blast!"

Cyber Dragon breathed a fierce stream of luminous flames, and Behemoth roared as he was engulfed by burning light. He toppled over with a crash before exploding into pixels.

A final tear rolled down Trisha's eye. She slowly stood up…

"That was for Nanobreaker…" said Jason.

**(J: 6,200) -------------------- (S: 8,500)**

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Sin.

The sun faded away, and was replaced by the gloomy darkness again.

"You're only hurting yourself… You may have defeated Behemoth, but you lost 300 Life Points, while I gained another thousand."

"I will find a way to defeat you…" snarled Jason. "How many Archdevils can there be?"

"How many?" asked Sin, crossing her arms. "Hmm… Good question…

"Each of the nine Lords of Hell keeps a considerable court… dukes, vissers, ambassadors, heralds, courtesans… Hell may be an evil system, but it prides itself on being an orderly one. It needs a hierarchy to function.

"If you want to know about population, one diabolist in the seventeenth century named Wilhelm had a theory. He said that the infernal army was divided into six legions… Those legions were further divided into sixty-six companies… Each of them were divided into six-hundred and sixty-six units… And each of them had 6,666 soldiers…"

"Oh, give me a break!" shouted Russell. "I may not have a calculator handy, but that would be over a billion! No army could be that big!"

She chuckled.

"Ever see a Blood War battle, Russell?" she asked. "The smallest one would have made D-Day look like a birthday party. Besides, I don't think that Wilhelm was correct.

"So to answer your question, Jason, I'm not sure. No one has counted, but several hundred at least.

"But, as far as this deck is concerned, there are eight of them, Jason… And the ones you saw so far were the bottom tier. They were only the middle-upper class of Hell. In the lower layers, the true upper crust waits to send me their blessings, courtesy of my Pact…

"You've defeated four so far…

"The ones that remain will destroy you!"

Lightning flashed in the sky…

_Wednesday, November 11th, 1:45 AM_

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**GLASYA, THE DUTCHESS OF DESIRE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **800  
**DEF: **2,000

**Flavor Text: **_This attractive female noble of Pandemonium delights in seducing mortals and consuming their souls.  
_

_Note: "Glasya, The Duchess of Desire" first appeared in "The Mandate of Heaven"._

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**THE BRONZE CITADEL (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Field/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin: **Sloth

**Image:** An evil fortress on a blasted wasteland.

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed while "The Seal of Orichalcos" is in play. All your Monsters that would normally go to your Graveyard, except for Cards of Sin, are removed from play. If you are about to be attacked directly, you can Special Summon a Monster that this card has removed from play in face-up Defense Position. A Monster Special Summoned via this method cannot change its battle position.

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**FAUSTIAN PACT (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin: **Greed

**Image:** An evil-looking contract signed with red ink. The signature is that of the duelist using it.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points to activate this card. This card cannot be destroyed while "The Seal of Orichalcos" is in play. Whenever an Archdevil is sent to your Graveyard, gain 1,000 Life Points. If an Archdevil destroys an opposing Monster that has a connection to its owner's soul, the owner's spirit is damaged. If you lose the duel after using this card, you will be banished to Hell.

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**THARIZDUN'S TOUCH (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin: **Wrath

**Image:** An inverted, black, two-tiered ziggurat on a purple background.

**Card Description:** If this card is destroyed, destroy all Monsters on your side of the field. You can activate the effect of this card once per turn, when you Normal Summon a Monster. Enact one of the following effects depending on the original Attribute of the summoned Monster.

Fire: Destroy one face-up opposing Monster

Earth: Your opponent discards one card in his hand at random.

Wind: Destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your opponent's side of the field.

Water: The Monster you summon to activate this effect may attack directly this turn. Reduce this Monster's ATK by half until the End Phase of the turn.

Light: The summoned Monster is destroyed (this effect is not optional).

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**IPOS, LORD OF MASQUES (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,200  
**DEF: **1,200

**Sin: **Pride

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Archdevil. Only one Archdevil may be face-up on your side of the field at one time. This card is destroyed if "Faustian Pact" is not active on your side of the field. This card cannot be Special Summoned. If you do not attack with this card during your turn, gain 800 Life Points during your next Standby Phase.

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**HAAGENTI , THE ULTIMATE ALCHEMIST (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,400  
**DEF: **1,400

**Sin: **Sloth

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Archdevil. Only one Archdevil may be face-up on your side of the field at one time. This card is destroyed if "Faustian Pact" is not active on your side of the field. This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card may not attack your opponent's Life Points directly. Battle Damage this card does to your opponent is doubled.

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**NAMIA THE SUCCUBUS QUEEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level: **3  
**ATK: **500  
**DEF: **500

**Sin: **Lust

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Archdevil. Only one Archdevil may be face-up on your side of the field at one time. This card is destroyed if "Faustian Pact" is not active on your side of the field. This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle if it is in Attack Position (battle damage still applies). If this card engages in battle, and you take damage, take control of the Monster that it did battle with it for as long as this card remains face-up on the field.

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**BEHEMOTH THE GREAT BEAST (Monster Card) **

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **4  
**ATK: **1,400  
**DEF: **1,000

**Sin: **Gluttony

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Archdevil. Only one Archdevil may be on your side of the field at one time. This card is destroyed if "Faustian Pact" is not active on your side of the field. This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card destroys an opposing Monster, increase this card's ATK by 500.

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Sin's unholy army continues to march forward, and the Dark Messiah is backed into a corner, facing a strategy that seemingly cannot be defeated. But Jason may have his own strategy ready to unleash, if he gains an opening. Who will be the final victor on this terrible night?**_

_**Discover the answer, in the conclusion, called "Absolute End" coming soon.**_

**_Don't miss it… It's gonna be a Hell of a time…_**


	66. Absolute End

"_**Here we may reign secure; and in my choice,  
To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell:  
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven."**_

_**So said John Milton, quoting Satan, in his poetic masterpiece /IParadise LostI. **_

_**And right now… The meaning of that quote changes dramatically.**_

_**I disagree with it. As the Dark Messiah, I serve Heaven (more or less), and I have no desire to reign in Hell. **_

…_**and now, I'm caught in a conflict that threatens to spill the armies of Hell into the mortal world, giving its rulers more to reign over.**_

_**My enemy stands with an unholy alliance behind her… She's planned her strategy for a century…**_

_**But no matter how bleak it seems, I won't give up. I am convinced that I can find a weak spot in this strategy.**_

_**I just hope I can find it before I'm finished…**_

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**CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE**

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**Absolute End**

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_Wednesday, November 11th, 1:46 AM_

Jason surveyed the situation in front of him.

His field had his Cyber Dragon in front of him (2,100/1,600), and his foe had no Monsters right now…

But four important parts of her strategy still remained.

One: The Field Spell called The Bronze Citadel. With it in place, it was impossible for him to attack directly. If he tried, she could use it to summon a Monster he had already destroyed to shield herself.

Two: The Continuous Spell Card, Faustian Pact. A Spell so powerful that it would damn her to Hell forever if she lost, it enabled her to summon Archdevils, the most evil Fiends he had ever seen. In addition, whenever one of them went to her Graveyard, it gave her 1,000 Life Points.

Three: Another Continuous Spell Card called Tharizdun's Touch. This card had not only summoned an evil pair of eyes and a spectral pair of arms that was now looming in the sky (he assumed it was some reflection of this ancient being she had called Tharizdun), but whenever she Normal Summoned an Earth, Fire, Wind, or Water Monster, something happened to hurt him. And he didn't even know what Wind and Water did yet.

Four…

The Seal of Orichalcos, which had been plaguing him and his friends for over two months. She didn't even need a card to create it. In a sense, she _was_ the Orichalcos.

Lightning flashed in the sky again…

**(Jason: 6,200) -------------------- (Sin: 8,500)**

"How does that old song go, Jason?" asked Sin. "Oh yes… _Better laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun…_

"_Only the good die young…_"

"You're a riot…" said Jason. "I never expected the embodiment of vice to be so funny… Of course, I never expected her to be an exhibitionist either. I mean, who knew that demons shopped at Fredrick's of Hollywood?

"Eh, what am I saying? One of them likely Iowns/I that place."

"Heh…" she muttered. "If that's the best insult you can think of, then torturing you isn't going to be much fun at all…"

"I'll find a way to beat you…" he said slowly.

"Yes, we all have our dreams…" replied Sin. "And one of the things I like to do the most with dreams is crush them.

"Take Heinrich Luitpold Himmler…"

"Hitler's second in command?" gasped Jason.

"Yes…" answered Sin. "You know, when he was a boy, all he could dream about was joining the clergy when he grew up, but one sour experience made him hate the priesthood.

"See, he attended confession and told the priest of something bad he had done. And then the priest violated his vows, and told his parents about it.

"Of course, in order to commit such a crime against his station, that priest needed a little… persuasion…"

Jason's eyebrows narrowed…

"You?" he asked.

Sin nodded.

"I saw in Himmler a greater potential for Evil than Good…" she said with a smile. "So I needed to make him hate the symbols of Good and Light more than anything to set him on the right path…"

"It was the _wrong_ path!" shouted Jason. "One can only hope that he had regret for it all right before he killed himself!"

"I believe it's my move…" said Sin, still smiling.

She drew a card.

"I'll place this facedown, and summon Winged Minion in Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared, and then a nasty little imp appeared, the size of an infant. It was bald, had blue skin, and a lamprey-like mouth, and true to its name, bat-like wings. It knelt, and shielded itself. (700/700) –) (1,200/700)

Jason slowly drew a card.

_Winged Minion can increase the Attack and Defense of any Fiend-Type Monster by 700 points,_ he thought. _She clearly intends to summon something else whose Attack isn't too great, and use its effect on it. _

_She has a facedown card, but I have to try…_

"I summon Battle Ox in Attack Mode," he said.

He played the card, and the minotaur appeared, holding his axe. (1,700/1,000)

"Cyber Dragon, attack…"

"Hold it…" said Sin. "I activate… Threatening Roar."

Her facedown card lifted, and a huge beast appeared behind her. It made a great bellow, and Jason's two Monsters cringed.

"And just like that," continued Sin, "your Battle Phase is over."

Jason growled.

"All right…" he said. "I end my turn."

"So now what?" asked Trisha.

"I think this is just getting started…" said Russell.

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Deep within the Monastery, the Sage and his four bodyguards brooded with worry. They knew what was happening well – the evil that emitted from that tower reached even their sanctified halls now, and the Duel Spirits were restless. They knew that if the Dark Messiah failed, Sin would quickly overcome their defenses and take them all down…

At the Academy, Dr. Artemis was restless, still shaken after her duel with Isaiah. She went around to every dorm, checking on the welfare of every student, knowing full well that her school would be one of the first targets should the Reckoning be lost.

In Times Square, Jason's troops and everyone else there still watched the big screen. Unbeknownst to Jason, the duel was still being shown, and the horrible Fiends frightened everyone present. Most of them were saying silent prayers, hoping that the sun would eventually rise and burn away this uncanny darkness.

And across the whole world, overcast clouds covered places where daylight still should have shown, and a grim stain hung over all of creation…

Everyone knew in their bones that the fate of the world was resting in a horrible struggle…

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Sin drew a card and smirked.

"Let's continue down the Pit," she said, "the way Dante once did.

"I'll set yet another card facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"And next, it's time to meet another Archdevil. I'll sacrifice my Winged Minion…"

Jason gasped as Winged Minion vanished.

_Another Archdevil?_ he thought. _And this one is stronger than four stars?_

"Come forth from your watery domain…" chanted Sin. "I summon Vepar, Master of Angry Waters."

A large blob of water appeared on the field, and then it burst, revealing a hulking, diabolic form. It was an immense humanoid figure with the lower body of a fish. His dull, grey skin hung loosely from his bones, and he wore a chipped and broken crown made of coral. He carried a battered and rusty trident. The smell of rotting fish and salt wafted over the field. (1,900/1,900) –) (2,400/1,900)

"Good grief…" muttered Trisha. "Now she's really getting serious…"

The eyes of Tharizdun glowed again…

"Not again…" muttered Jason.

"Yes, again," said Sin, evilly. "Since I just summoned someone who was originally a Water Monster, Tharizdun's Touch allows him to attack you directly this round, so long as I cut his Attack Score in half."

The fiendish sea lord grinned, and his Attack fell to 1,200.

"Vepar…" ordered Sin, "attack Jason directly with foul trident."

The Archdevil leapt up, and made a stab with his spear, jabbing Jason right in the stomach.

Jason fell over. His armor had taken the brunt of that blow – he had a feeling that he might not have survived it if he had been wearing his street clothes…

**(J: 5,000) -------------------- (S: 8,500)**

"And wait until you hear about Vepar's effect," continued Sin. "When he damages your Life Points, I get to search my deck for any Fiend I desire, except for another Archdevil."

She took her deck and looked through it.

"I think my Archfiend Soldier will do this time," she said.

"I kind of figured you had one of those lurking in your deck," said Jason.

"Well, my turn is done…" replied Sin, "so I'll turn it over to you."

Jason paused to catch his breath.

"All right soul stealer…" he said, drawing a card. "My move now…"

He looked at the three cards in his hand.

"I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode…" he said.

Peten appeared, kneeling in Defense. (500/1,200)

"And Cyber Dragon and Battle Ox move to Defense too."

Cyber Dragon curled up in its coils, and Battle Ox knelt and placed his axe on his lap.

"That's all for now…" he said.

Sin gestured, and another card flew off her deck.

"First, I play the Spell Card… Goblin Thief…" she said.

"Huh?" said Jason, as the card appeared.

Sin glowed, and then she blurred…

"What?" said Jason.

A form resembling a spirit version of Sin floated out of her. The spirit grinned and vanished.

Jason nervously paused.

"Behind you!" screamed Trisha.

Before Jason could react, the spirit throttled him from behind, and sank her fangs into his neck, through his armor. He screamed, and Sin's true body started to glow…

He fell to his knees. The vile spirit released him, and Sin smiled at him.

"As you know…" she chuckled, "this Spell Card takes 500 of your Life Points, and adds them to mine. But I added an interesting twist… Tasty…"

Jason got up and glared at her…

"But on to work," she continued. "I summon Archfiend Soldier in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and the demonic, horned footsoldier appeared, holding a nasty sword. (1,900/1,500) –) (2,400/1,500)

"Now I activate… Meteorain…"

Her facedown card lifted, showing the image of Enraged Battle Ox in a meteor shower.

Russell got up in shock.

"Now all her Monsters get a trampling effect for one round!" he shouted.

"You got it," laughed Sin. "Archfiend Soldier, destroy his Cyber Dragon! Sword of Perdition!"

The Fiend leapt up, and slashed at the Machine, and it burst in a great explosion. Jason cringed from the blow.

"Vepar, take out his clown…"

With one stab of his trident, Vepar ran Peten through.

"I activate his effect…" growled Jason. "Peten number two, come forth!"

A second Peten appeared, still kneeling in Defense. (500/1,200)

**(J: 2,500) -------------------- (S: 9,000)**

"Well, I still get to enact Vepar's effect," said Sin, taking her deck. "And I think Earthbound Spirit will do this time…"

"No…" groaned Trisha. "That's an Earth Monster… When she summons it, that nasty thing up there will make him discard another card from his hand…"

"I think that was the whole idea…" replied Russell.

"Be glad I can't summon it this turn," said Sin, with a smile. "It's your move."

_There has to be something I can do…_ thought Jason.

He drew a card.

Then he grinned…

"Well, Sin…" he said, "your Bronze Citadel and your Faustian Pact may be indestructible so long as the Orichalcos stands, but I'll bet Tharizdun's Touch is a lot less durable.

"So kiss it goodbye. I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He played the card, and the cyclone shot forward. The Tharizdun's Touch card waved back and forth, and then finally, shattered into a thousand pieces.

The eyes of Tharizdun above burned in anger! A roar echoed all over New York!

Then, two burning beams of energy shot from the eyes, and both Archfiend Soldier and Vepar, Master of Angry Waters were incinerated!

Then the immense form of the ancient god faded away and dissipated.

"Well, one point for our side…" said Russell.

"I figured as much…" said Jason. "Tharizdun seems like a very destructive power source, so channeling his power is dangerous. If that card is destroyed, all your Monsters are destroyed."

"Big deal," said Sin. "Did you forget about the terms of my Faustian Pact? Since Vepar went to my Graveyard, I get 1,000 Life Points, courtesy of Prince Levistus."

"Prince Levistus?" asked Jason.

"Didn't I tell you that these creatures were servants of even stronger devils?" asked Sin. "All of them are watching closely… They have great interest in this duel… Each one of them has much to gain…"

"Fine…" muttered Jason. "Since attacking would be pointless, I end my turn."

**(J: 2,500) -------------------- (S: 10,000)**

Sin drew a card.

"I summon Earthbound Spirit in Defense Mode…" she said.

The ground rumbled, and a head and two arms made of dirt rose out of the ground in front of her. (500/2,000) –) (1,000/2,000)

"Your move…" she said.

_Clearly…_ thought Jason, _that thing is there for another sacrifice. But there isn't really much I can do…_

He drew a card.

_Mirror Force! At least I can give her a surprise…_

"I throw down one facedown, and end my turn," he said.

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

Sin smiled as she drew a card.

"Nice try, Jason…" she said. "But I was prepared for that. I play Heavy Storm."

She played the card, and a cold wind blew through the whole wasteland. The Field Spell and the Faustian Pact stood, but the Mirror Force was blown away.

"And now…" said Sin with a laugh, "I sacrifice Earthbound Spirit to summon Azazel, Guardian of the Goat."

Earthbound Spirit vanished, and a large form burst out of the ground. This Fiend looked like a bare-chested, muscular human, dressed only in a loincloth, with bat-like wings and the head of a demonic goat. He held in his hand a halberd that was adorned with human skulls.

He twirled his weapon above his head and let out a ferocious, bleating roar… (2,100/1,600) –) (2,600/1,600)

"Okay…" muttered Jason. "Now we're getting worried…"

"Azazel…" ordered Sin, "wipe out his Battle Ox! Berserker rage!"

Azazel's halberd blazed with fire, and he leapt forth with it, blowing Battle Ox to pieces.

"You're lucky he was in Defense Mode…" laughed Sin. "So what will you do now?"

Jason growled. He drew a card.

He considered again.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Just move…" he said.

"I will…" said Sin, drawing a card.

"Hmm…" she said, looking at it.

"Want to know what Azazel's great effect is?" asked Sin. "If I sacrifice another Monster, he gets to attack a second time in a row.

"So, I'll summon Stray Asmodian in Attack Mode."

She played the card, and a Fiend appeared that was… weird. It was dressed in a blue robe, but had no limbs. It seemed to float in the air. Its head had three ugly faces, colored blue, green, and red, and a sort of smokestack on top that spouted out flames. (1,300/1,700) –) (1,800/1,700)

"First my Asmodian will destroy your facedown Monster," she said, "and then I'll sacrifice him so that Azazel can destroy both of your clowns.

"Stray Asmodian, attack the facedown Monster!"

The Fiend flew at the facedown Monster with flames shooting from its smokestack...

"Oh really?" asked Jason. "I reveal… Ancient Lamp!"

The old oil lamp on spidery legs appeared on the card. (900/1,400)

"Now I'll reroute his attack… To Azazel!"

Stray Asmodian flew towards Azazel and breathed fire. Azazel angrily stabbed with his spear, and the smaller Fiend was destroyed.

Sin growled.

"Fine," said Sin. "But when Stray Asmodian is destroyed in battle, we both gain 800 Life Points."

A red aura surrounded both of them.

"Good grief!" shouted Trisha. "As if she needed any more Life Points?"

"Azazel, attack Peten!" she shouted.

Azazel lunged again, and Peten was blown to bits. Jason cringed.

He gestured, and a third Peten appeared. (500/1,200)

"You are persistent…" muttered Sin, "but you're far from defeating me. I'll place my last card facedown, and my turn ends."

A facedown card appeared in front of her.

**(J: 3,300) -------------------- (S: 10,000)**

Jason drew a card.

"I really have to thank your old pal Tharizdun," he said. "Without him, I wouldn't be able to do this. I play Premature Burial, to revive Luster Dragon #2."

He played the card, and the large, emerald Dragon appeared in front of him. (2,400/1,400)

"Ha!" laughed Sin. "He's not strong enough to bring down Azazel."

"Not by himself," replied Jason, "but I also have… Rush Recklessly."

He played the card. Luster Dragon's attack rose to 3,100.

Sin growled…

"Luster Dragon…" he shouted. "Wipe out Azazel, Guardian of the Goat! Emerald flame!"

Luster Dragon blasted a breath of scorching fire, and Azazel roared. He dropped his halberd, and then shattered into shards of rock.

**(J: 2,500) -------------------- (S: 10,500)**

Sin growled again.

"I activate… Card of Last Will," she said, as her Trap Card lifted. "Since you attacked when I had no cards in my hand, I get to draw five times."

She made five draws.

She looked at them.

"You do realize…" said Jason, "you have eleven cards left in your deck now. If you run out of cards, you lose."

"I'll defeat you…" growled Sin. "I don't have a choice now…

"The forces of Hell are getting very angry now. Do you think the Lords like it when their servants are defeated? It's both embarrassing and insulting. They're mad enough at Cassius, Cleo, and Sebastian… When I tested this deck out on them, they managed to send a couple of these Monsters to the grave."

"Then you're in deep trouble," said Jason.

"Not if I beat you," said Sin. "They'll forgive me once I do, and I'll reap the rewards."

She drew another card.

"I play Brain Control," she said, playing a Spell Card. "Now, all I must do is relinquish 800 Life Points, and I get to control one of your Monsters."

The evil brain appeared on the field, and grabbed Peten, pulling him over to Sin's side.

"Now I sacrifice him…" she continued, "to summon an Exemplar of Pride even greater than Ipos. Come forth, Decarabia, Sovereign of the Seventy-Seven Airs."

A foul wind blew through the Bronze Citadel as Peten vanished, and hideous black birds flew overhead!

"AH!" shouted Trisha. "They're all over the place!"

"This Archdevil likes making an entrance…" muttered Fortunado, who had been cowering in fear this whole time.

"You be quiet," ordered Russell.

A tall form appeared in front of Sin. It looked like a tall woman in a black, leather bikini and jewelry made from bone. She had feathered wings on her arms, an eagle's tail, and leg talons like those of some bird of prey. Diabolic horns grew from her forehead. (2,300/1,500) –) (2,800/1,500)

"Ho boy…" muttered Jason.

"Want to know what her effect is?" asked Sin. "Her effect is that of any Monster in either Graveyard that I choose, and since Behemoth is hardly in any position to argue, I think I'll give Decarabia his effect."

"What was that again?" asked Trisha.

"He gains 500 Attack Points every time he destroys a Monster…" answered Russell.

"Decarabia…" ordered Sin, "wipe out Luster Dragon with winged scourge!"

The she-devil glowed, and then threw her hands forward. A flock of black birds flew out, and swarmed at Luster Dragon! Luster Dragon roared, and was literally eaten alive!

**(J: 2,100) -------------------- (S: 9,700)**

Jason stared at his foe, as Decarabia's Attack rose to 3,300.

"Well…" said Sin with a smile. "Only your Ancient Lamp left… Make your move… It may well be your last…"

Jason grit his teeth and drew a card.

"I play Card of Demise," he said, playing a card. "Now I get to make five draws…"

He drew five cards.

_Now I'm the one running low on cards…_ he thought. _But now I can show her that I really mean business…_

"I play… Monster Reborn!" he shouted. "Cyber Dragon, return!"

The ankh appeared, and Cyber Dragon appeared on the field. (2,100/1,600)

"And now…" he continued, "I play Polymerization, to fuse this one with the two I just drew… Come on out, my Cyber End Dragon!"

Lightning flashed again, and the three Cyber Dragons merged into a vortex of light! With three roars, the enormous, triple-headed Machine loomed over the field! (4,000/2,800)

"Yes!" shouted Trisha.

"His strongest Monster!" cheered Russell.

"Cyber End Dragon…" ordered Jason.

The great beast roared.

"…dethrone the Sovereign of the Seventy-Seven Airs! Super strident blaze!"

Cyber End Dragon's roar echoed over the city. Three streams of intense energy shot at the female Fiend, and a huge explosion lit up the dark sky! Sin shielded herself…

**(J: 2,100) -------------------- (S: 10,000)**

Sin glared at Jason.

Her eyes glowed with an evil light…

She snatched a card off her deck.

"I'm starting to get… angry!" she growled.

"Just a reminder…" said Jason. "Your Citadel can't defend your Life Points anymore, due to this Monster's effect…"

"Notice how not worried I am…" snarled Sin. "I told you there were eight Archdevils in my deck… I have one left, and he's the strongest…"

She looked at the card she had just drawn.

_And I just drew the true master of this deck, _she thought. _Should Jason manage the impossible, the last sight he will ever see will be one that only the shades from doomed, lifeless worlds can remember…_

She lifted a Spell Card.

"I play this…" she said slowly. "It's called Blood Note…"

The Spell Card appeared, showing the image of an evil-looking notebook.

"Now I choose one Monster on your side of the field," continued Sin, "such as your Cyber End Dragon, and for every multiple of four in its star level, I get something called a Blood Token…"

"Wait…" said Trisha. "Cyber End Dragon has ten stars…"

"That means two tokens…" added Russell.

Two small fountains of gore erupted in front of Sin, and two small forms rose out of them. They looked like the tokens created from Fiend Sanctuary, but were red and slick. (0/0 x2)

"Now…" she said, taking a card, "I sacrifice both of my Blood Tokens…"

They vanished, and the floor cracked up. A burst of fire erupted out of the ground!

The creature that stepped out was a Fiend that exuded evil from every pore. His skin was green and scaly, and he wore fiendish armor. He had claws, horns, and wings, and a white veil covering his face. None of the mortals present could see his face, but he was looking at them…

"Meet Anarzel, the Face of Death," said Sin, with a smile, "Herald of the Lord of Hellfire. And as you can assume, to see his face is to know horrors beyond imagining. But as far as you're concerned, and as far as Attack and Defense Points go…

"He copies those of whatever the strongest Monster on the field is at the time he's summoned."

"If that's true, if you attacked Cyber End Dragon now, it would be a draw," said Jason.

"Fool…" said Sin. "Do you so soon forget the bonus that every Monster I summon gets from the Orichalcos?"

(4,000/2,800) –) (4,500/2,800)

"No…" gasped Jason.

"Anarzel…" commanded Sin, "wipe out his Cyber End Dragon with infinite terror!"

The devil in front of Jason glowed with dark flames, and slowly moved the veil aside…

The explosion threw Jason backwards, and he slammed against the wall of the Seal.

He slumped to the ground.

**(J: 1,600) -------------------- (S: 10,000)**

"You might as well stay down…" said Sin. "Only that Ancient Lamp stands between you and the Face of Death. And should you see Anarzel's face yourself, you won't survive… You'll die of fright, having seen things that would panic even other Archdevils."

Jason closed his eyes…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"_Beelze Frog, attack Cyber Barrier Dragon with frog-fire!"_

_Beelze Frog shot a blast of flame from its mouth! The force field sprang up, and the attack was deflected._

"_And now, my D.3.S. Frog will finish what he started…"_

_D.3.S. Frog let out his colossal croak, and the force field shattered. Cyber Barrier Dragon exploded! Jason shielded himself from the debris._

"_Face it, Jason," said Alphonse, smugly, "while you've held out longer than most of my opponents, you're finished. Even if by some miracle you find a way to destroy D.3.S. Frog, he won't stay in the Graveyard for long... For all you know, I've got plenty of ways to use him again."_

Does he mean Monster Reborn?_ thought Jason. _

_He paused._

I could get rid of that card with D.D. Designator…

No, it would be too risky! If that isn't what he's talking about, I'd lose a card from MY hand!

"_Why not just give up?" continued Alphonse. "I'll be merciful and quick…"_

"_Never…" said Jason. "I'm not finished yet…"_

But the truth is…_ he thought, as he reached for his Disk, _…maybe I am. His strategy is too well thought out, and his cards are too powerful. I don't know what I'm gonna do, bearing a miracle…

"_Why do they always want to do it the hard way…" mumbled Alphonse._

_Jason's hand slowly reached for his deck…_

_His vision started to blur…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"_Now…" ordered Arkana, "Dark Magician, attack!"_

_Dark Magician aimed his staff._

"_That's just what I wanted you to do, Arkana," said Jason with a grin. "Reveal… Ancient Lamp!"_

_As Dark Magician flew to attack, an old oil lamp on spidery metal legs appeared on the card. (900/1,400)_

"_Ancient Lamp?" said Arkana, confused. "What does that do?"_

"_I thought you were a master of magicians," said Jason. "This is another Spellcaster…_

"_And since you attacked it while it was in facedown Defense Mode, I can force your Dark Magician to attack one of your other Monsters!"_

_Dark Magician turned towards Dark Eradicator Warlock._

"_ARRGH!" shouted Arkana. "If he attacks him…"_

"_They'll both be destroyed…" said Jason._

_The two Spellcasters fired blasts of black magic at each other, and they shattered into pixels!_

_Arkana looked in disbelief._

"_Not much to say, huh?" asked Jason. "I'd be speechless too, if my whole strategy had just been blown to Hell…"_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_He threw a card on his Disk._

"_I summon Z-Metal Tank…"_

_With a whir, a yellow robot on tank treads with one optic sensor rolled into view. (1,500/1,300)_

"_And the best thing about these three Monsters is…" he said. "They combine!"_

_Z-Metal Tank rolled into the center of Jason's field. Y-Dragon Head retracted its wings and hovered over it. X-Head Cannon extended a device from its underside, and hovered over it…_

_And then the three Machines locked together, in a burst of steam and a blaze of energy, creating one huge, multicolored robotic creature!_

"_Meet Kaiba's second-favorite merged Monster," said Jason. "The XYZ-Dragon Cannon!"_

_(2,800/2,600)_

"_And now to activate its effect. See, by discarding one card from my hand, like Safecracker here…"_

_He discarded the Trap Card._

"…_I can wipe out any card on the field. So Spear Woman dies!"_

_Spear Woman gulped as the massive Machine's guns glowed…_

_It fired, and she was blown into her component atoms._

"_And that was just its effect…" said Jason. "I still have its normal attack to use on you…"_

_XYZ-Dragon aimed its guns at Cleo._

"_So…" asked Jason. "Exciting enough?"_

"_Uh, huh, huh…" chuckled Cleo, nervously._

"_ATTACK!" shouted Jason. "De-fission blasters!"_

_A barrage of lasers blasted, and Cleo was thrown back, her cards scattering all over the floor of the car!_

"_Ugh…" she moaned._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"_Not so fast, Eris!" shouted Jason. "I activate… Ring of Destruction!"_

_One of his facedown cards lifted, and a ring of grenades appeared around Golden Homunculus's neck. It grunted in surprise, and tried to pull it off…_

"_That's the dumbest move I've ever seen!" laughed Eris. "We'll both lose 4,500 Life Points! Look at the scores… I'll have 1,000 left, but you'll have zero!"_

"_I won't lose any!" replied Jason. "Time for a classic Seto Kaiba combo!"_

_His other facedown card lifted._

"_I activate Ring of Defense!"_

_A green pinwheel appeared in front of him, and started to spin. _

"_This Quickplay Spell will protect me from all damage from Trap Cards. It works great with Ring of Destruction. So you lose your Monster, and your Life Points take a serious blow!"_

_With a fierce eruption of energy, Golden Homunculus was blown into shards of rock, sending the evil chaos goddess tumbling onto the floor of her temple. Pieces of burned gold and raw flames flew in all directions, but all of it that would have hit Jason was blown back by the spinning pinwheel._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his mind, every victory, every part of this struggle raced by his eyes… Bits and pieces like some twisted kalidescope.

He had defeated powerful enemies, risked everything, been trusted with the fate of the world…

He stood up…

He wasn't about to quit now!

"You still think you can win?" asked Sin.

"Not think…" said Jason.

He paused.

"I know…

"I know with all my soul!"

He drew a card, and lightning flashed again.

"I play… Pot of Greed!" he shouted.

He played the card, and drew twice.

He looked at one of the cards. Formerly, this card had no text on it…

But before his eyes, text was now starting to appear.

Slowly, he nodded…

"Yes…" he muttered. "Yes, I understand…"

He added it to his hand.

"I throw down two facedowns," he said, throwing cards into his Disk.

Two facedown cards appeared.

"And it's your move."

"Such a fool…" laughed Sin. "Your Ancient Lamp has only 1,400 Defense Points. If I draw a Monster with an Attack Score of 1,000 or more, you lose. And even though I'm running short on cards, I'm sure I have a few left…"

She drew a card.

Chthonian Polymer.

She scowled.

"I can see from the look on your face that you got a bad draw," said Jason.

_I drew this too late…_ she thought. _I put it in there hoping to use it against one of his Fusion Monsters… What might have been… Using his own Cyber End Dragon against him would have made victory all the sweeter…_

"Who cares?" she shouted. "Anarzel, destroy that pathetic excuse for a Monster!"

Anarzel erupted into black flames again, and Jason shielded himself as Ancient Lamp was blown to bits.

"I'll place one card facedown…" she said, "and my turn ends…"

Jason drew a card. He looked at it, nodded, and added it to his hand.

"I activate… Call of the Haunted…" he said.

His facedown card lifted, and a hand burst out of the ground. A form crawled out of the ground, and it was revealed to be Double Pinaska. (1,500/1,500)

"And what good will he do you?" asked Sin. "You've already used his effect, and you can't reset it."

"He's only here for a sacrifice," said Jason. "I play… Legend of Heart!"

The Spell Card appeared, and Sin made a slight smirk.

"Now…" said Jason, "by sacrificing one Warrior…"

Double Pinaska vanished.

"…AND paying 1,000 Life Points…"

**(J: 600) -------------------- (S: 10,000)**

"The greatest forces of Good will descend!"

Trisha and Russell got up in surprise. Their own decks were glowing.

Then, Hermos and Critias appeared in their hands…

Thunder flashed out of the sky… Not a thunder storm anymore, a thunder _battle_. From out of the dark clouds, the three great Legendary Dragons flew, their roars echoing all over the city…

They dove through the Seal, landing behind Jason. They growled…

And then they started to glow with golden energy. Their immense forms started to reduce in size, becoming man-sized and humanoid…

"It's time for them to shed these monstrous forms…" said Jason. "Timaeus… Critias… Hermos… Show your true faces once again…"

Three armored forms walked out, one dressed in green, one in blue, one in red. The three teens had not seen this since they had received the gifts… And even now, it was different…

Timaeus's face was changed. Now he had Jason's hair, eyes, and the same expression…

Hermos had adapted a new look too. Russell's rugged features were clearly evident below his helmet.

And as for Critias, it was likely wrong to address him in masculine terms now. The knight now had Trisha's feminine features, and the same long, dark hair fell from behind her helmet.

The three Knights looked at Sin…

(2,800/1,800 x3)

"So…" muttered Hermos, "after all this time, the true villain reveals herself… The chameleon shows her true colors after hiding in the shadows for so long."

"The night is far from over, demoness," said Critias. "We are not defeated, and your plans will fail, just as they have every millennia."

"As powerful as you are…" said Timaeus, "greater power exists. Raise the beasts from the lowest pits of Hell, if you desire… You will not triumph."

"Strong words…" said Sin. "But what are you going to do? You can't break the Seal this time… Like I said, no card exists for you to break…"

The three Knights raised their swords, and they glowed…

"What are you doing?" said Sin.

And then she clutched her stomach in pain…

"Looks like they're gonna try anyway…" said Jason.

Sin started to strain. Then a pain formed in her head… Perspiration beaded on her forehead.

"Stop…" she groaned. "Stop… Stop…"

"STOP!" she screamed.

She fell to her knees.

And then, with one more scream, The Seal of Orichalcos was smashed to bits!

"Impossible…" she gasped.

"I guess you miscalculated how powerful they were…" said Jason. "It may not have been a card, but then, they aren't truly cards either. Like you, they're living beings.

"And by the way… I happen to know that without the Seal, Cards of Sin can't function…"

Sin watched in horror as The Bronze Citadel started to crumble and collapsed into dust. Then the Faustian Pact was blasted to pieces. Finally, Anarzel the Face of Death fell down on one knee, and let out an unearthly moan before he shattered into bits.

"Ain't that a shame…" said Jason.

"I still have one facedown card…" said Sin, angrily, "and it's no Card of Sin! Activate… Superior Duelist!"

Her facedown card lifted, showing the image of the youth on Heart of the Underdog holding a Disk and ordering an attack.

"Now, neither player is allowed to summon anything that has more Attack Points than his opponent has Life Points," she said. "So your Divine Knight of Destiny is off-limits. His Attack Score is greater than infinite."

"Oh really?" asked Jason. "Need I remind you that your Superior Duelist is the only card on your side of the field, it certainly can't stop an attack, and your Bronze Citadel can't defend you from direct attacks anymore? And I have three Monsters with 2,800 Attack Points apiece. Multiply it…"

Sin's eyes opened wide…

"He can inflict… 8,400 points of direct damage!" shouted Trisha.

"I've wanted to do this since the duel started!" shouted Jason. "Timaeus… Critias… Hermos… Attack her directly!"

Lightning flashed again, and the three Knights leapt forward, and three slashes of swords stabbed into the demoness! She was propelled backwards, and skidded towards the steps of her temple and landed at the front door with such a crash that the stone smashed into pieces.

**(J: 600) -------------------- (S: 1,600)**

"And with that, Sin…" said Jason, "I end my turn… One more round, and you're finished."

Sin got up… The lightning flashed again.

"No I'm not…" she whispered. "I have one last gambit, Jason… You see… it isn't true that every Card of Sin needs the Orichalcos to function…"

She got up, and drew a card.

"I'm going to summon the most destructive creature the world has ever seen or ever will, and it will annihilate you…"

"Uhm, excuse me…" said Jason. "Perhaps you are forgetting… Due to your own Trap Card, you are forbidden from summoning anything with more than 600 Attack Points."

Sin's eyes glowed, and she smiled a smile that Jason did not like…

She played a Spell Card.

"I play… Portal to Nessus…" she said. "Now, I first have to pay half my Life Points. Then, I have to remove seven Cards of Sin in my Graveyard from play, and they have to represent all of the Seven Deadly Sins.

**(J: 600) -------------------- (S: 800)**

"First I'll remove the Prince of Pride, Ipos, Lord of Masques."

A spectral image of Ipos appeared on the field.

"Then the Queen of Lust, Namia the Erinyes Queen."

A ghostly Namia appeared on the field.

"Next, the Lord of Sloth, Haagenti the Ultimate Alchemist."

Haagenti appeared.

"Then, the Exemplar of Gluttony, Behemoth the Great Beast."

The immense form of Behemoth appeared.

"Followed by the Duke of Envy, Vepar, Master of Angry Waters."

Vepar appeared on the field.

"Then the King of Wrath, Azazel, Guardian of the Goat."

The powerful form of Azazel appeared on the field.

"And finally, the Master of Greed, Anarzel the Face of Death."

The spectral form of Anarzel appeared with them.

"Begone!" shouted Sin, as they vanished.

Then, the ground started to shake…

And the temple behind her exploded in a fiery burst of flame and lava!

"Tell me when it's over…" gasped Trisha.

She buried her head in Russell's lap.

Rising out of the ruins was a titan that stood forty feet tall. It stood on four legs, with claws like huge swords, and resembled a cross between a hydra and a demonic dragon. It had seven terrible heads, each of which was horned and bearded, with glowing eyes and terrible teeth.

It roared in pure bloodlust, and the whole city heard and cowered in fear… In every borough, children hid under their bedclothes, and girlfriends clung to their boyfriends in terror…

No one knew what had come, but all were certain that doom had come to the city…

(0/0)

"What in the name of?" gasped Russell.

"Make it go away…" begged Trisha, not even looking. "Please make it go away…"

"What is THAT?" shouted Jason, taking a step back.

"Well, Timaeus…" laughed Sin. "You dared me to raise something from the lowest pit of Hell, never dreaming that I'd be capable of doing so. Now the Reckoning to end all Reckonings has begun!"

The sky turned blood red, contrasting the dark shape that had been the moon.

"Remember when I mentioned Asmodeus? The most powerful devil in existence? According to legend, before I was even created, he was a powerful angel. One who was thrown out of Heaven when he turned to evil.

"When that happened, he fell. He fell through space and time. He landed in what would become Hell, and crashed. Still he fell. He fell through each layer, the impact forming the very landscape.

"He fell until he reached the bottom layer, and still he fell…

"He fell until he could fall no more, and there was no place left to fall. At the very bottom of the universe, the lowest pit of Hell, he lay shattered and bleeding.

"That was uncounted eons ago. And the wounds he suffered from that great fall have not yet healed. Every time he bleeds a little, a powerful devil hatches from his blood.

"And very rarely, maybe once in a thousand years, he bleeds a lot, and from the spilled blood grows one of these creatures, known as an Armageddon Beast.

"Asmodeus uses these creatures for one purpose only: When he desires a race's extinction. When one appears on a mortal world, it usually results in that world's destruction. Many pagan religions have prophesies of a seven-headed beast who will come and bring about the end of all things…"

"But…" said Jason.

"I know…" she continued. "You're wondering why it has zero Attack Points and zero Defense Points. Quite an about-face from that fool Dartz. His ultimate Monster had infinite Attack Points.

"Well, let me shed some light on the situation before I send you all to eternal darkness…

"Whenever it engages in battle, all battle damage done to it is reduced to zero, and the Monster it battles is destroyed. Plus, the owner of the destroyed Monster loses Life Points equal to his Monster's Attack Points.

"Plus, it's immune to card effects that destroy Monsters. In short…

"It's invincible…

"Time to end this… Since I know well what your Knights can do…

"Armageddon Beast… Destroy Timaeus! Beam of obliteration!"

The great beast's fourteen eyes glowed. Then, streams of black energy shot from its seven terrible mouths…

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Jason. "I activate… Attack Guidance Armor!"

His last Trap Card lifted.

"Now, I'll reroute your attack… To Hermos!"

The armor formed around Hermos.

The energy beams shot towards Hermos, and the Knight lifted his sword. He strained and sweated, and his muscles bulged. For a second, it looked like they would burst…

Finally he deflected the beams aside. He panted for breath.

"What?" said Sin.

"I activated Hermos's effect," said Jason, also panting. "He can duplicate the effect of any Effect Monster in my Graveyard, so I had him duplicate Double Pinaska's."

He looked at his Disk.

_If Athena hadn't given me that card…_ he thought, _I'd have just lost… She is truly the Goddess of Wisdom…_

"Fine…" said Sin. "I'll destroy you next round."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Just surrender…" she hissed. "You can't defeat pure Evil…"

Jason quickly drew a card.

He looked at the two cards in his hand and nodded.

"Time to end this, Sin," he said.

"And what do you plan to do?" she asked. "By the way, if your plan involves taking control of my Beast, forget it. That won't work either. No power in the universe could make it obey an enemy of Hell."

The Armageddon Beast growled, and eyed Jason and the three Knights hungrily…

"I dunno, Sin…" replied Jason. "You may be using the most powerful Card of Sin right now… A beast spawned from the blood of the King of Hell, capable of destroying the world…

"But I hold in my hand the most powerful Card of Virtue… A weapon of ultimate Good.

"Shall we test the age old question? What is truly more powerful? Good… or Evil?

"Time to find out… Once… and… for… all…"

He held up a card. It glowed with a soft light.

"I play a Spell Card. It's called simply… Stigmata."

The card shone in the darkness, and the three Knights in front of him started to glow. They rose off the ground.

"You see, Sin…" said Jason, "summoning Divine Knight of Destiny wasn't my intention. I had someone else planned. This Spell Card lets me invoke the true power granted to me as Dark Messiah. But to do so, I must sacrifice Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos. So, see you later guys…"

The three Knights were enveloped in golden light. They rose into the air, and vanished.

"And in return…" he said, placing his last card on his Disk, "I get to summon someone who I can't say enough about because, well…"

He took ten steps forward.

"Because… well, he's me."

Russell and Trisha gasped as Jason's armor glowed, and he faced Sin and her huge abomination. (0/0)

Sin stared at him for a second.

"Well…" she said with a slight chuckle. "This is certainly unexpected… So, The Dark Messiah is not only Good's champion, but a Monster as well."

"Are you surprised?" asked Jason. "Did Issac do nothing but stand on the sidelines when his troops fought Malastus? Did Obrimos and Arcanthum do nothing but send their minions after Skorne and his guardians?

"No, and no. They challenged the champions of Evil personally, just as I'm doing right now."

"Humph…" said Sin. "I notice you have the same statistics as my Monster… zero in both areas.

"I only start out with zero…" said Jason, reaching for his Disk's discard slot. "However, I'm now able to remove from play up to five Monsters in my Graveyard, and for each one, I gain 1,000 Attack and Defense Points. However, I'm only going to remove three…"

He held up three cards.

"_These_ three, to be exact…"

The spectral forms of Marauding Captain, Nanobreaker, and Vorse Raider appeared behind him. (3,000/3,000)

"The spirits who guided you to the Dragons in the first place…" said Sin with a smirk. "How dramatic… How noble… How utterly useless and pathetic. Have you forgotten my Armageddon Beast's ability? Try to attack, and not only will your Life Points be gone, you'll be annihilated."

"I have another ability," replied Jason. "During every turn, yours and mine, I can duplicate the effect of any Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster in either my Graveyard or yours."

"Feh…" said Sin. "I dare you to try find one that can defeat my Beast."

"Dunno, Sin…" said Jason again, crossing his arms.

The images of dozens of cards appeared around them…

"I mean, it's been a long duel… and I'm pretty sure I can find one somewhere in here that will do the trick…

"In fact…"

A card appeared in his hand.

"The very first Trap Card you used in this duel will fit my needs nicely…"

He waved his arm, and the Trap Card appeared on the field.

Sin drew back in fear…

It was Compulsory Evacuation Device.

"I don't need to destroy septuple-ugly up there…" said Jason. "I just have to blast it off the field!"

The machine appeared, and the Armageddon Beast roared in rage! It melted into a globe of dark energy, and was sucked into the machine, which fired like a cannon, that knocked Sin over.

The card fluttered to the ground as she looked in disbelief.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"No fair…" muttered the demoness.

"Oh, and summoning a creature with that much power Iis/I fair?" asked Jason, angrily. "Using a Field Spell that makes you untouchable is fair? Sin, you're the one who dared to use the power of the Lords of Hell… By bringing such evil forces to Earth, you opened the door for the forces of Good to react. Did you really think that Heaven was going to do nothing while Hell tried to invade? I don't know where it was written that only the bad guys can have incredible powers, but I changed that this time."

The point was lost on the demoness…

"What… have… you… done…" she gasped. "When word gets out that the Lords of Hell were defeated like this…"

"It will be the worst humiliation for them in ages," replied Jason. "I do believe that this Blood War you speak of is going to turn against them for the next few centuries – fiends of other types aren't going to take the forces of Hell seriously, and are going to laugh at them behind their backs.

"And they'll only have you to blame for it, Sin… For another Reckoning not only lost, but lost after you got help from every infernal prince who had a stake in it.

"I don't envy what's going to happen to you in a few seconds, but let me end this with a word of advice.

"If you ever get out of Hell… I mean, if you happen to find a loophole in that Pact, or the Lords get bored with you, or, heck, if you just manage to escape…

"…don't come back. Because in another thousand years, I'm sure the next champion of Good would love to kick your ass even harder."

His hands glowed.

"Ultimate divine light!"

A beam of the most intense light ever shot from his hands, and Sin bellowed an unearthly scream as she was burned by holy energy. The Duel Disk fell off her arm, and shattered to pieces.

She fell to her knees, and her eyes glowed white. Her mouth opened, and like some sort of hideous vomit, spectral forms started flying from it.

Jason, Trisha, and Russell looked closely as the souls started flying free. They saw a few people they knew… Trisha recognized Patrick and Duncan. Russell swore he saw Ouka, and Jason recognized Alphonse. There were plenty others who they didn't recognize immediately, but they were relieved… Her victims would be spared the dark fate she had in store for them.

Sin collapsed in heap…

And then, she was surrounded by a fiery circle. She lifted her head slightly…

And then, a group of demonic hands reached up and seized her. She tried to scream, but one of them clamped over her mouth. The flames rose, and she was slowly dragged under…

**(J: 600) -------------------- (S: 0)**

Jason fell to his knees. The storm subsided, the red color went away, the clouds cleared, and once more, the full moon shone brightly in the night sky, amid a thousand stars…

"That's game…" he whispered.

_Wednesday, November 11th, 3:05 AM_

_The Epilogue is right under the new cards!_

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**VEPAR, MASTER OF ANGRY WATERS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level: **5  
**ATK: **1,900  
**DEF: **1,900

**Sin: **Envy

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Archdevil. Only one Archdevil may be on your side of the field at one time. This card is destroyed if "Faustian Pact" is not active on your side of the field. When this card damages your opponent's Life Points, search your deck for one FIEND-Type Monster except another Archdevil and add it to your hand. You cannot summon the Monster you search for on the same round you search for it.

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**AZAZEL, GUARDIAN OF THE GOAT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,100  
**DEF: **1,600

**Sin: **Wrath

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Archdevil. Only one Archdevil may be on your side of the field at one time. This card is destroyed if "Faustian Pact" is not active on your side of the field. This card can make a second attack during your Battle Phase if you offer another Monster as a Tribute. The second attack may not be used to attack your opponent directly.

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**DECARABIA, SOVEREIGN OF THE SEVENTY-SEVEN AIRS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level: **6  
**ATK: **2,300  
**DEF: **1,500

**Sin:** Pride

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Archdevil. Only one Archdevil may be on your side of the field at one time. This card is destroyed if "Faustian Pact" is not active on your side of the field. When this card is Normal Summoned, choose one Effect Monster in either Graveyard. The effect of the chosen Monster becomes the effect of this card for as long as this card remains face-up on the field.

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**ANARAZEL, THE FACE OF DEATH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **7  
**ATK: **?  
**DEF: **?

**Sin: **Greed

**Card Description:** This card is considered an Archdevil. Only one Archdevil may be on your side of the field at one time. This card is destroyed if "Faustian Pact" is not active on your side of the field. The base ATK and DEF of this card are equal to that of the opposing face-up Monster currently on the field with the highest ATK at the time this card is summoned.

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**BLOOD NOTE (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** A notebook surrounded by evil-looking magical energy.

**Card Description:** Choose one Monster on your opponent's side of the field. For each multiple of four in that Monster's star level, Special Summon one "Blood Token" (Warrior/Dark/1 star/0 ATK/0 DEF) to your side of the field.

_Note: "Blood Note" was first used by The D in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Ultimate Destiny", and I am not sure whether, as far as the anime world was concerned, this was a custom-made card or not. (I have used the original, undubbed name for effect.) Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SUPERIOR DUELIST (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Trap/Continuous  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** The youth on "Heart of the Underdog" holding a Duel Disk and ordering an attack.

**Card Description:** You may only activate this card when you have more Life Points than your opponent and your Life Point total is 5,000 or more. While this card in play, neither player may Normal Summon, Flip-Summon, or Special Summon a Monster who has a greater base ATK than his opponent's current Life Points.

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**PORTAL TO NESSUS (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Continuous/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Sin: **All

**Image:** An ominous portal, ringed by fire, with a shadowy, seven-headed form on the other side.

**Card Description:** This card can be played when "The Seal of Orichalcos" is not active. Pay half your remaining Life Points. Remove from play from your Graveyard seven Cards of Sin, each of which represents a different sin. Special Summon one "Armageddon Beast" from your hand or deck.

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**ARMAGEDDON BEAST (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Fiend/Effect/Card of Sin  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level: **12  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Sin: **All

**Card Description:** This card can be played when "The Seal of Orichalcos" is not active. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This Monster cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Portal to Volgauth". When this card battles another Monster, reduce battle damage to this Monster to zero and destroy the opposing Monster. The owner of the destroyed Monster loses Life Points equal to the ATK of the destroyed Monster. This Monster is not affected by Spell Cards, Trap Cards, and Monster effects that destroy Monsters. Control of this Monster cannot switch.

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**LEGEND OF HEART (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Image:** Three swords meeting in a Y-pattern with three dragons in the background.

**Card Description:** Offer one WARRIOR-Type Monster as a Tribute and pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon "Timaeus", "Critias", and "Hermos". Destroy "The Seal of Orichalcos".

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**TIMAEUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **10  
**ATK: **2,800  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card is Special Summoned via the effect of "Legend of Heart". If this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you may take "The Eye of Timaeus" from your deck or Graveyard and add it to your hand. Also, you may offer this card as a Tribute along with "Critias" and "Hermos" to Special Summon "Divine Knight of Destiny".

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**CRITIAS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **10  
**ATK: **2,800  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card is Special Summoned via the effect of "Legend of Heart". If this card is targeted by the attack of an opposing Monster, you may take one Trap Card from your Graveyard and activate it from your hand.

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**HERMOS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **10  
**ATK: **2,800  
**DEF: **1,800

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card is Special Summoned via the effect of "Legend of Heart". If this card is targeted by the attack of an opposing Monster, the effect of this card becomes that of any Effect Monster in your Graveyard.

_Note: "Legend of Heart" and the true forms of Timaeus, Hermos, and Critias first appeared in the multi-part anime episode "A Duel With Dartz". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**STIGMATA (Spell Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Spell/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **-  
**Level: **-  
**ATK: **-  
**DEF: **-

**Virtue: **All

**Image:** A pious-looking woman in a ragged robe. She is bleeding from wounds in her arms.

**Card Description:** Offer "Timaeus", "Critias", and "Hermos" on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon "The Dark Messiah" from your hand or deck.

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**THE DARK MESSIAH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type: **Warrior/Effect/Card of Virtue  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level: **12  
**ATK: **0  
**DEF: **0

**Virtue: **All

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of "Stigmata". When this card is summoned, you may remove up to five Monsters in your Graveyard from play. Increase the ATK and DEF of this card by 1,000 for each Monster removed from play in this manner. Once per turn, during your turn and your opponent's, you can treat the effect of one Spell or Trap Card or the effect of one Effect Monster in either your or your opponent's Graveyard as the effect of this card.

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**EPILOGUE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

Jason was silent. He didn't rise from his knees.

The armor around him faded away, returning him to his normal clothes.

Russell and Trisha looked around. The evil temple had been blasted into small pieces of rock. No trace of the demoness remained. The full moon shined brightly in the sky.

The Reckoning was over… The forces of Good were triumphant.

Still, Jason didn't move.

"Jason…" said Trisha, walking up to him. "You did it… It's finally over…"

Jason raised his head.

"Yeah…" he said. "I did it…"

He drew a card from what was left of his deck.

"…but it's cold comfort. I'm truly blind now. I can't see you… I can't see them…"

He took the rest of the cards in his deck and placed all of them in the discard slot.

"That may have been my best duel ever… But it was my last…"

Tears fell down Trisha's face. She hugged him.

"Don't be so hasty, child," said a familiar voice.

Jason raised his head. He couldn't see, but a feeling of warmth came from in front of him that he could turn to.

Trisha and Russell turned, and the Sage of Duelists had appeared. His four bodyguards were behind him.

"You again…" muttered Jason. "So what now?"

"Oh, I came to take back the loan," said the Sage, "and return the collateral…"

He raised his hand, and it glowed. Jason gasped, and felt a pain in his eyes. He gripped them…

He pulled off the blindfold, and slowly opened them. It came slowly… first he saw light and darkness, then shapes; finally, blurry images gave way to true sight.

"What… but…" he stammered. "Loan? Collateral? You said I'd have to give up my sight…"

"I didn't say permanently," said the Sage. "Jason, it's a little complicated, but we have the time…"

He paused.

"That witch made a joke by quoting an old song… 'Better laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints; the sinners are much more fun…'

"She meant it as a sick joke, but there's a lot of sad truth in it…

"You ever wonder why in comic books, each hero has dozens of villains as enemies? Certainly, supervillains must outnumber superheroes by over ten to one. We all used to admire folks like Superman, but truth be told, if given his powers, most people would be doing what Lex Luther did."

"Keep going…" said Jason.

"You ever hear the saying that with great power comes great responsibility, Jason?" he continued. "Most folks with power ignore that. Being a hero takes a lot of self control and restraint.

"Sin has whispered into the ears of men with power since time began. And it got worse in the modern age. Folks these days worship the dollar as much as they worship God. Just ask Chazz… For the first sixteen years of his life, he lived under the thumb of two older brothers who thought money could solve any problem…"

"And it couldn't get them out of their biggest problem," said Chazz with a smirk. "They eventually got so desperate to control Duel Monsters and make their dumb plan work that they decided they didn't have to follow laws to do so. And that decision cost them everything. They got in trouble for stock fraud, forgery, and then perjury, spent five years in jail, and during that time, all their assets collapsed. After that, they practically begged me for help, and I reminded them that _they_ had dumped _me_. I don't even know what happened to them after that…"

"Anyway…" continued the Sage, "the phrase 'lead us not into temptation' has little bearing most of the time. Mortals are tempted by power, and most succumb. They seek the easy way, using power to satisfy greed and do what _they_ want to do…

"If the power I gave you were to have been used for a selfish reason, the blasphemy it would have caused would have created repercussions… to horrible to describe…

"So recently, the higher powers needed a way to be sure that the power of the Dark Messiah would not be misused. So to be given it, a collateral had to be left, for two reasons…

"One, as a test to prove that you would give up something precious…

"And two, to have something that you'd want back in exchange for giving the power back.

"So, I give back your sight, and you return the power of the Dark Messiah, so it will be available again… Should the need ever arise."

Jason paused.

"By all means…" he said. "But… Heck, I know it's _far_ in the future, but is this ever going to happen again?"

The Sage shook his head.

"It's hard to say, frankly…" he said. "Sin raised the forces of the nether regions themselves, and left an opening for Heaven to strike back. Heaven proved superior, and Sin has been banished to Hell forever. She won't return, and perhaps this victory is proof enough that the Divine was meant to rule over the Balance…

"And this was a great victory. The seven vices that Sin created still linger, but she can no longer personally tempt mortals with her lies and false promises. Whoever comes as a replacement will be green and inexperienced. Perhaps a new golden age will start, and a true Age of Virtues will begin…

"It may take some time, of course…

"But know one thing…

"If, in a thousand years, someone new takes Sin's place, he won't be able to top what she did. Whoever holds the title of Dark Messiah next should have a much easier time than you did."

"One other question…" said Jason. "Those terrorists that forced Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey to duel them…"

"Yes…" muttered the Sage. "She told you about them in her guise as Barna, didn't she?"

He gave a sad look.

"I wasn't the Sage of Duelists yet at the time," he sighed. "My mentor was still in charge, and I was an apprentice…

"No coercion or force is used with my group, Jason. We express free will among our members. And some over the years who could not understand the lessons have perverted them, and fallen to evil.

"Those three… I don't truly know what their intentions were. Perhaps they sought to start the Reckoning early by making the power of the Dragons and the Dark Messiah known. Whatever the case, they thought that evil had to be done to achieve a greater good, something that is never the case.

"And we tried to stop them… We hunted for them once we learned their plans. But eventually, the duel began, and we could only watch. Fortunately, the ramifications were minor.

"To this day, we mourn them and any others who were lost to evil…"

There was a long pause.

"You know…" said Russell, "it's too bad Fortunado's movie won't see production. This should be known to everyone…"

Then the three teenagers got up with a start.

"Fortunado!" exclaimed Trisha. "We forgot about that slimeball…"

The madman was nowhere in sight…

"Not to worry…" said the Sage with a laugh. "He thinks he's in the clear, but a few of your… friends went after him…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

With Sin's defeat, the magical powers in the Mastech Building all vanished…

But the technological parts still remained. An express elevator shot down towards the sub-basement.

Fortunado had fled the moment the Armageddon Beast had fallen. He had actually been preparing for this possibility for years.

Things weren't going to be good for him. Not only would the authorities be looking for him, but every duelist in his employ who had fallen in a Shadow Game or Orichalcos Duel was now waking up, and they'd all want his head.

Well, they could look for him all they wanted. He had kept enough money in a foreign account to live for a very long time, and before anyone got out of the building, a private plane he had chartered would be ready to take him to a place where the weather was warm, the women were frisky, and the extradition treaties were nonexistent.

The elevator door opened…

And he drew back in fright…

Standing in front of him were Marauding Captain, Nanobreaker, and Vorse Raider.

The three Monster Spirits looked at him. Their eyes narrowed…

"Stay back…" he said. "You can't…"

He would never finish the sentence.

Three slashes of three blades later, and he fell to the ground.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jason was half-asleep in his dorm room, as the morning sun rose.

Words couldn't tell how exhausted he was, and how relieved he was that it was all over.

But now what? Go back to classes and exams? It seemed a little minor league after all they had been through.

"Jason!" yelled Trisha's voice, from behind his door. "Wake up, will you?"

"Trisha, come on…" muttered Jason, "can't I sleep a little more after all we went through?"

Trisha opened the door.

"Actually, Jason…" she said, "it's Friday. You slept for two days."

Jason got up and stared at her.

"Everyone did, to tell the truth," she continued. "Dr. Artemis put classes on hold until Monday. But she, uh, wants to talk to us and Russell about something…"

"What?" asked Jason.

"No clue…" replied Trisha.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The three friends watched as Dr. Artemis sipped coffee.

"You know, Russell…" she said. "I've been looking hard for a rule I can use that will make you get rid of that cheesy trenchcoat… Unfortunately, I have yet to find one…"

"What can I say?" asked Russell. "I think it looks good on me…"

Dr. Artemis paused.

"Let me tell you all a story," she said. "When Yugi Mouto defeated the Dark Lord Zork, his spiritual guide was told of a way that he could be freed from the Millennium Puzzle after being bound to it for so long…

"The Pharaoh had to know something that the strongest men had to know – defeat. He had to face an opponent in a duel, and lose.

"Kaiba quickly volunteered to be his opponent, but Yugi wouldn't let him. He insisted that he was going to duel the Pharaoh himself.

"It began… A Ritual Duel…

"It seemed like the Pharaoh had the advantage. His deck had all three of the Egyptian God Cards. But Yugi knew of their weaknesses, and quickly exploited them, destroying all three.

"In the end, Yugi was triumphant. The Pharaoh left this world, the Millennium Items were buried forever…

"And as a side effect, as a result of Yugi's victory, every portal and gateway from the Earth to the Shadow Realm was supposed to close and seal forever, ensuring that Shadow Games would never threaten the world again…"

She sipped from her coffee…

"It seems that, whoever researched that part… misinterpreted…

"Shadow Games didn't end, as you are well aware. They went away for a few years, but they made a comeback. And for the past century, they have come and gone. Every now and then, some would-be conjurer has attempted to recreate those old rituals, usually with poor results, but there have been some close calls.

"That's why this school started Exodia Gold…"

The three teens drew back in shock.

"Exodia Gold is real?" asked Jason.

"Yes…" said Artemis. "And the most important requirement for getting in is to have won a Shadow Game. Students who enter are given special training and conditioning to fight the shadows, should they ever arise again.

"I'm going to be having this talk with some other students… But I'm offering you membership first. You've already been approved by the board of directors."

They all paused.

"There are many benefits," added Artemis. "Full scholarship, priority for other positions, internships… You only have to keep it secret…"

They looked at each other.

"How can we say no?" said Jason. "We're hardly regular students anymore…"

Artemis smiled.

"Come by tonight at six, and you can do the paperwork," she said.

"Oh, in the meantime…" she said, taking something out of her desk.

She handed something to Jason.

"Someone came by who wanted to meet with you at the Kit Kat at noon."

Jason took the card.

The card said _Bradford Winchester, Attorney at Law._

_The Kit Kat?_ he thought. _That's a pretty fancy bar…_

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The Kit Kat was indeed a pretty fancy bar. Most ordinary people would say that only snobs went there. Whoever wanted to meet with them had to be rich, important, or both.

As the three entered the lavishly decorated bar, the man at the door turned to them.

"Mr. Conrad?" he said.

"Uh, yeah…" he muttered.

"Right this way," he said. "Mr. Winchester is waiting for you."

Jason and his two friends were very confused as they were led to a table occupied by one man, wearing an Italian three-piece suit that likely was custom-tailored. His watch was clearly either a Rolex or a close relation. He seemed about fifty, his hair already going grey. He had a short beard and moustache.

He had a metal briefcase in his hands that had a digital lock on it.

"Mr. Conrad," he said, in a deep, gravely voice. "I feel I know you already… Please, sit down…"

The three friends sat down.

"Feel free to order any drinks or hors d'oeuvres," he offered. "Anything that you're old enough to have. After all… It's tax deductible."

"I take it you're a lawyer of some sort?" asked Jason.

"Yes, but not the kind who handles courtroom cases," said Winchester. "I work for the legal department of KaibaCorp…"

He paused.

"That duel of yours…" he said. "Heavens knows how that creature hacked into Times Square's big screen, but it's been recorded. I can even send you three a recording if you want…"

"No thank you!" shouted Trisha.

"Mmm, I don't blame you…" said Winchester. "I wouldn't want a reminder either…"

He paused, as a waitress handed him a martini.

"Are you a duelist?" asked Jason.

"Heh…" said Winchester, with a chuckle. "I was, a very long time ago. You really can't work for KaibaCorp without having some sort of history with that sort of thing. But it's been about twenty years since I last used a Disk…"

He paused.

"You know, my friends… A hundred years ago, Seto Kaiba likely would have assumed that your opponent in that duel was a very human terrorist, using a great deal of smoke and mirrors, and a lot of custom cards.

"The current head of our company is more willing to believe the truth. And let me tell you…

"It isn't every day that a duelist fights back an invasion from the depths of Hades…"

"So what's the point?" asked Jason.

"After watching that duel three times…" said Winchester, somberly, "the KaibaCorp board of directors had a meeting. A vote was taken…

"…and it was unanimous, as it needed to be. They decided that the terms of Seto Kaiba's will have finally been fulfilled…"

"What w…" started Jason.

He paused, half in shock, and half in fear.

"The terms of his will regarding his most important cards," said Winchester. "The one that said they would only go to his equal… After a century, that person has been found."

He punched a code into the briefcase, and it opened.

"That person is you, Jason."

The three precious cards were there in plastic cases on a bed of felt – the three Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards.

And there were five other cards below them. Four cards that Jason knew were designed exclusively for Kaiba's use, and one that was just as rare as Blue-Eyes: White Dragon Ritual, Paladin of White Dragon, Kaibaman, Burst Stream of Destruction, and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"Go on…" said Winchester. "No strings attached. The will insisted there be no red tape. Kaiba wants you to have them… We're sure…"

Jason's hand trembled as he reached for them…

Slowly, he gathered the cards…

"Well…" said Winchester, "I'm sure you…"

"Can the three of us have a few minutes alone?" asked Jason.

"Hmm?" asked Winchester. "Well, certainly…"

Jason looked at the cards as he got up.

"So what are you going to do, Jason?" asked Russell, in awe.

"Well…" muttered Jason. "My deck will have to be changed dramatically… I'll have to invest in a few other cards… Maybe King Dragun and its components, Kaiser Sea Horse, Dragon's Mirror…

"But…"

He took out his deck.

"There is something I can do right now…"

He leafed through his cards, and found nine of them.

"Trisha…" he said. "I want you to have these…"

She looked at them.

His three Cyber Dragons, Cyber Laser Dragon, Cyber Barrier Dragon, Photon Generator Unit, Attack Deflector Unit, Cyber Twin Dragon, and Cyber End Dragon.

"I don't need them any more…" said Jason. "They'll make your deck even stronger. You'd best get a couple of Polymerization cards… And look into Power Bond too."

Trisha hugged him.

"Looks like I'm gonna take you up on that offer after all!" she said with tears of joy. "When we finally duel, it will be a clash of the titans!"

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The sun started to set in the November sky – which was warmer than usual – as the three friends walked across the Green.

"Strange…" said Russell. "Somehow, I still think that something is missing…"

The pouches that held their side decks glowed…

They quickly took cards out of them…

"Timaeus…" said Jason.

"Critias…" said Trisha.

"Hermos…" said Russell.

In a flash, and in beams of light, the three Knights appeared before them.

"My friends," said Timaeus, "the time has come for us to take our leave. But we wanted to speak one more time."

"No more remains for us to do," said Critias. "The Orichalcos has lost the true source of its power, and it will never trouble the world again."

"You looked pure Evil in the face and prevailed," said Hermos. "No matter what the demon brought forth, you found a way to overcome them."

"So what will happen to you now?" asked Jason.

"We go home," said Timaeus, "to where our kind lives as you do, in other ways."

"But take heart," said Critias. "In the Dominion of the Beasts, your images will be put next to those of Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey, and you will be remembered until the end of time."

"Remember us as well…" said Hermos. "Never lose faith, and no matter how bleak the situation, never lose hope…"

The three Knights faded into sparkles of light, and rose into the sky. Jason, Trisha, and Russell watched as they faded away…

…and then the three cards in their hands faded into motes of light.

"Goodbye…" said Jason.

_The rest of that fall and the following winter were unusually warm. The sun shone most days, and the nights were clear. It only snowed once, and that was on Christmas, when the birth of Christ was celebrated, and the heavens seemed to celebrate with a brisk snowfall. Not a nasty, wet, packing snow that tied up the highways and caused all amounts of trouble, but just the right type of snow for children to play in and make snowballs and snowmen. _

_And indeed, Christmas seemed fuller of joy than ever that year. Folks would greet each other with kind words, help people who were less fortunate, and folks were often satisfied with what they had. It was a common sight for people to simply take a deep breath, look into the sky and feel more warmth and love than they had before._

_In fact, the most violence that happened between folks occurred among those who played Duel Monsters. The game continued, both at the Academy and elsewhere, but no evil reared its head in any competition. And no matter how hard a loser was hit by his opponent's attack, the duel was certain to end with a handshake. _

_On Christmas Eve, Trisha received a hand-wrapped gift delivered to her certified mail. She was surprised to see a full deck of forty cards, and was even more surprised to see that it was the Machiners Deck that her brother had used against her in the invasion. After thinking about it and changing her mind at least twenty times, she finally decided to meet with him, and slowly they began the process of reconciliation. Why Patrick had decided to initiate this meeting, she didn't know, but she assumed that with Sin gone, so was all the evil she had planted in him._

_It was hard deciding what to do with Cassius, Sebastian, and Cleo. They had given up, and had been through a terrible situation, but many were quick to remind them that they were criminals who had committed many terrible injustices in the past. Eventually, Jason found them, and convinced them to turn state's evidence, suggesting that they would be treated more leniently as informants rather than simply fugitives. They took his advice, and again promised they would never bother them or the other students again. _

_For members of the Dark Messiah's Army of Light, some also entered Exodia Gold, but all did well from that point on._

_Bugsy would enroll at the Academy the next year, easily passing the entrance exams. Still using Insects, he never lost his taste in finding new ways to use them._

_Randy and Nadia's rivalry never seemed to end. The spirits never left Randy, guiding him in every duel. Nadia kept Alice above her bed, and while Alice never spoke to Nadia again, all she needed to do when she wanted inspiration was look at the doll's smile, and she knew that the doll spirit was watching, and was still grateful. _

_Ansel never used his weak Recreation Deck again. Ever since Cyber Blader spoke to him, he had become closer to her and the rest of the Cyber Girls than ever. It still pained him whenever one of them died in a duel, but he took heart in knowing that as long as he could duel, they were truly immortal._

_It was a full year before Amanda would speak to her brother again, even though the experience seemed to teach him a lesson. Eventually, contempt turned into tolerance, until she finally decided that to forgive was divine. She traded away the cards in her OTK Deck, and with help from Nathan, managed to build the V to Z Machine Deck that she had dreamed of, a deck that truly came from her heart. Nathan became her favorite study partner and sparring partner, and eventually, the two were inseparable._

_Malvolio started to become more popular. He dropped the fake insanity act for good, and started to duel more often. Franct never came back for the card he had taken (Malvolio assumed that he was too ashamed over losing) and Malvolio eventually did indeed find a duelist who used Vehicroids to give it to. Giving away such a valuable card and expecting nothing in return earned him a friend… Who later became a girlfriend, and with that came the promise that the Lark legacy would continue still._

_Sean was a bit inspired by his experience with the Destiny Heroes, even though they were fakes. He did a great deal of research on them and other rare and unique cards, and eventually started submitting card designs to Industrial Illusions, hoping to start something himself. Eventually, he was noticed; his first successful design was a Fire Warrior named Warrior Princess Freya, and eventually, he would be asked to design more._

_Janus found it hard to believe that Omaly was gone, but after dreading for a long time that he would come back, he assumed he was gone for good. Janus figured that when Sin had been banished to Hell, Omaly was dragged down with her, because while he was not sin, he was the negative emotions that caused it. Janus was able to socialize and mingle without fear, and he led a more active life, leaving his evil side buried. And he knew that if, by some means, Omaly did ever return, he'd be able to control him. After all, he had beaten him once, he could do it again._

_Old Ben didn't change much after the assault. He still minded the Ra Dorm, as much as a responsible headmaster could. He did make one change in his schedule, however. On weekends, he'd go to the cancer ward of the local children's hospital, and read to the patients. Naturally, he often read _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland _sharing the enchanting fairy tale that he had once read to another cancer patient. For children with grim futures, he brought laughs and smiles that they desperately needed. _

_Dr. Artemis was never bothered by Dr. Rackham-Kerwin again, even though his involvement with the Orichalcos ruined a great deal of his good standing in the academic community. Little legal proof existed, but his participation became well known, and he was never trusted again. In any event, with him gone and her secret finally gotten off her chest by the confession, a weight was lifted off her shoulders that seemed to break a chain that had bound her for years. She became friendlier and more approachable, and more easy-going with the students. Jason kept his word, and her crime of fraud was never exposed._

_And what of the three who released the Dragons?_

_Did Trisha and Jason live happily ever after once their duel occurred?_

_Did Russell find happiness with Sersei? Did he ever lose the need to deal retribution on a large scale?_

_Was Trisha and Sersei's rivalry ever settled?_

_The future holds a lot of mysteries, and not all of them can be explored. No matter what paths the lives of these three heroes took, you can be assured that while they were full of challenges, struggles, and tight spots…_

…_they always prevailed. _

_And until at least the year 3106, if even then, the world that we know would earn a respite from evil…_

_**We duel for hope!  
We duel to feel!  
We duel for the truth,  
For all that is real.  
We duel for your mother, your sister, your daughter, your wife,  
We duel for you and me my friend…**_

_**We duel for life…**_

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**FINIS**

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_I hope you have enjoyed reading this fic as much as I have writing it._

_But take heart… This is not my final Yu-Gi-Oh project._

_Fans of my Yu-Gi-Oh Jr. series, return in a week or two, when I go back to that world, and begin a new fic, where an important loose end will be tied up…_

_In a new fanfiction that I call "Yu-Gi-Oh! Third Generation: The Legend of the Sorcerer Kings"._

_Don't miss it._


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